Cheap Rose BTAs @ Fraggle Reef

[pinkneyss]

In case anyone is looking for one. They are 3"-5" for $59.

http://www.fragglereef.com/zen/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=578

[GSMguy]

nice looking look like the divers den ones for $150

[RedSonja]

Cool. I already have that color morph, got it from Reef Science last year, but that's a good price on that large an RBTA. Very good color on it too, looks healthy.

I'm puzzled by the "Not from China" in the description though, are there BTA's coming from China?

-Sonja

[arcab4]

"Sorry, the product was not found.". :(

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9070976#post9070976 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by arcab4
"Sorry, the product was not found.". :(

Sold out already I guess. I still had the tab open and saved the thumbnail for ya, but the larger pic is already gone, yeah.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a338/redsonja2k/misc/btafragglereef001.jpg

image copyright Fragglereef, etc. etc. :)


-Sonja

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9070633#post9070633 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RedSonja
Cool. I already have that color morph, got it from Reef Science last year, but that's a good price on that large an RBTA. Very good color on it too, looks healthy.

I'm puzzled by the "Not from China" in the description though, are there BTA's coming from China?

-Sonja

The RBTA's that flooded the market a couple years ago, were said to be from China (probably Indo-China). They were of the green disk/orangeish-red tentacle variety. They tended not to keep their colors very well and became brown.

Even though the color morph seems to be the same, most sellers don't seem to want them associatied with the "old" roses that were less expensive.

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9071357#post9071357 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phender
The RBTA's that flooded the market a couple years ago, were said to be from China (probably Indo-China). They were of the green disk/orangeish-red tentacle variety. They tended not to keep their colors very well and became brown.



I've had this color morph since June of last year and the color is still very good. This pic of some of the clones is about a week post-cutting.

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a338/redsonja2k/bta%20pictures%20Jan%2012%202007/20070122246_edited.jpg

Didn't know some of them lost color, or is it when they get older/larger? I don't let mine get more than 3" or so before cutting them, FWIW.

-Sonja

[arcab4]

Sonja -

what do you use to cut down? i'm assuming you cut straight through the mouth?

Thanks!

[Klownfish]

RedSonja-
You've got my respect. I've never had the guts to cut and frag my nems. How do you go about doing it? Right down the middle through the mouth? How do you determine a healthy enough nem, who will withstand the process? Have you ever lost any nems due to fragging?

I didn't know those type of anemones with the green near hemouth were considered "cheap".

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9071584#post9071584 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by arcab4
Sonja -

what do you use to cut down? i'm assuming you cut straight through the mouth?

Thanks!

I use a new straight razor and yes, I do a bilateral cut through the mouth. Now that I'm getting a bit of broodstock built up, I'm using a razor to cut 2 then getting a fresh razor. Believe it or not the foot is tough enough to dull the razor after two cuts. I'm looking for a source of affordable scalpels because they would be even sharper I think, but for now it's razors.

-Sonja

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9072472#post9072472 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Klownfish
RedSonja-
You've got my respect. I've never had the guts to cut and frag my nems. How do you go about doing it? Right down the middle through the mouth? How do you determine a healthy enough nem, who will withstand the process? Have you ever lost any nems due to fragging?

I didn't know those type of anemones with the green near hemouth were considered "cheap".

Heh believe me it isn't easy, emotionally, although after 5 cutting session I at least don't wince *as* badly when I make the first cut. It's still nerve-wracking though.

Yes, bilateral cut through the mouth, and try to get as much of the mouth on each new clone as possible.

I screen them for size and color and how well they are eating to determine who gets cut when. I'm already to the point of having a staggered schedule for cutting because it's nearly impossible to make the "perfect" cut and have equal mouth on each clone. The ones that get less mouth grow back slower for me. I'll be assessing and possibly cutting again this weekend.

Sad to say I have lost 3 clones due to fragging, yes. All due to not getting enough of the mouth on the clone by my own mistakes. :( It is difficult to *find* the mouth on a 'nem that's pulled it's tentacles down over the mouth then deflated.

As for "cheap" some people prefer the "true" rose BTA's. I like the green disk ones and the "true" rose ones equally well, the green is a lovely contrast to the bright orange-red tentacles IMO. But I'm covering all my bases by having stock of both, as well as two different GTBA color morphs.

(There are videos of Anthony Calfo fragging 'nems on the Web, I think. I'm sure a search would turn them up. I watched him do so twice in person but still haven't watched any videos. Yet. :) )

Class dismissed ;)

-Sonja

[phender]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9071449#post9071449 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RedSonja
Didn't know some of them lost color, or is it when they get older/larger? I don't let mine get more than 3" or so before cutting them, FWIW.
-Sonja

Many LFSs around here and quite a few hobbiests had a difficult time keeping the color from fading. I didn't mean to infer that all of them did or that it wasn't the fault of the keeper themselves. :)

The only one of that variety I bought, didn't make it long enough to fade. :(

Yours are beautiful.

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9073094#post9073094 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phender
Many LFSs around here and quite a few hobbiests had a difficult time keeping the color from fading. I didn't mean to infer that all of them did or that it wasn't the fault of the keeper themselves. :)

The only one of that variety I bought, didn't make it long enough to fade. :(

Yours are beautiful.

Ah, okay.

Sorry to hear yours didn't make it. :( Do you think they (and you) got WC specimens?

Thanks for the compliments on my "babies." :) I spoil them rotten. Well, aside from chopping them in half on a regular basis, that is. :D

-Sonja

[InvaderJim]

Wow...I'd like to buy one of those fragged BTAs from you someday if you'd ship. :D

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9073624#post9073624 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by InvaderJim
Wow...I'd like to buy one of those fragged BTAs from you someday if you'd ship. :D

Talking about that kinda thing is a no-no outside selling threads, mods can shut it down for that. :( Not fussing at you, just letting you know.
PM or email is better.

-Sonja

[InvaderJim]

haha it was a more a joking manner then trying to do business in this thread.

[Klownfish]

RedSonja- Thanks for the good info. It's gutsy I say, gutsy!

Do you keep anything else in your tanks, or are just those beautiful RBTA's in a species (sp?) tank? I'm curious if you have a 'mixed reef' or just nems?

How do you keep them so healthy?

I was thinking what the other guy posted. I'm new to RC, so I didn't know there would be trouble for asking that question outside of certain said fourms.:)

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9078516#post9078516 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Klownfish
RedSonja- Thanks for the good info. It's gutsy I say, gutsy!

Do you keep anything else in your tanks, or are just those beautiful RBTA's in a species (sp?) tank? I'm curious if you have a 'mixed reef' or just nems?

How do you keep them so healthy?



For the time being, they are in a 100g Rubbermaid stock tank (with a 20g sump and EuroReef skimmer) that is also a holding tank for several hundred pounds of live rock destined to go in our 300g setup when we get it going. I also have a frag rack in there with Xenia umbulata, Anthelia, and zoanthid frags. There's also a 16" or so T. derasa that we "inherited" from a local tank breakdown that will go in the 300g. So yeah, it's pretty much a mixed reef at this point. It was only meant to be a temporary setup for the rock but it's been going for over a year now. Once I set up the BTA prop systems I have planned, each color morph will be in its own separate system to avoid chemical warfare-type competition.

I keep them healthy with heavy skimming, weekly water changes and carbon changes (hate rinsing carbon, blech), 1" SeaSwirl on return pump and an MJ1200 on an Osci-Wave for non-linear flow, lots of light and daily feeding. It's actually a large portion of my time to take care of them. The dollar outlay to start this buiness is small but the upkeep is very labor-intensive.

-Sonja

[DivaMan]

HEy sonja, I thought because they are all entacema quad. there is no competition.

[RedSonja]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9094318#post9094318 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DivaMan
HEy sonja, I thought because they are all entacema quad. there is no competition.

There's less competition from same-species as opposed to different species from what I've been told/read. If I were to put a carpet in the same tank it would probably cause some major warfare, i.e. But even same-species will compete with chemical warfare, so it's said to be best to have each clone and its descendents in a separate system. I've noticed the effects of this with adding more color morphs to the system, when I had just the one morph the clones grew faster but have slowed down with each new addition. I have four morphs in there now and this weekend's project has been to get at least one system going to move one morph out. Which means I should stop reading RC and get busy. ;)

-Sonja