Reasons why my healthy RBTA would split in a healthy environment?

[KMS.Kyle]

Hello,

I've had my RBTA for about 9 months now and it's been growing very fast and has been incredibly happy and has only ever moved ONCE in it's 9 months in my tank.

The other day it was looking marvelously beautiful and then I noticed it made its self into a giant bubble over night.. And that bubble lasted until this morning and I woke up and it looks as if it's trying to pull its self into two.

Now, from what I've read they do this for survival? But could it be doing it for the heck of it / healthy reasons too?

My parameters are

Salinity: 1.024
PH: 8.1
KH: 11
Calc: 390
Mag: 1240
Nitrate: to low to trace
Ammonia: 0
Phos: 0.22 (a little high because I scrubbed some algae off the rocks yesterday)

Thank you for the help :) Not really worried, more excited to have two of my favorite creature in my tank.. But I just want to make sure... Also.. Does this mean it can reproduce with its copy?! Haha

[KMS.Kyle]

Well, I have to say - that was quite exciting to watch!

Something I thought I'd never see :)

Now I have two beautiful anemones!

[djbon]

Two possibilities:

1 - Your system is healthy, split to reproduce
2 - Something wrong, split for survival. Two better than one.

But, if before splitting it looks happy, first reason is more likely applicable.

[KMS.Kyle]

My parameters have been the best they've ever been since beginning this hobby - so I would like to believe that its the first one.

Thank you very much for the info <3

[kozmic]

My vote goes to, "because I scrubbed some algae off the rocks yesterday".

An RBTA can split for many reasons...mine split a few days after adding to the DT (stress from move I guess), and detection of a change in water quality can absolutely trigger a split...I've heard people say their BTA split due to a large water change. So if you had very clean water, then all of a sudden didn't...I would lean toward that being the cause.

When I have one split, I just consider it a two-fer / freebie (as long as they end up healthy, of course). :)

[jason2459]

Mine split everytime I feed them. At least one of them splits. I started with one.

I fed it like every day some mysis. It split
I started feeding like every other day. One split
I started feeding like once a week. One split
I started feeding like once every couple weeks. One split.
I started feeding like once a month. One split.

I don't feed them directly anymore. They get plenty of food from the lights and what ever drifts into them as that's how they eat anyway in the wild. It does help that I feed my tank a LOT and feed meaty foods every day through broad cast feeding.

Single RBTA from Jan 2015

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/29/1d2bc57277cc3be0b9ff49d7dff28850.jpg

And now a garden and have lost count. I confirmed it's now 9

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160814/38c0459b769168bba1529013ddc33c90.jpg

[KMS.Kyle]

Haha, I love the before & after picture!

Holy!

And I'll note that about the algae - Thank you.

[Elton20]

I would say it's your calcium, 390 calcium is quite low. If you're going to keep high alk, keep your calcium around 430 to help maintain that ionic balance. Salinity between 1.022 and 1.023.


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[jason2459]

Its definitely fine to bump up Calcium a bit. I don't think 390 is a problem and is near typical NSW. 380-450 is a common recommendation to keep Ca.

There really isn't a ratio between what Ca and alkalinity values should be. There are recommended ranges for each to be in.

Keeping the water's parameters consistent will help greatly over the actual value when it comes to Anemones.

This is a good starting point for typical paramaters and ranges to be in
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/

Now if you get into ULNS systems (however it's defined) then having Alkalinity to high can be an issue. If pH is high and alk is high could cause problems and just the opposite pH to low and alk is low. Having alkalinity higher can cause more uptake of calcium or precipitation of it so more would need to be supplemented but not necessarily elevated as long as it's' maintained.

But normally if you can keep your parameters in the range listed in that article by Randy you should be fine.

[ttmtven]

Mine split everytime I feed them. At least one of them splits. I started with one.

I fed it like every day some mysis. It split
I started feeding like every other day. One split
I started feeding like once a week. One split
I started feeding like once every couple weeks. One split.
I started feeding like once a month. One split.

I don't feed them directly anymore. They get plenty of food from the lights and what ever drifts into them as that's how they eat anyway in the wild. It does help that I feed my tank a LOT and feed meaty foods every day through broad cast feeding.

Single RBTA from Jan 2015

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/29/1d2bc57277cc3be0b9ff49d7dff28850.jpg

And now a garden and have lost count. I confirmed it's now 9

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160814/38c0459b769168bba1529013ddc33c90.jpg
Oh my, want me to take 1 off ur hand? [emoji4]

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[Metazoer]

For most inverts in nature, asexual reproduction is something they do when things are good.

[KMS.Kyle]

Thanks everyone!

My parameters have been quite stable (and improving slowly each dose/change) for quite a while now so I'm going to go with the fact that it's happy.

Both clones seem extremely happy as well..

The anemones name was Bubba..

Now it's Bub and Ba. :P