Detaching a BTA from rock

My BTA split in 4 a few months back and now they are getting way too big, stinging everything around them. I was able to sell 2 of them that were attached to small pieces of rock. The other 2 are attached to a large rock that is anchored under the sandbed by acrylic rods...is there an easy way to get 1 to release without damaging it?

 

Applying ice to the foot will do the trick.

 

I use Ice cubes as well. Now it might not work if the foot is in a deep crevice of the rock.

 

I wouldnt put the ice directly on the anemone tho - put it in a sandwich bag first or something similar.

 

Sprung was asked this question in his "Reef Notes" suggested putting your hand in a plastic bag working with a credit card. Said they are tougher than you might guess, but that trying to get them off rocks I quote, "If the anemone is attached to a rock, it is best to move the rock and anemone together... anemones don't separate from rock as easily as they do from glass". That said, can you put some flat 4" rubble squeezing the foot, like get two pieces from opposing sides and squeeze it pretty good, leave that for a few days and even push a little more every day? Maybe it will jump to the encroaching rubble and then lift out together. Sprung also says "once you've separated a "corner" of this foot from the glass, the rest should peel off if you carefully push it along." I will be intrigued to see about the ice. You know, I once tried to "lure" my clowns to a bubble tip by placing a small plastic clown fish next to my nem. You would have thought that I had burned it. I had anchored it with a rock and it was hours before my nem headed for high ground with its tail between it proverbial legs. Heck put a Lego next to it, or around the stalk. It couldn't hoit. Keep us posted.

 

Thanks for all the replies everyone, they are both attached to the same large rock with probably just 1/4 of an inch apart from eachother at the legs. they are in a tough spot but I'll try the ice thing, hopefully that works. If not I'll try covering them with another rock, maybe they'll move onto the new rock to get light. I only want to get 1 out but because they are so close to eachother, both might end up moving.....hopefully I'm not opening a can of worms.

 

Hi Martin, some on here before have said they used a power head (old type not Koralia) and direct the jet stream at the foot or some have directed the flow right at the anemone and left it there and the anemone becomes agitated with all the flow and detaches.

 

yell at it ;D

 

Are the anemones large and can you move the rocks at all? What I do is hold the rock so that the anemone is facing the substrate. The weight of the anemone helps loosen the foot.

 

The other 2 are attached to a large rock that is anchored under the sandbed by acrylic rods...is there an easy way to get 1 to release without damaging it?