Caring for these beautiful creatures

The splitting of a Rose
Why do they do it?

(NOTE)

(The pictures in this section will be of different colors as they were all taken in different

years and with different cameras. )

The reasons  include  water changes or lack there of.

Light changes  or old bulbs or lack of food.
There are many reasons for a Rose to split I have found.

The most prevalent one being over feeding or no feeding at all.
You can feed them daily, get them huge and they will split for you.
I much prefer to have a huge anemone that won't split as they can be the showcase in your tank.
Unfortunately they have other ideas.

They will also split from injury. If one gets under a fallen rock it will split to free itself.
If one gets into an intake and is not to badly torn up it will split in order to save itself.
Here is what to look for when a split starts.
First signs of a split is a very sad looking Rose usually.

They most often go into hiding to do this.
But the biggest and best sign is the foot being on two separate rocks or one part on
glass, the other on a rock.
Next sign is an oblong mouth. They always split at the mouth, never the foot or side so watch
the mouth, when it starts to get elongated as in the pictures below you know you have a split starting.

When your Rose splits it will start the split at the mouth. It will usually put one part

of  it's  foot on one rock and the other part on another rock and rip itself apart. I have had them

split on the glass also but its not normal for them to do that.

When it is separating you will notice around the mouth  an elongated mouth, like an oval. You should

not see any white noodle like appendages around the edges but rather like the usual mouth with just

a little bit of ragged edges.

As it rips in half it will keep moving further apart on the rocks.
The process can take as long as a half day to finish or as in one case I had, 30 minutes.
I find it depends on the size of the original Anemone as to how long it will take.

It takes up to 1 1/2 weeks for the mouths to heal so no food is necessary for either of the halves.

 Water changes and pristine water conditions is a must after the split, do a 20% water change the day of the split, then after a few days, another 20%. Then back to once a week water change. The fresh water helps the healing process.

Do not move either of the halves of the anemone, they may retreat into a dark cave to heal. Most do. So leave them be and let them rest and heal, they will come out on their own when healed and needing food.

Start feeding with small pieces of a silverside or mysis shrimp. They won't eat much so offer  just what they will eat and take away what drops and  then feed again the next day. Keep feeding daily until they are starting to grow and expand.

Here are some pictures of one of my Roses splitting in the tank.
First picture, see the mouth?
It has elongated and the foot is spread over two different rocks so that it  can pull itself apart.

A closer look at the mouth below

Below, as you can see, there is very little damage to the mouth during splitting, just a small
tear. To the bottom left you can see where most of it has about come apart. It will now work on
the top part of the splitting process.

A closer look at the almost split bottom part of the mouth

Almost ripped through at the bottom.
You will see a ragged edge but no "noodles" like you see in a dying Anemone

The bottom half has now ripped through as seen below, now it will start the ripping on the top part.

Both halves now sitting side by side on the rock.
I was unable to take pictures of the rest of the split (work called)
But below there are two halves of the above Rose, sitting side by side now.
They retained there bubbles and are now resting.
There are no mouths on either of them and they rested and healed for about 1 1/2 weeks while
growing them back.

---

(Update. 6-8-07)

The rose below has split again.

It stayed very shrunken and sick looking for 24 hours and I knew it was on it's way

to splitting again.. It's foot was on two different

rocks at the time it was adjusting itself to pull apart.

.1 Picture of it after the split is just below this sentence.

They are the two in the center of the picture.

It is the same BTA pictured in the one below.

I was disappointed when it decided to split as it was around 12 inches when expanded and I loved

it as it was.

I would like to find a home for two of them but they are near impossible to get off of the rock at this time.

So watch my for sale section and if I can get one off, I will offer it for sale.

Here is the before.

It is the one on the left that has split.

There are three in this picture, all from one original anemone.

Another update on 7-24-07

Another split, now a total of 5 BTA's are in my 75 gallon.

( A note, no razor blades, sharp knives or such barbaric things were used

in the splitting of any of my Roses)

Below are the 5 sitting together in the same corner.

A powerhead was added just above them for more circulation.

And another picture of the same Anemones above.

---

Here is another recent split I have had.
Here you can see it hanging upside down, all unhappy.
The top will be one half, the bottom another half.
It has stretched it's foot over a large rock and is now pulling itself apart.

 

Below, split is complete and they are resting.

And here they are today 2-12-06

2nd half of a beautiful Rose.

And their side of the tank.
The one on the right has it's foot where the split happened
The other moved around to the back of the tank by the intake of the
filter.
Both are around 7" across when open, the picture below is off color a bit but
you can see what they look like.

The original, now half of her former self but just as big as she was before the split.

I found these pictures of an old Rose I have that split many years ago.
Look at the left side in the pictures, it is where the mouth used to be,
it has no mouth now but formed one soon after.
A perfect example of what they look like the day of the split.

Another picture of the same Rose.
Unfortunately I can't find a picture of the other half of it.

 

A new section has been added with many pictures of one of my Rose's splitting.

Much better pictures taken with my digital camera.

Be sure to take a look.