I found that there didn't seem to be a huge correlation between size and when they'd split. Well, sort of, and sort of not. If some wanted to split at say 4" then usually they'd split some time after reaching 4", but there'd still be the occasional bigger one or occasional smaller one.
When I started off in the hobby I just used a copious amount of regular normal output fluorescents over my tank. I found that when I switched that tank over to halides the anemones all changed their max sizes to about double.
But it just seems to me they will pick a size to be at and that's sort of that (there is probably a host of variables). The largest BTA I ever saw was an enormous beast, some public aquarium I was at ... think it was London of all place. Anyhow it was easily 18" across. They had mislabelled it as H. magnifica but I'm pretty sure it was BTA (bubble tips and everything. Also it was your typical brown colour of BTA). I have two roses right now that are clones and one is 4"-5" and the other maybe 2" at best. I feed them both the same. I have another one in the same tank and he's barely 1" and I feed him as much as I can. One thing I do notice though is that both small ones are on rock that I'm having a very difficult time removing caulerpa from so there could be some allelopathy going on. (If I could just put the rock in the big cube the tangs and rabbit would eradicate the caulerpa but the butterflies would probably mistake little BTA's as big majano's so that's sort of a no-go!)
Wow, what a long winded way of saying "I don't really know." In any case, your BTA sure does look awesome.
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Originally Posted by Lance
A few questions for the Nem experts......... Tony?
My BTA has been growing like crazy lately. Probably doubled in size in the last 4 to 5 months. It's now about 14" across with tentacles 6" long. I feed it twice a week: one day a 1/2" long shrimp and four days later half a silverside.
I'm certainly no expert on nems and was wondering if it's pretty much full grown now. Is this growth spurt leading up to splitting?
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