Best way to get anemone off rock?

[amber3cat]

Hi I just wanted some advice on easiest way to remove a couple of nems out my tank. I started with one 12 months ago and I’ve got four now that it split into, so I would like to sell a two and free up some space. Only trouble is I have an aggressive yellow banded maroon clown who hosts them any ideas?

 

[FLAdaboy]

If you can pry the foot then go for it. Just be easy and take your time. If it’s more difficult then blast it with a powerhead and it will move. You just need to make sure you are around when it decides to do it, or it could end up chopped. Or, if you don’t have anything on the rock, and it’s easy for you to take the rock out of the tank, place the rock above theta k with the anemone hanging upside down and eventually it will drop. Good luck.

 

[davocean]

I'd suggest gloves, cause most likely she's not going to be happy w/ you and will probably give a good bite on you.

Maybe something like an old credit card to get a part of the foot to lift off, and from there you can usually slowly peel the rest, but I agree, go slow, try not to tear foot.

Some claim ice at foot may get it to move or lift up as well.

 

[dbl]

If you can pry the foot then go for it. Just be easy and take your time. If it’s more difficult then blast it with a powerhead and it will move. You just need to make sure you are around when it decides to do it, or it could end up chopped. Or, if you don’t have anything on the rock, and it’s easy for you to take the rock out of the tank, place the rock above theta k with the anemone hanging upside down and eventually it will drop. Good luck.

All great ideas. The only one that worked for me was the removing rock and hanging upside down. You can also try an ice cube on the foot...it's said to work also. Good luck...I ended up tearing a tank apart to remove them and I hope you don't have to go through that!

 

[FLAdaboy]

I'd suggest gloves, cause most likely she's not going to be happy w/ you and will probably give a good bite on you.

Maybe something like an old credit card to get a part of the foot to lift off, and from there you can usually slowly peel the rest, but I agree, go slow, try not to tear foot.

Some claim ice at foot may get it to move or lift up as well.

Have you been injured from an anemone? I’ve handled plenty of different species and never had a reaction or sting. Please share.

 

[davocean]

Have you been injured from an anemone? I’ve handled plenty of different species and never had a reaction or sting. Please share.

My suggestion for gloves was primarily because I'd bet money that maroon will bite while disturbing her nem, maroons are mean like that, and territorial.

I've had nearly 33 years of handling nems, pretty much never an issue w/ any w/ one exception, a hadonni I had did leave welts.

I'm a carpenter and have pretty callased hands, so I don't sweat it, i'm not bugged easy really, but the bite of a maroon can be surprising and startling, I've broken corals before from flenching from their surprise attacks, which often were right at the webbing of fingers, so those smart a bit, and they'll definitely draw blood.

 

[mckinleyw]

I had to break the rock around the foot. Never wanted to risk damaging the foot.

 

[FLAdaboy]

My suggestion for gloves was primarily because I'd bet money that maroon will bite while disturbing her nem, maroons are mean like that, and territorial.

I've had nearly 33 years of handling nems, pretty much never an issue w/ any w/ one exception, a hadonni I had did leave welts.

I'm a carpenter and have pretty callased hands, so I don't sweat it, i'm not bugged easy really, but the bite of a maroon can be surprising and startling, I've broken corals before from flenching from their surprise attacks, which often were right at the webbing of fingers, so those smart a bit, and they'll definitely draw blood.

Ahhhhh. The most vicious clownfish of the sea. I had a couple of pairs before, but the were isolated from everything.

 

[davocean]

I had to break the rock around the foot. Never wanted to risk damaging the foot.

I'd be afraid the rock could break jagged and harm the foot

 

[davocean]

Ahhhhh. The most vicious clownfish of the sea. I had a couple of pairs before, but the were isolated from everything.

I learned a trick by accident, wearing my nice stainless watch, my maroon chased her reflection in it and bit that instead of me!
This became standard tank maintenance wear from then on, and eventually she kinda mellowed, probably dulled her teeth on that watch!

 

[mckinleyw]

I'd be afraid the rock could break jagged and harm the foot

I get that. It is a lil surgical

 

[Jason mack]

Have you been injured from an anemone? I’ve handled plenty of different species and never had a reaction or sting. Please share.

I think he was referring to the maroon clown fish !

 

[Daniel@R2R]

If you can hang the rock upside down out of the water, that sometimes works. Usually takes a while though (don't think you're just gonna hold it there for a few minutes). I've also had luck aiming a powerhead directly at them overnight so that they decide to release their grip.

 

[L Sean Hubbard]

I usually just take the rock out and hang those buggers upside down and gently massage/coax the foot. Takes about ten to fifteen minutes, but they come off with no damage to the foot.

 

[amber3cat]

Thank you for the replies I have one that is on a separate piece of rock so I gunna tackle that one first in a bucket hang it upside down and tickle the hell out of it. Made me laugh you saying about clowns going for webbing in finger that’s what mine does and it comes sharp lol. I will go slowly like mentioned I don’t want to tear the foot the first nem I purchase from fs had teared foot and that was I think a result of the person feeling under pressure to remove it from the rock in shop I didn’t know until later when it shrunk and came off rock

 

[Reef Jockey]

If you have a spare return pump you can modify a hose to narrow down to 3/16" or 1/4" tubing and blast the foot off of the rocks. I did that and in minutes i was able to free the nem from the rocks.

 

[James M]

If you have a spare return pump you can modify a hose to narrow down to 3/16" or 1/4" tubing and blast the foot off of the rocks. I did that and in minutes i was able to free the nem from the rocks.

This thread is from 2018………

 

[GHOSTLY]

ice ice baby

 

[Bhor217]

This thread is from 2018………

as a person looking for this solution in 2021, it was a helpful addition!

 

[chaostactics]

This thread is from 2018………

Free bump for useful info on an often searched topic. PS this thread is top 5 results on Google (at least in my case)