Freeing up BTA

[petesreef]

I am looking for any tricks of the trade on how to best remove a BTA from its piece of live rock.

My green BTA split a year ago. The clone moved 5 inches away from the mother ship, anchored itself and both have not moved since other than they have both grown considerably.

They are on a large piece of live rock which is a key part of the reef(one I can't move). I want to make some more room in the tank and one of these bad boys has to go.

How can I get one of them off without causing damage to the animal or the liverock?

 

[delta]

Cover them with a piece of black acylic. they will move to get to the light. If you use small peices of rock around them then once they grab onto the small rock you can grab them.

 

[Liquid]

Wow that's a great idea... Very clever!

 

[lickwidspace]

I had to move one of my BTA's. (I just didn't like where he was).

I aimed a small powerhead at the BTA's foot, and he started walking away. So just followed him around the tank with the powerhead for a day until he moved where I wanted him.

 

[denvig]

Once you get a fingernail (small knife, screwdriver or whatever) under a little part of the foot you can slowly work your finger under it and get them off the rock fairly easy.

 

[petesreef]

great ideas, thanks

 

[smcnally]

I've used a powerhead (A small one). Aim it at it's foot and it will slowly let go after about 30 minutes.

 

[Kevin McG]

I heard from somebody once that rubbing a icecube on the footwill cause is to release, I haven't tried it though.