New BTA Owner

mvcg2001 · 08-01-2006, 07:43 PM

Hi All,
Two days ago, I purchased my first BTA. I'm new to anemones in general but I'm not sure it's acting normally. When the lights are out, it opens fully with tentacles swaying in the current. When the lights are turned on, it closes up and looks quite unhappy. I originally put it on the top shelf of my reef and by the next morning he had moved to the bottom (14" from the top) and attached to a piece of liverock. Shouldn't it be expanding when the light is on and closing up when the lights are out? Or is this normal when you first introduce a BTA to a tank?

Here is my setup:
32 gallon reef
2 x 65W Compacts (1 actinic and 1 10,000K, replaced two days ago)
0 Ammonia
0 Nitrites
0 Nitrates
8.2 pH

Isn't this an adequate setup? Per the anemone podcast (keep up the great work Rob!

) I thought it would be.

Thanks,
<Mark />

wildeone · 08-01-2006, 07:58 PM

I think you are Ok on lighting and your posted levels. It may be stressed from the LFS and maybe the move into the tank. Mine looked very different from when he was at the LFS to when I got it home until he finally got totally comfortable.

My was stark white and small, he looked like this:

Then after a week or two he started getting color...

He shrivels up when he gets rid of waste:

and here is a photo of him today (about 2 months in the tank)

And another:

Give him a little more time. I think he will do OK. Keep us posted...

mvcg2001 · 08-01-2006, 08:14 PM

For reference, here is a picture of my BTA right now. I'll try to get something when the lights are out to show the difference in appearance.

I don't know, maybe he's just getting rid of waste like wildeone suggests. There isn't a great amount of current around him, just enough to make his tentacles sway when they're expanded. If he doesn't like where he is, Rob says that he'll move. How does he do that if the current can't move him around?

<Mark />

wildeone · 08-01-2006, 09:14 PM

I think if he wanted tomove around he would detach and attempt to free float around. Have you fed or attempted to feed him anything yet?

**wwest** · 08-01-2006, 09:26 PM

mine looked like that for a about a week after i got it. then he was ok then he wasnt then he was ok. i gave up. mine does that all the time. probably once a week for a few hours. but like i said he was like that the hole first week i got it. it should be ok.

wildeone · 08-01-2006, 09:32 PM

The big dogs will be here soon enough with some good advice!

fat walrus · 08-01-2006, 09:42 PM

a BTA very often will spend the first couple of weeks adjusting to the new conditions such as flow, temp, and lighting. during this time, they will purge themselves, shed and build new slime coat. if the bubble came from a poorly lit tank, this process may sometimes take longer. i no longer worry too much and let them come around by themselves.

wildeone · 08-01-2006, 10:09 PM

There is one of the big dogs I was referring to!

***Rob*** · 08-02-2006, 12:09 AM

walrus about got that covered..
there will move around, and open a close in a way that makes no sense.. just keep an eye on it, and feed it...

as long as you are meeting its needs it should be ok.

if you have other questions just let us know

mvcg2001 · 08-02-2006, 01:36 PM

This morning, I notice this "stuff" sitting on top of the new BTA. I thought it was detritus so I attempt to gently blow it off with a very light stream of water (with a turkey baster...

). Turns out it's attached. I didn't see it yesterday. Does this look like an injury? There may be a rogue crab (3/4 in in diameter as of 6 months ago, I don't know what kind. He came in inside LR) hanging out. I haven't seen him in a long time, but if he's still alive could he have done this? He has also evaded many trapping attempts.

**JustDavidP** · 08-02-2006, 02:15 PM

Looks like it may be a tear on the foot. When it was at the LFS, was it attached to anything? Did the LFS personnel have to remove it from rock, glass etc? If so, did they "tease" it off, or were they a little more forceful? I've actually seen someone at an LFS use a freekin' Kent Pro Scraper to remove one and did so with a little too much vigor!

D

**JustDavidP** · 08-02-2006, 02:17 PM

It may also be LR rubble, dust, sand or something else just "stuck" to the anemone. Is it fleshy?

If it is, in fact, a breach of the anemone's flesh, go back and listen to Rob's podcast and how he dealt with his BTA -vs- powerhead story. Treat yours the same way. If it is an injury, it is not a devastating one at all and will heal properly with the right care.

Dave

mvcg2001 · 08-02-2006, 02:53 PM

It was attached to the bottom of the display tank. I watched the guy remove it and he was very gentle. I can't see this in the original picture I posted so I can't tell if it's new or not.

It doesn't seem fleshy and really looks like detritus, but my attempts to dislodge it didn't work and I'm not going to push my luck. I'll post more as the story unfolds.

<Mark />