Hi Folks!
As I begin my initial research for my upcoming new tank, I know I want to keep a RBTA. I've had a GBTA in the past with mostly softies (toadstools, zoanthids, shrooms, tree corals, etc.) For my new tank, I'd like to try stoney corals. Do any of you have any experience with RBTAs and stony corals? Are there any stonies you'd never want to come in contact with an RBTA?

Rob, if you read this, I noticed that you have an RBTA in your tank with all those stonies. Your tank siggy has 'em in there. How has that been going for you?

I have had a RBTA in my tank for ages now. LPS dominated.

Only problem I have had was with a cynarina, which got very sick after direct contact. Its OK now, but took about 6 months to recover fully. other than that my experience with other corals is fairly limited

Thanks for the reply, Craig. Sorry to hear about your cynaria. This is exactly the info I was looking for. Since bta's may move around a bit when first introduced into a tank, I'd hate for it to sting and kill existing corals.

Hmm... maybe a bta should be among the first inhabitants in a reef tank just to take this movement into account. Then, after it settles down, more corals can be introduced. Whatcha think about that?

Hmm... maybe a bta should be among the first inhabitants in a reef tank just to take this movement into account. Then, after it settles down, more corals can be introduced. Whatcha think about that?

It is a good idea to add the BTA before most corals so that it can wander around and find a spot that it likes. However, it will eventually move, so that idea will only be good for so long.

Also, anemones are generally much harder to keep than corals and more sensitive to water conditions. Many of the experts recommend waiting six months to one year before even trying an anemone.

Of course if you get an anemone, make sure you don't have any powerheads or close loop intakes uncovered (they all need sponge filters covering the intakes).

A good thread a little off topic, but still very relevant to this discussion is:

http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic23945-9-1.aspx

Brian

Wow, I totally forgot about waiting until one's tank is totally mature before adding in an anemone. See! This is why I'm here! :)

there are exceptions to every rule. My first BTA went in about a month after I started the tank. It did fine... until the tank over-heated almost a year ago. Even then it didn't die. It bleached, split and shriveled up, but both halves are still alive now. I have found it almost impossible to kill it.

Added another recently and it settled quite quickly with no damage to any of my LPS.

actually, as brian alluded to, the compatibility is simply that anemones like to move around if they dont like there spot. and when they move they touch things. the sting of an anemone is enough to harm many corals, both hard and soft.

to say that one type of coral is or isnt compatible is nor fair. it should be looked at as they can be in the same tank, but can not come in contact, and anemones are motile, they can move to touch things, or move and touch things...

There is some xenia on the rock where my BTA lives and every once in a while you will see some of the xenia tentacles look dark colored and withered. I presume that it gets too close to the BTA and gets stung.