Green BTA? (update: Pics)

[Phyl]

I bit the bullet and picked up a bright green BTA from Dr. Mac's. It is scheduled for delivery tomorrow morning.

I know all the usual acclimation recommendations, but is there anything particular to acclimating a BTA that I need to know about? We're acclimating our tank to our MH lights and usually have the lights on for about 2'ish hours a day.

Where is this BTA most likely to be happy? Flow, no flow, rocks, sand? I'd like to put him in a place where I *think* might make him happy and then *pray* while he moves around the tank hoping he doesn't peeve off one of my corals!

I'll take any thoughts and recommendations you can come up with.

 

[Fluff]

Probably be happiest toward the bottom since you have MH lights. Moderate flow. Be sure your intakes are all covered. Voice of experience here.
Dr Mac had some nice anemones when I was there. I've no doubt you'll be happy with the purchase. I acclimate mine for no less than three hours with a slow drip. Then I return it to the bag and float it til it reaches temp. Has worked well for me. Good luck.

 

[electrikat]

If it were me I would find a bowl shaped rock about mid way up in the center of your tank. Set him there with the ph off and see if he will attach. I have mh and our green bta's are sitting right on top of the rocks. However they took several months and one splitting into two before they got to the top. He hid for so long that we thought he was dead, then one day two of them showed up on top of the stack.

 

[Phyl]

The only intake I have in my main is my Tunze which has a grate all the way around the PH. I'm sure I have to worry about it but I have *no* idea how I'd cover it. It isn't a typical single hole intake. Hmmmmmm.

 

[electrikat]

window screen material, the nylon kind maybe?

 

[klam]

BTA's like to have their foot in crevices and in the dark/shade.
Check this website out. http://www.freewebs.com/karenssaltwater/ some good links to the left

 

[Phyl]

I just got finished acclimating my gBTA. He looks awful, but Dr Mac reassures me (?!) that this is normal. He was attached to the bottom of my bucket when I went to move him! Ugh! I gently ran my finger under him until I'd lifted him up off the bottom (power head trick wasn't going to work in this bucket! LOL!

Then I put him in my main. This is where the fun starts... my Maroon is already interested in it. To the point of pulling at his tentacles!? I've put a plastic box around him (the one I put over my brain to feed it) so it is somewhat protected from her but man she was brutal and incessant. I guess that's probably a good sign, but it can't be good for this poor stressed out BTA. What do I do? Do I leave the BTA baffled or let the clown loose on it? I've tucked it in under my rock work in a bit of a cave and have the baffle running from the top of the rock to the sand making a little triangle so he's still getting flow but protected from the brute. If I leave it baffled for how long?

TIA!

 

[MYTY1705]

Good luck on the bta's let me know how it goes. Want to get one if a few months once my tank re-establishes itself. All info on how to do this would be great!!!

 

[electrikat]

They say that having a clown helps it to acclimate. My maroon just overran the rbta when we first got it(bta). It was just a red blob and the maroon was so huge compared to the bta. My bta bounced right back and never moved from it's spot. I don't know if that's because the fish never let it have a chance to move, or if it really liked it there. If it were me, I would leave it covered till it attaches then uncover it and let it be.

 

[revhtree]

I would wait a little while and let the rbta get acclimated good, then you can release the BEAST! 8)

Be careful that the clown is not nipping off the tenticles of the anemone.

 

[Phyl]

Thanks! I let him attach onto the rock that he was near and then I took off the basket. The clown is just in love. What a riot! He hasn't left its side (with the exception of the moment he left to go grab a bite of food). The clown is mouthing the tentacles but not biting them (as in he isn't taking anything away).

The funny thing is that this anemone is really in almost a crevice. Not a place that clown would normally fit, let alone hang out but just to be with this anemone! Oh my! It is such a cool thing. I do think the clown is trying to encourage it to move out a little further. We'll see what the next couple of days bring!

Thanks. Whew!

 

[electrikat]

When I feed them, the maroon goes and gets a chunk of food and takes it straight back to the anemone and drops it in. If it floats away he grabs it and takes it back till the anemone gets it, then he goes and gets some for himself. Sometimes you can't see anything but the anemone with a red and white nose. He is absolutely in love. It is the funniest thing I've ever seen.

 

[Phyl]

Merlot picked up a cerith snail (1.5" long?) and carried it 2.5 FEET away from her anemone. This is a serious case of love at first sight. I just hope she doesn't love it to death, lol! It is going deeper and deeper into the cave. I just hope it knows which way to go when it decides to move out into the light! At this rate I think it may end up at the back of my tank! I've taken lots of pictures and even a video. Hopefully I'll get a chance to post them tonight.

 

[revhtree]

Don't forget to update your sig!

 

[MT79]

Merlot picked up a cerith snail (1.5" long?) and carried it 2.5 FEET away from her anemone.

Be careful to not put anything, new LR or corals, too close to the anemone. Maroons are very sensitive about their anemones I was amazed by the size of the rocks my maroon can move, and she's ruthless w/ certain corals that get too close They are a great pair to watch though. Best of luck.

 

[kwan]

My Clarki loves his BTA and he would dig pits in the sand bed around the LR where the BTA is attached to. I caught him several times picking up my snails and dropping into the BTA. That will probably explain why my snails keep missing.

 

[Phyl]

LOL! Too funny on the clarkii feeding the snails to the BTA. My Maroon was moving them out of the way instead. I found her cuddled up with it this morning too. What a beautiful thing to watch. I'm surprised by how much it moved me to see her all snuggled up like that.

Here are a couple of pics of her:

 

[Phyl]

I'm glad I was able to get these pics of him... he's since wandered behind my rocks. I couldn't even see him last night. I know where he is at all times because my maroon is a bit harder to hide and she doesn't leave the thing for a moment! I sure do hope he picks a spot to hang out that we can all enjoy. Otherwise I guess I'll just have to be happy knowing that I've made my clown happy.

 

[Fluff]

Not to go against the grain here, your clown looks happy but, the anemone looks small for your clown. It is possible for your clown to love it to death. Here is a pic of an anemone from the tank I recently purchased (and one of the clown), who's been loved to near death by a mooron clown. I've since removed the anemone to a different tank and it's doing much better. Just a FYI

 

[Phyl]

The picture you see there was before it opened up fully (and the clown was still trying to establish her territory/dominance over it). When I saw it open it was bigger than that (it was open, but not fully inflated). When the maroon lays in the anemone, the diameter is close to her body length (maybe a little bigger). Is she too big for it? It may well be trying to escape her, if that's the case. I fed it (when I could see it) and it ate happily. Merlot on the other hand was not a very good guest and did not bring her host back any food!

I hope she doesn't love it to death but unless it comes out from behind my rock work I'm pretty helpless. I think I'd have to disassemble the entire rock structure to get it out at this point. Hopefully it won't come to that.

Any suggestions?