BTA Addition and Questions

[Vanphyre]

We recently added a BTA to our tank and had a couple questions. It's funny cause our two clowns took to it the day after we added it to the tank. There is some funny behaviour though that I would like to ask about just to make sure everything is ok. Tried reading like 30 BTA posts and no luck. lol.

1) Our BTA is just HUGE at nighttime, expands fully and looks beautiful under the moonlights. When the Daylight bulbs kick in, it tends to shrink to like 1/3 of the size and the tentacles look kind of limp. I read they are supposed to be Full int he day as they are reaching for the light. Why is this one backwards? Please see signature for tank and lighting setup.

P.S. Attached photo is a nighttime shot with the flash, caught those clowns in there. Will take a daytime shot later when the lights come on.

2) I think one of the clowns gets perturbed by this, or this could be somehting totally natural and ok. He will bite the little nib in the center of the anenmoe and pull stringy stuff off. Almost like he was trying to force it to open up. Has anyone heard of this before?

Other than that the clowns are funny, they will go into the tentalces and wiggle really fast on their sides and hangout in there. They are eating well and swim around the tank, but always return to the BTA.

Temp is around 78, PH 8.3, Nitrite, Ammonia at 0.00, Nitrate around 10. The LFS suggested adding a Strontium supplement once a week.

Thanks for any help you can give on those couple questions.

 

[TCTFish]

Nitrates are a little on the high side for a reef system. Try to maintain that to 05 ppm. The clown's behavior seems to suggest it is just simply tidying up the anemone. I could be wrong, but I have seen clown fish clean things off their anemones. What did these stringy things look like?

How many watts of lighting do you have total?

Out of curiosity, check temps a few hours after the lights go off and the anemone opens. Then check again after a few hours the lights are on and it starts to tuck. Set thermometer level to that of the anemone for both readings.

 

[Vanphyre]

Here is the exact light that we have. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1

It is 156 Watts, so it looks like I'm around 3.4W/gallon. Not sure what the Parabolic Reflector adds to this.

I will work on the Nitrates, doing another water change today. Also have a Ro/DI unit I am using now for water changes, Nitrates are so much better than they were before.

I'll do some temperature checks and get back to you.

 

[TCTFish]

Lights are fine. I was thinking maybe the surface of the water was heating up. I'll ask my room mate tonight what he thinks.

 

[Vanphyre]

TCTFish, did you find anything out from your roommate?

I can't figure this out for the life of me. Retested my Nitrates and they are between 0 and 5 now.

Here is a picture of what it looks like in the daytime. Doesn't look good at all.... but a few hours after the lights go out and the moonlights go on, the thing is expanded full and looks great. My lights can't be too bright can they?

 

[melosu58]

If your lights were too bright he would move somewhere else in the tank. They like to keep the foot shaded. What I think sometimes is that during the day the clowns are too rough with it and during the nite they are asleep not being too rough with it then. Just a thought.

 

[TCTFish]

melosu58 has a point. Watch how the clowns are with the anemone. I'll ask my roommate tonite when he gets home. I saved the email notification to remind me.

I would like to mention my thoughts on the lights isn't about the light itself, but the heat it may produce. That's why I'd like to see the temp difference between day and night closer to the surface but level with the anemone. Just another avenue to explore

 

[Vanphyre]

I'll buy a new Thermometer on my lunch break tomorrow and run some tests for you. Won't have an answer until the following day. Thanks again for checking, I want to make sure everything is healthy and will live a long long time.

Btw.. the clowns are a little "rough" I guess. Not sure what too rough is. They turn on their sides and wiggle like crazy in the tentacles. Also one nips at it a bit, but I think he was pulling stuff off of it.

p.s. The anenome was on the top of that front rock in the picture when I brought him home. Now he is on the inside of it. And as you can see from the picture, the clowns never leave it. LOL.

 

[MT79]

I really think it's a lighting issue. To me it looks as if it not used to the intensity you have. Do you know what type of lighting it was under before you bought it?

 

[TCTFish]

I really think it's a lighting issue. To me it looks as if it not used to the intensity you have. Do you know what type of lighting it was under before you bought it?

Any less lighting on this tank and the anemone could lose more zooanthellae algae than what is produced and that's fatal over time. I'm unfamiliar with t5 lighting so I'm clueless as of it's heat output. I'm relying on the temps. that are being checked out. If heat isn't the casae, being the clowns do sort of nip at the anemone and pester it a bit, it may be trying to tuck away from them. That does happen, though I see it more with clarkiis and tomatoes than with percs or occelaris.

 

[MT79]

Any less lighting on this tank and the anemone could lose more zooanthellae algae than what is produced and that's fatal over time.

I'm aware of those possibilities. What I'm saying is most of the time, between being in the dark during shipping, etc. and LFS being notorious for having insufficient and/or old lighting set ups, having strong, new bulbs may be too much too fast regardless of WPG, etc. The anemone may need some time to "catch up" w/ all the changes.

 

[TCTFish]

TCTFish, did you find anything out from your roommate?

He asked what type of lights you have. He's also not very familiar with T5 lights. Behavior of the clowns toward the anemone didn't phase him. I'm anticipating the temp. results

 

[steve-s]

At midway position down in the tank, temp from the lighting will have little if any effect on the anemone if the meen temp is 78°. The light intensity in and of itself as MT79 pointed out would. If the anemone was purchased from a low out put tank and then added to yours being much higher, the anemone would suffer light shock. Animals must be acclimated to higher light output or variations in kelvin no different than corals.

Water acclimation is a possibility but considering it's reactions are light sensitive, I would not as concerned about it. Also, discontinue the Strontium additions. If it gets too high (not testing properly) it will interfere with getting an accurate alkalinity reading and slows algae production.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Vanphyre]

No Thermometer yet, hopefully today.

Steve-s, I was able to talk to the LFS and their lighting is definitely not as bright as mine. I never even thought about "light acclimating" I feel so bad! It's probably like taking someone that never goes outside and putting them in a tanning bed. LOL.

I drip acclimated him per advice from these forums and other sites, so am kinda ruling that out. Especially since he looks sooo good at night. I will halt the Strontium additions until I get a tester for it. The LFS never mentioned this, they just said to add it every week.

Yesterday, he did expand a little more during the "daylight" cycle. I'll keep you guys posted on the progress.

 

[roka64]

Maybe it's a vampire BTA! LOL!! Sorry, couldn't resist...

 

[accorddude]

I hate to tell you this bro but I had a BTA do this to me after I had it for a few months. And he began to wither away slowley but surley. At one point I took him to one of my friends tanks to see if that would help any but it died. We could not figure out what was wrong for this to happen. All my levels were good and the rest of my tank was doing very well. I have no clue what happend. Good luck bro

 

[Vanphyre]

LMAO Roka. If I start seeing pale fish corpses floating in the water I'll let you know.

accorddude, sorry for your loss! I sure hope I don't have the same situation......

 

[steve-s]

I was able to talk to the LFS and their lighting is definitely not as bright as mine. I never even thought about "light acclimating" I feel so bad! It's probably like taking someone that never goes outside and putting them in a tanning bed. LOL.

Shading the light source a bit may help it's transition, or even elevating the lights. Sometimes with fluorescent lights specifically simpley altering the photoperiod length (shorter) may help. It really depends on the anemones initial reaction to the light when it first comes on.

If it shrinks back almost immediately and stays that way throughout, shading/elevating the light would be the best approach.

If it starts reacting sometime well after the lights have come on, make note of the time and possibley cut back the time the lights are on. It can then be increased slowly by ½hr every few days until the anemone has adjusted. If you have the ability to control the lights seperately (dawn/dusk type), consider only using one for a few short hours midway in the photoperiod and the other for the full period. Same thing, just increase the duration slowly over a few days each time by ½hr until your back to normal.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Vanphyre]

Update! The Anenome has done a complete 180 on its expanding. It is now fully open when the lights are on and closed up more during the nighttime. I think you guys hit it head on with the light acclimation thing. Here are a couple pics, let me know what you think! Now if only I could get rid of that algae..... hehe.

 

[AMANIQU77]

Van, I am thinking of getting an anemone as well. I have a 55G with softees (xenia, kenya tree, bubble coral, and hammer coral), mushrooms, polyps, and a finger leather. I also have a maroon clown (about two inches big) I've had for about 6 months now. Finally, a small Blue Hippo Tang I've had for 8 months (3.5 inches currently).

I am thinking between BTA or Carpet anemone. Any advice?

My nitrates stay at zero, phosphates between zero and 0.25, calcium at 420, temp between 78 - 81F, and I have 4x65W Compact Fluorescents with moon lights at night.

I would like to know from you or anyone what my pros and cons are for acquiring an anemone.

Also, how difficult is it to feed it? How often? If I don't feed it frozen feeds for 4 days (but suppliment strontium/molybdenum) would it live?

How often do they split?

What are the benefits and drawbacks of having either a BTA or Carpet anemone? I would like to introduce one before the maroon gets bored and starts trying to host the sensitive bubble coral.

Thanks.