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Gloomisboy

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jul 22, 2010
Messages
39
Location
Southern Cali
Got a BTA a couple of days ago after the first day it decided to place it self in a overhang of a large rock. The problem is that its upside down and really gets into the overhang during the day. At night when the lights go out it comes out and expands triple in size. I figured it would move once the lights come on. But going on my third day and still no movement. Should i wait to see if it moves on its own or try to move it myself? How am i suppose to feed it upside down? Here is a pic of when i first put it in. Will put up a pick of where it placed itself later.

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is that almost transparent? it appears a little bleached. all of the green bubble tips i have kept have not liked super strong lighting.
how does it behave when you just have the actinics only? it may be getting acclimated to the new lighting. most of them are in little to no light at all from the time they are collected to the time you get them.
 
Also they like to shade their foot. When I had one it would hide in a crevice and then swing the body out in the open. I`m sure you`s is doing the same also.
 
well, you can't do much about it's position right now. i would just wait and see. it should reach around that rock to catch light as it gets acclimated.
i would feed it a couple times a week with a pea sized amount of meaty foods. a small piece of raw shrimp or fish from the supermarket is fine.
you can reach right in and touch it's tentacles with a piece of food and it should take it in.
 
Got a BTA a couple of days ago after the first day it decided to place it self in a overhang of a large rock. The problem is that its upside down and really gets into the overhang during the day. At night when the lights go out it comes out and expands triple in size. I figured it would move once the lights come on. But going on my third day and still no movement. Should i wait to see if it moves on its own or try to move it myself? How am i suppose to feed it upside down? Here is a pic of when i first put it in. Will put up a pick of where it placed itself later.

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I don't advise attempting to move a nem unless you either A) have a lot of previous experience with nems or B) are willing to accept a potential loss while getting some experience with nems : ) what you are seeing is very normal light acclimation. Don't rush to feeding, poking, prodding or otherwise jackin' with your new nem. It may settle where it is and never move again and it may move nearly every day, the nem gets to determine that. It did look a little bleached so after a week or so, you could try a small piece of silver side while it's 'inflated'. Never force food into a nem, if it's ready, the food will 'stick' to the nems tentacles and nature will tame it's course from there. Best of luck, hope you will post updates in the coming weeks.
 
I was lucky with my bta as it stayed where I put it. They like to be under the water flow so that they can collect food. It will eventually gain its color again. If you start to see its foot dissolving then you have a problem. Don't confuse this with slime as they normally produce slime.
 
I only experience the slime off put after it feeds. It releases the slime with some uneaten food that it could not digest. My bta has always done this and is very healthy. Then again, I never had another one and don't know how others behave. Also I feed it once to twice a week.
 
Yes you could be right. I'm feeding brine/mysis shrimp. Come to think of it, the slime could also be from the mysis shrimp. I don't rinse and strain the frozen food out before I feed them.
 
Well quick update. Woke up this am to see the nem open more spewing out slime. Had the clown reaching in and eating it up. Waited about two hours then fed the nem a pea size piece of shrip. Took it just fine and ate it. Now it has opened even more and filled the entire crevice its in. It looks like my clown wants to host it but as soon as it approaches my striped damsel come in flaring and doing a show with its tail. Almost like the damsel wants to host but wont dare to go in. Weird but cool to see. Will post a pic later.
 
Here is another update. Got home from work today to see the nem open and out even more. No host as of yet but my bigger clown appears real interested flaring and cautiously approaching then swiming away. Striped damsel still protecting at times.

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looks to me like he's starting to get used to the light and is stretching out a little bit more to get some. i like how he's looking in the recent pic.
i'd honestly rather see that anemone color back up before anything would start bumping against it and beating it up like some clownfish tend to.
 
I have 3 nems in my tank and I feed frozen mysis shrimp & reef plankton about once a week and they are doing great. Sometimes they will hide from the light sometimes they will come out and open up for it but it just depends how they are feeling that day. I would not advise trying to move then b/c if you injure it's foot theres a good chance it can die! As far as my clowns hosting they are tank raised and have never hosted :/
 
Hope this helps

I have had some success with a couple of anemones, both nursing them back from bad health and getting them to move where I want them. I don't know if yours is a green bubble or not, but regardless I agree it looks bleached. If he is still hanging upside down he may stay there, but I doubt it and he may move behind your rock where you can't see him. As far as getting him to move this is not impossible and it is possible to get him to go where you want, provided the flow and lighting and environment is right. Best case scenario is medium or changing flow, but not strong. A medium sized opening so he can plant/wedge his foot in a shaded area, but to where when he is open he can get into the light. The key is no sand. Many may disagree, but anemones dislike sand and prefer rock. In fact sand will help you move him. If he is still hanging I would find a couple small flat rocks. Set 1 behind, blocking the opening to the back so that he can move down it and 1 directly below him. Normally they like to move foot down, but can move horizontally as well. Caution if he starts to move, never ever help move him unless he is comlpetely attached to the rock you are moving or completely detached from everything or you will damage his foot and could kill him. If he attaches to a rock that you can move it to the area you have created for him, set it down in front of it and build sand around the rock so that he doesn't move in another direction. Gently tilt the rock in the direction you want him to go. Tipping it a little more each day. In a perfect setting you want to end up with rock behind him, on at least 1 side and beneath him. Both anemones below were attached to rocks when I brought them into the tank and I got them both to move exactly where I wanted them and where they are now.
Block his passage so you don't lose him behind the rocks, then work on getting him happy and healthy. Hopefully before he moves, but you can do it while he is moving as well.
Here is what I do and as you can see my anemones both look pretty healthy. Get some bamboo skewers from the grocery store. They come in packs of like 100 for $2.00. Depending on how deep your tank is you may have to tape 2 together. Buy a package of 50 count boiled and peeled small shrimp. It doesn't matter that they are cooked already and they stay on the skewers better than fresh. Just make sure they're not seasoned. Take one and microwave it for 10-12 seconds to thaw it out. Then run it under cold water to make sure its not hot. Since your anemone looks smaller, cut the shrimp into maybe 1/4 pieces. You will have some waste as he won't eat a whole shrimp in 1 setting (ever). Gently put 1 peice on the end of the skewer. It may take a couple tries to get it on where it will come off when you want it to and won't fall off when you put it in the tank. Put the shrimp about half way between the center (mouth) and the edge of the anemone. Provided you don't have it on to tight he will take it away from you and do the rest of the work himself. At the stage you are at I would do 2 pieces 2-3 times a week. As he gets his color maybe go to twice a week. You CANNOT over feed an anemone. They will either not take it from you, eat it and spit it back out or digest it and poop it out their mouth (sorry but that's what they do). If you have clowns watch and make sure you anemone eats the shrimp as they will steal it and leave it lying on the sand. I guess thats why they call them clowns. White anemones are very rare and nearly always have color, even though many stores will sell them as white. The Sebae on the left was a 3 inch Ivory colored ball when I got him 9 months ago and he is more brown than and tan now is probably 8 inches across. The green bubble on the right had his mouth wide open when I got him (not a good thing) and maybe 4-5 inches across. When he is active he is nearly a foot wide and Ive had him about 5 months. Sorry so long winded...hope this helps
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Hey that is some great info. Thanks for sharing. So if the clowns are tank raised, they may never host in the anemone? What if you confined them in a 5 gallon bucket together for several days. I think I saw something do that on youtube before.
 
Clowns are just that "Clowns". I am certainly not an expert on their hosting habits, but I have a pair of Black Perculas (tank raised) that I actually took a chance and brought them home from my LFS in the same bag as my kind of sick bubble tip. They were actually smoothered in the anemone to the point where I couldn't see them as I dripped them in. They were in the same water source in the fish store, but not in the same tank as the anemone (if that makes since). As I was dripping them they wouldn't leave the anemone alone. I set the anemome in the tank on his then rock and they went to him once and have not been back since and that was months ago. They swim around and actually act a bit confused as to what they are supposed to do. Kind of as if nature is telling them half the hosting message. Once in a while they will act as if they are trying to host in various corals in the tank, but give up and never go to either of my anemones. You can try the small tank thing it might work. I really don't know, but if your anemone isn't healthy I might be more concerned about that. Good Luck
 
Just saw your current pics. Looks much better and that spot looks like a perfect place. You may want to find a thin, flat rock to put underneath him. Maybe move some sand out and gently slide it underneath. I think you'll find he'll stay out longer and extend farther if he is not touching the sand bed.
 
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