Clownfish smothering BTA

[feeshna]

Hello everyone. For the past several months I have been having a recurrent problem with my BTA. I purchased it about seven months ago, and it acclimated well to the tank with good tentacle extension, color, and little movement. It did great for about a month, until I introduced a pair of percula clowns. They have harassed it to the point where it withdraws completely, looking shriveled and dying. I have removed it from the tank several times to be put in a divider, and this works well as it opens up to its normal shape after a few days of this, but placing it back in the tank results in further clown harassment. The BTA is very small, about 3 inches in diameter, and the clowns give it quite a beating. Any ideas on what to do? I have it out of the tank now, but I don't want to put it back in case it is attacked again.


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[Sniperhank]

It will get beat on again. Clowns can be very rough on anemone if they aren't large enough to be able to handle their existence. I would either remove the anemone or the clowns since this is a problem that keeps coming. Maybe you can trade them in for clowns that won't be so rouge or even a larger anemone.

[Reefing Madness]

Gonna have to separate them, as stated by Hank there, if the Anemone isn't big enough, the Clown will beat the crap out of it, and possibly kill it.

[feeshna]

Ok, thanks. The fact that this anemone has lived so long is a mystery to me, but I'm probably going to get a larger one in the near future. If I kept it separate and put the large one in first, would there be any chance that I could keep both alive, or will this particular nem be a constant target by these clowns?


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[Sniperhank]

Maybe, but there is no 100% with any symbiotic relationship. It took my clowns months to pay attention to my RBTA. Then last month, they ditched it and swam around in my 50+ head duncan that has been in the tank longer than the anemone. Now, they're back to the RBTA. It's a fickle thing. Even large anemone can get stressed out by clowns that are too rough.

[mr_X]

Just separate the anemone from the clowns until it's large enough to handle them. It won't take long to double it's size, especially if you occasionally feed it. No need to purchase another anemone.