Feeding BTA

[jpc763]

So I got a BTA for Christmas. He has settled himself to spot on the rock and is opening up nicely.
I know that I need to spot feed him a couple times per week. My question is at what time of day? With the lights on or off? Flow on or off?
I feed my fish every other day at about 7pm with the lights on and the flow on. I feed them prepared frozen foods soaked in vitamins.
I feed my coral when the lights are off. I also turn the flow off so they can eat. I feed them cyclopeeze and chunks of shrimp or scallops.
I was planning on feeding the BTA at the same time as the coral, with the same food (the chunks). Is that ok?
Thanks, John

 

[lexluethar]

Feed it chunks smaller than its mouth (so it doesn't stress trying to eat it). You can keep the flow on, and I would do it while the lights are on (b/c typically they are more open at that time).
You will be able to tell if it is taking the food or not because the tenticles will stick to the food. For a few days mine wouldn't take anything (so the food just fell off), then after about 3 days it started taking pieces of fresh shrimp. The tenticles grabbed on and started pulling it in towards its mouth.
I use a cabob (sp*) scewer (sp*) to put the food onto the tenticles. I don't use my hands b/c i don't want it to pull away when it feels my hands.
Hope this helps.

 

[jmick]

I feed mine nothing, it gets what it needs from my lights and from what my clownfish brings it.

 

[jpc763]

Originally Posted by LexLuethar
Feed it chunks smaller than its mouth (so it doesn't stress trying to eat it). You can keep the flow on, and I would do it while the lights are on (b/c typically they are more open at that time).
You will be able to tell if it is taking the food or not because the tenticles will stick to the food. For a few days mine wouldn't take anything (so the food just fell off), then after about 3 days it started taking pieces of fresh shrimp. The tenticles grabbed on and started pulling it in towards its mouth.
I use a cabob (sp*) scewer (sp*) to put the food onto the tenticles. I don't use my hands b/c i don't want it to pull away when it feels my hands.
Hope this helps.
Thanks, that helps. I tried to feed it with the other fish and my cleaner shrimp took everything

He does that to the coral too. I have to give him a piece of shrimp to make him go away so I can feed my Brain Coral and my Brittle Star.

 

[jpc763]

OK, so I fed the tank this evening. Mysis with vitamines. I used a syringe to squirt some towards its mouth, but I am not sure if it got any. Of course the Cleaner Shrimp jumped all over it and took whatever it could get its claws on

I am going to have to figure a better way. By the way, this BTA is pretty small. Only about 2-3 inches across when fully inflated. I am not sure how big its mouth is.

 

[lexluethar]

Its mouth is probably the size of a pencil eraser (i'm guestimating because mine is about 6 - 8 inches in diameter and its mouth is about the size of a dime). I would feed it anything that is mixed in with other food - I think the food particles are too small. From what I've noticed my anemone doesn't even touch the food particles that are small, until something larger touches it.
When feeding corals, fish, and your anemone, first feed your fish. You may have to spot feed your shrimp (as i've had to lately with mine), once every has their fill (2 min or so) THEN feed your corals and anemone. I've realized if I try to feed everyone at the same time or feed the corals / anemone first, my more agressive eaters (I.E. my shrimp).
Cut up a small piece of shrimp or something and using something to reach near its mouth feed it that small piece of food (probably about the size of an eraser). If it doesn't take the food (meaning it doesn't physically grab on) then either it is still not comfortable with its surroundings or doesn't like the food. I would try once a day the same food for about 5 days, then try another type of food. FYI: It won't get the food in a death grip, you could still pull it away from it if you wanted, just so you don't think that if you can pull it away that it isn't taking the food.

 

[jpc763]

Thanks. I will try that method.
So you feed your coral with the lights on?

 

[lexluethar]

Yes, I only have to feed my sun polyps - but most of my coral "consume" mostly light, so there is little reason to spot feed. I have a 150 MH light on a 30 gallon tank, so my corals are floroushing w/o much spot feeding.

 

[jpc763]

I fed the BTA a piece of shrimp today and he scrunched all up for a little while and then opened up again. No sign of the shrimp so I assume that he ate it!