why is my BTA like this?

elitephoto

elitephoto

Member
Seems I rarely see his tips inflated like a bubble. Usually his tenticles are just like those of the regular anemones such as the long tenticle anemones. He also tends to want to wedge himself in between some rocks so that only his tips are exposed to light which I think is sometimes normal. But why doesnt his tips stay inflated...I rarely see them that way. He also balls up a lot too. He eats and hosts my clown. he is bright pink and doesnt seem to have any discoloration at all. He has a very firm grip on the rocks so I know he isnt dying. Just wondering why his tips arent blown up like they were in the LFS when I bought him about a month ago. Any ideas?
 
elitephoto

elitephoto

Member
after watching him a lil further it seems like he bubbles up a lil more after the lights went off tonight. Wonder why that is? He was bubbled up on the 2 occasions I seen him at the LFS in the middle of the day with their MH lighting on
 
J

jrthomas40

Guest
how long have you had it...i just got mine yesterday and i dont really know where to place it or how to...i know it wants to wedge itself somewhere it worries me being on the bottom side of a rock though
 
elitephoto

elitephoto

Member
I have had many that did well in other tanks, Never had one die. this particular one I have had for a lil over a month now. As far as worrying about placement, No matter where you put him he will always move to where he feels is the best place for him. If you put him where you like, chances are he wont like it and will move. Just let him do his thing and sit where he wants.
 
plp

plp

New Member
I'm certainly not an expert but I have a small (4-5") BTA that moves all over the tank. sometime he even drifts in the current. He used to stay in one place but when I added an anenome crab, the BTA keeps moving. Usually with the crab riding along. I'm not sure if this is normal behavoir. The BTA seems to eat OK and rarely seems to have very "bubbly" tips but seems in good health.
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by ElitePhoto
Seems I rarely see his tips inflated like a bubble. Usually his tenticles are just like those of the regular anemones such as the long tenticle anemones. He also tends to want to wedge himself in between some rocks so that only his tips are exposed to light which I think is sometimes normal. But why doesnt his tips stay inflated...I rarely see them that way. He also balls up a lot too. He eats and hosts my clown. he is bright pink and doesnt seem to have any discoloration at all. He has a very firm grip on the rocks so I know he isnt dying. Just wondering why his tips arent blown up like they were in the LFS when I bought him about a month ago. Any ideas?
A bta's tenticles may or may never bubble its no indication of a healthy or unhealthy anemone. In fact there are people that think an anemone will bubble its tips as a defense mechanism. When it bubble it fills in all available openings in its base keeping out unwanted guests. After observing mine for a while I tend to agree with that theory.
 
elitephoto

elitephoto

Member
that would make sense since when I seen him in the store he didnt have a clown with him. In my tank he hosts a clown so maybe he doesnt bubble out to kick him out. hmmm
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by PLP
I'm certainly not an expert but I have a small (4-5") BTA that moves all over the tank. sometime he even drifts in the current. He used to stay in one place but when I added an anenome crab, the BTA keeps moving. Usually with the crab riding along. I'm not sure if this is normal behavoir. The BTA seems to eat OK and rarely seems to have very "bubbly" tips but seems in good health.

IMO your anemone is not happy. A roaming anemone is not a good sign it is either getting pesterd by something, looking for light, food, flow or all of the above. BTA's are known to hide in rock work and stretch way out to reach for the light get food etc when its available. Then be able to retract to where it feels safe when it wants. To further determine if something is wrong, more information is needed on your tank set up. Water chemistry readings, lighting, flow, tank size and age of your tank.
 
plp

plp

New Member
Sorry if the thread is wandering. I can start a new one.
I have a 50 gal tank. I can't recall the specifics on the lightling but have quite a few corals living successfully. Mushroom, Colt, Zoos,... Water flow is moderate to high. Only two fish Domino Damsels. Several inverts (Brittle stars,hermit crabs, porcelan crabs, emerald crabs, cleaner clam, feather dusters, and flame scallop and maybe the most important thing as I mentioned the anenome crab. The crab seems to have made a home in and on the BTA. That also coincides with the time the BTA began roaming. The BTA seems to be happy eating shrimp ever 4-6 days. The tank has been up for 6 months. Ammonia - 0, Nitrite - 0
 
dogstar

dogstar

Active Member
I have had mine for years and it never bubbles its tip except for once when a hammer coral was too close and it only bubbled the few tenticals that was touching....Im one that agrees with Darks comments to Elite and I typically dont respond tp hijackers....
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by PLP
Sorry if the thread is wandering. I can start a new one.
I have a 50 gal tank. I can't recall the specifics on the lightling but have quite a few corals living successfully. Mushroom, Colt, Zoos,... Water flow is moderate to high. Only two fish Domino Damsels. Several inverts (Brittle stars,hermit crabs, porcelan crabs, emerald crabs, cleaner clam, feather dusters, and flame scallop and maybe the most important thing as I mentioned the anenome crab. The crab seems to have made a home in and on the BTA. That also coincides with the time the BTA began roaming. The BTA seems to be happy eating shrimp ever 4-6 days. The tank has been up for 6 months. Ammonia - 0, Nitrite - 0

Your BTA is far too new to asess weather it is happy or not. Not remembering your lighting is a red flag IMO as this is essential for any anemone to thrive. Soft corals can survive under marginal lighting however anemones cannot. While the BTA can survive under less intense lighting than MH high intensity lighting is still necessary. IMO need to post specifics about your lighting to determine if this is your issue.
 
plp

plp

New Member
I don't know if I offended anyone. I certainly did not intend to "hijack a thread". I commented on what I have seen from my anenome and which is not bubbling very often and it's tendence to roam. I am new to the message board so I guess I violated some educate. For that I apologize. Let me know if you want me to start a new thread or go PM
I was at work whe I responded with some of the specs of the aquarium so not all the data was available. As for the lighting I don't have MH. I have twin flourecesent 35" tubes one is listed as 5000K 30 watts and the other is a blue/violet spectrum (no markings that I can identify). An individual fish dealer set me up with this originally. I have had the tank for several years. It has spent a lot of time boxed up in the garage until I moved and now have a place for it. Hence I have forgotten some of the specs.
The BTA curiously in now hidden back behind the live rocks with just a small part projecting out into the light. He looks in good condition to me but what do I know I am new to the invertibrates. I'm planning on getting some clown fish but want to make sure the ich is gone. That's why I switched entiry to invertibrates for a while. Starve the little monsters out. Do you think the clowns could settle it down? Or is lighting not sufficient? Or do you think it could be the crabs? I have the anenome crab which is a contant companion and also a decorator crab that seems to like to poke at the anenome every so often.
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
You most certainly do not have sufficient lighting. I am assuming the other bulb is a 30W too. Total output @ 60 watts for a 50 gal tank is not nearly enough to support an anemone, IMO.
 
dawman

dawman

Active Member
Originally Posted by PerfectDark
You most certainly do not have sufficient lighting. I am assuming the other bulb is a 30W too. Total output @ 60 watts for a 50 gal tank is not nearly enough to support an anemone, IMO.
+1
I highly suggest upgrading to at least pc lighting if not T-5 lighting or return the anemone as all you are doing right now is starving it of light and will die .
 
24aqua

24aqua

Member
i have 4 bta gbta,rbta,bta and imo they bubble up when stressed or for protection any time i move the rock that my anem. is on it bubbles,i had one for 2 years never bubbled moved to reaquascape and bubbles ,or when i get a new bta from lfs or shipped it always comes bubbled but after acclimation and a day or two in my tank bubbles go away
 
plp

plp

New Member
After some more research and an excellent website Dawman showed me, i think I have a good idea why my BTA in roaming. It started shortly after I got an anenome crab. This site has a good page on the crabs and anenomes. http://www.karensroseanemones.com/theanemonecrab.htm
I really think that is my problem. Still going to get more intense lighting but I think I'm satisfied the immediate issue is the anenome crab.
 
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