Why would BTA suddenly move?

[peef]

So I went home at lunch today and was looking my tank over and I noticed that my BTA has started to come out of its rock crevice. I am not totally 100% sure it is moving but sure looks like it. It has been in the same spot for three plus months. Why would it just decide to up and move all of a sudden? Nothing new in the tank except a xenia frag.
24g nano
Temp : 76.5
Lights : 150w MH
Nitrate : 0-5
Nitrite : 0
Ammonia : 0
Phos : 0-1
Cal : 445
Salinity : 1.0259
Same flow as has been there since I got the tank. replaced stock chamber pump with MJ-1200, and a rotating PH in tank.
If in fact it is moving what should I do? Should I move my corals around or out of the tank so they don't get stung? I am at a loss!?!?! Thanks for any help

 

[nietzsche]

unfortunately thats a risk you take when buying a bta. i say its normal but if its constantly moving all over your rock work then its not okay. theyre not going to stay in the exact spot forever
just keep doing what youre doing and make sure your corals dont get stung, good luck

 

[perfectdark]

Truth is your tank and mine alike are too small for anemones.. thats pretty much a fact. The rule of thumb is if an anemone moves from its location it is not happy for some reason or another. Maybe its feeling cramped loss of space, senses the confines of the tank... im shooting in the dark with those ideas. You have the correct perameters in your chemistry you have more than sufficient lighting. Something may of irritated it, shrimp poking around at it. Maybe chemically its being stimulated by something in warfar, a coral perhaps. Its not easy to pin down the reason when everything is as it always was and all of a sudden it decides to move. But again they have the ability to be mobile and maybe it just wanted a change. Only one thing that raises an eye would be your temp. Ideally IMO 80* is where you want to target I think yours is a tad low. Keep watching it and IMO let it go, when it settles down again make note of what is different about its new location, from its last location. Is it more hidden, does it have the same flow, same light? Mine moved around alot when I first got it, then I noticed a pattern starting to happen. Everytime I added something to the tank it would move or adjust. Even though it wasnt anywhere near the anem. I concluded that even though it didnt affect the animal directly because the tank is so small it sensed something was different. And apparently it wasnt happy about it and felt the need to move. Again maybe another reason why these animals are recomended to be housed in a larger aquarium.

 

[peef]

Hmmmmm, yeah I wish there was something to say was wrong to correct. I have been reading alot recently and I noticed collectively that a temp of 76 - 78 was a general concensus. I put 76 but I ment 77.5 by the way. Even SWF when a new site had on their main page that 75-76 was ideal temp....too low if you ask me but I am NO expert. I am getting a 46 bowfront sometime soon from Fedel Castro...thats weird to say. I want to move the BTA there but don't know when I can get the tank. Hope its soon! I want to get the Big clown and some of my bigger corals to a bigger tank and have a nano specific tank. Thanks guys for your input!

 

[nietzsche]

i dont think you can say it has to be at an exact temperature. mine ranges from 76 to 83 and it does not irritate my anemone or anything else in the tank
just keep an eye out for your corals peef and check back if the anemone wont stay put

 

[peef]

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I get home from work today and my anemone split!!!!!! It was just growing and growing and growing and now there are TWO! WOOOHOOOO!!!
So uhhhh, I don't know what to do with the second one! How soon until I could take it to LFS?

 

[perfectdark]

Well what do ya know.. I guess you got your answer as to why it suddenly moved. IMO I would wait until it inflates fully and starts to accept food from you. Then I would say your all set to relocate the half you dont want.

 

[peef]

Hey PD, as an offer to you if you can take it, when it is ready to move if you would like I will send the BTA to you free. Free shipping and everything if you would like to and can take it as a big thank you for all your fantastic help along my SW way!!!

 

[perfectdark]

Originally Posted by peef
Hey PD, as an offer to you if you can take it, when it is ready to move if you would like I will send the BTA to you free. Free shipping and everything if you would like to and can take it as a big thank you for all your fantastic help along my SW way!!!
WOW... Thank you very much peef. Unforutnatly I cannot at this time. I have a rose BTA already and my tank would definatly be over crowded with 2. I really appreciate the offer though, I just enjoy helping people any way I can. It forces me to research alot so the advise I give has some validity.
THANK YOU again for the offer.