Anemone detaches every night?!

[Jay Fortay]

I got a nice looking medium sized GBTA from the LFS 2 weeks ago. He has acted normal and looked healthy every day, staying in the same spot. At night he detaches his foot and drops about an inch to the sand bed. Power heads in that corner get turned off to eliminate any chance of surprise carnage in the morning. When I wake up, I check in him and he is always reattached in basically the same spot looking happy as a... well, a happy anemone.

Any thoughts on this strange behavior? I've never known a BTA to do this. Usually they'll detach and find a new spot. Not this guy. Not so far at least.

 

[Silvergryphon]

I have a RBTA that retracts down into the rocks every night when the lights go out, and comes back up when the lights come on.

 

[Jay Fortay]

He doesn't recede into anything. He actually detaches and reattached in the morning.

 

[Jay Fortay]

I just flipped him over. In the same spot. Foot looks fine. Mouth looks fine. Any ideas on how to get him to stay put. The flow is little to nothing in the area he is in with the powerheads off, he is in good light, I have fed him in the last week...

Any ideas anyone?

 

[D-Nak]

Does it have a crevice or hole to attach its foot into?

 

[mcfa2403]

Is the powerhead in that corner only off at night?

 

[Jay Fortay]

He is now in a cove type cave. I have him "boxed in" do he doesn't simply roll away I'm the current.

The powerheads are only being turned off at night so that I can eliminate chances of him getting shredded. I turn the powerheads in in the morning as soon as he attaches.

 

[Jay Fortay]

He's been pretty stationary as well since I moved him early yesterday.

 

[Reefvet]

Any thoughts on this strange behavior? I've never known a BTA to do this. Usually they'll detach and find a new spot. Not this guy. Not so far at least.

He can't find the spot he likes. I have 6 BTAs and they all detached and floated at night until they found a good spot. With a couple of them I had to create a refuge from high flow since they didn't find one. Typically that's what they're looking for.

 

[Jay Fortay]

Seems happy today, and still has his foot firmly planted in the rock. I have a feeling that he is not fond of the silversides I have been feeding him. I'll ditch them and find some other, better food for him. I've been searching and dug up some threads that some folks have had bad experiences with silversides.

Any experience there?

 

[melvinakshay]

I feed mine krill.. but then again the anenome eats everything as the clown make sure its fed.

 

[mcfa2403]

The change in flow near the nem might have something to do with it detaching and reattaching. The nem may be unsure of the environment.

Also my experience with BTA has been that they will "settle" for a location either with the lights on or off because the environment is good for them at that time. So, during the day it might be fine because it is extending its oral disc into the flow making the foot happy but at night with the nem retracted the foot gets too much flow. Or inversely, at night the nem is happy in a low flow area but during the day it cant stretch into the current (I assume they adapted to do this to capture food) or perhaps it can't orient its oral disc towards the light. Those are just two examples I've personally experienced and perhaps your nem is happy where it is just my opinion.

On feeding, my BTA are spot fed mysis and seem to enjoy it plenty. I feed them maybe twice a month (BTA don't really need to be fed and will do just fight with adequate lighting).

Also, you might try posting a picture of your anemone and his location in the tank to give us a better idea what you are dealing with

 

[Jay Fortay]

Looking great 2 nights ago night

still looking good this AM

purging, normal I think, this afternoon

I also thawed out some Human consumption grade raw shrimp. Is it okay to feed him some shrimp when he reinflates? If not can i leave the shrimp i prepped for him in the fridge until tomorrow?

 

[Reefvet]

On feeding, my BTA are spot fed mysis and seem to enjoy it plenty. I feed them maybe twice a month (BTA don't really need to be fed and will do just fight with adequate lighting).

+100

BTAs don't need to be fed at all. You don't ever want to give something large like silversides or the shrimp you prepared.

A small amount of Mysis every couple of weeks will be taken willingly, and they can handle that, but they don't need it. Anything larger than that they spend more energy trying to digest than it offers them.

My largest one just split again for the second time in 6 months. He lives on light and light alone. He's thriving and looks beautiful every day. Fully extends with nice bubble tips all the time.

 

[Jay Fortay]

A lot of folks say that they have had BTAs act testy until they were fed. I have only owned one BTA before this and never fed it as this was the clowns job.

 

[Jay Fortay]

He's still tiny from his earlier deflation and is now detached, on his face, and in his cove. Hopefully he inflates in the AM.

 

[luamada]

please keep me posted as i took mine out of the tank to treat because it kept closing up and i thought it was sick

 

[Jay Fortay]

This morning I found him roving...

I put him back in his cove and now he has his foot firmly planted. sorry for the blurry pic...

 

[mcfa2403]

I am 60% sure that is a condylactis

 

[Jay Fortay]

I am still not sure if it is a Condy or a BTA. It also is still looking perfectly healthy, attaching during the day, and detaching at night. One thing I have noticed is that he attaches with the side of his column more often than his actual foot. He attaches with his foot sometimes as we'll so I think it is in working order. I talked to my LFS owner and he said he would take it back in trade for a different one.

Think I am going to take him up on his offer and trade for one that I know is a BTA. Anyone have an opinion on RBTA VS. GBTA in the reef?