Anyone keep an RBTA in a high flow tank? (60x+)

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

I recently purchased an RBTA and it seems to be not too fond of my light brightness and even more so my high flow.(~75x in tank turnover).
So I'm wondering if maybe my tank is just not suitable for it and the occ. will just have to remain anenome-less....or if it will eventually adjust?

 

[55semireef]

Where did you get the anemone from? Was it a clone off another or was it collected from the ocean? It's a lot easier dealing with RBTAs that were clones from others in captivity because we usually know what lighting, flow etc it was use to being under. Wild collected specimens can be a bit more tricky not just because we don't know where it was collected (which happens to be the case a lot) but the immunity of the RBTA hasn't built up in captivity.

75x turnover rate is a lot but it really depends on where the RBTA is. Is it under high direct flow or medium indirect flow? For a RBTA, medium indirect flow is pretty good. RBTAs do not like direct flow generally speaking. Try and find an area where there is less flow but still relatively good lighting. You might have to get your hands wet too.

Good luck!

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

I bought it from a fellow reefer who had less flow and less light.
It has crawled up, down, in, out and through the 25lb.+ rock it is on by itself. This rock has four faces and two of them have overhangs and angle back downwards. He seems to like that underside facade more which is totally out of any 'direct' light. But eventually the flow gets to him and he's off again.

I run two vortech's in my 90g with a 5"DSB. Lit by 2 x 250W Fauna Marin Ultra 12.5K's and 2 x 54w T5's....this shouldn't be 'too' much light though, right? He's roughly 17" to 25" away from the Maristar.

 

[55semireef]

Your RBTA is probably adjusting to your lighting...that's what I would think. I have found that BTAs usually go into some sort of hiding when the lighting is more than what they were use too. My RBTA that I placed under new lighting just came back out from hiding. It took about a week for this process to happen.

As for the flow, it may be too much but I have seen tanks with RBTAs in them that had a TON of flow. But these tanks were much bigger than 90 gallons though so the flow was more spread out than being such in a confined space. Just give it some time and see how things work out.

 

[marc price]

Matt,
I've seen them do well in high alternating flow. Also, if you remember the rbta at the org. thr situated at the top of the tank under halides in front of the main pump output (still wasn't the flow you have).
Hate to encourage it only I can't help but think your setup is ideal for the two most diff. anemones, S. gigantea and H. magnifica. The forbidden store had a small gigantea in their anemone dominated display tank, rumor on the parc forum that they sold out. Maybe worth checking into taking it off their hands. The org. thr periodically had them too but got mag's more frequently.
Sounds like this is your first cf hosting anemone, good luck with it.

p.s. cover those vortecs, bta's are notorious wanders.

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Actually my first two reef tanks had the same RBTA. They were mixed reefs and back when I thought 30x was strong flow and I was using first P.C.'s then only 175w halides.
But I haven't had one for almost two years and now I obviously run much more flow(sps) and more light.

I like the look of a BTA more than anyother anemone, thta's why I wanted to try one again.

 

[GSMguy]

i think you can do it but allowing it to stay out of the light didnt work for me in my 10WPG it just kept hiding and bleaching. until i isolated it so it had to be mostly in the light.

Naka has two BTA in his BB tank but he has less flow in that area but definetly can be done in the high flow. i think once it finds a happy spot. usually with less flow around the base and more atound the tentacles. IMO BTA is a lower light animal. thats why mine is now thriving under 2 year old pc bulbs

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

I'm so suprised that it is not very light loving and a little suprised it doesn't like the extra flow. I thought for sure that rbta's like strong light and flow. And he isn't in any direct flow, just heavy indirect flow.
I'll give him a week or so and then maybe sell him or find it a new homew it would thrive in.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I used to have a BTA in my 58 ( It was taking up too much space, otherwise it did great in my tank )

I have a 600 gph return, 1 SEIO 1100, and 3 SEIO 620s -- which is around 60 Xs turnover. For lights I have 2 * 175 MH ( Iwasaki 14 K ) + 96 PC. The bta stayed in the top 1/3 of the tank under one of the halides, it was perfectly happy there.

In my 75 I still have a BTA, that tank has a 600 GPH return, 2 MJ 1200s, one SEIO 820 and a Hydor K4, think that is around 45 Xs turnover. Lighting is 2 *250 DE + 2 54 T5. That one is about 1/2 up the tank.

So, IME, they can handle plenty of indirect flow and high lighting, it is just a matter of it getting used to your tank.

 

[GSMguy]

matt im running 10wpg and 158x turnover and i am planning a RBTA soon i do think it can be done, i plan on finding one that is in very good health that is not bleached and hoping it will settle ok in the tank.