Anyone seen this? RBTA MIA!!

Z

Zagzoo71

Member
Strange situation I cant figure out:

Got home from work feed the fish (all 3 of my amenomes ate), couple hours later did a 10% water change on my 120g tank. water temp of tank 79, water change temp was 79. sal = 1.025 for both as well. When I went to bed my RBTA was on it's rock fully flated 4" round with all the tentecales with bulbs (real full and flowing side to side) Before I left for work in the morning I feed the fish, the RBTA had moved (1st time since I put him in the tank, 4 days now)

So I get home from work tonight and the RBTA is no where to be seen, I looked all over the tank, front, back, sides and nothing! So I checked all the caves, and sand there were no remains of a dead RBTA, still to this minute find him. I checked my over flow box at the top of the tank, (which is 1/2 covered by glass) he wasnt in it.

So my RBTA is MIA. any ideas? split and hid? I am lost...

Inhabitants in tank:

2 False/True Percula Clowns
1 blue reef chromis
1 rabbit fish
1 fire goby
cleanup crew
1 cleaner shrimp
1 peppermint shrimp.

temp 79
sal 1.025
nitrate/nitrate 0
 
A 4 inch BTA can easily shrink down to under an inch in size. I had one that was 6-7 inches and I could lose him in a 37g tank when he went for a walk.
 
my green bt is 5" and he turned into a quarter the other day, and my clarkii could only get one fin in, haha. Back to normal 3 hrs later tho
 
My Green BTA has never moved more than a few inches from the place I orginally set him about midway up my rock work. He has eaten shrimp about 5 times the past month, and always takes it without hesitation. However I have noticed a pattern too, where he will be fully extended and flowing gently from side to side and about 7" in diameter. A few hours later he will withdrawl into the rock into a little ball. Then when the Lunar Led lights turn on and I'm ready for bed I'll see him fully inflated again.

I wa soriginally concerned that maybe he was getting too much light, but rather than ME move him I figured to leave him be and see if he moves himself. He has repeated this inflate, deflate pattern a few times.

I have watched him and I dont think any tank mates are pestering him, so I'm just gonna let him be.
 
Zagzoo....LOL

Dont get discouraged. I got off work today and my BTA was sunken into the rock but his tentacles were sticking out and they were full like torpedos with a slight taper at the end. We went out to dinner and I got home and my lunar lights were on (R2 Innovation pods x two which provides about 12 blue LEDs in a fan shaped array) and my BTA was perched where I placed him weeks ago and he was fully exposed with tentacles flowing in the current. I only have two 175 MH bulbs spaced evenly across my 48" long 90 gallon tank so I dont think its soo much light that he would have to hide all day.
As long as he keeps getting fully extended and continues to eat, I am not worried about him.
 
rssjsb said:
Two days is nothing. I've had them disappear for a couple of weeks while acclimating. He could still emerge.
Click to expand...

+1, you will find the BTA no worries, just give him several days to weeks. Unless he got stuck in a power head, or something of the sort, you'll find'em.
 
I guess milk carton pictures works! Well good and bad news.. he appeared this afternoon while I was at work. Bad news he decided to camp butt against my condy nem. Lucky the were both on different rocks in the cave... So re-arranging the rock structure to different ends of the tank.

BTW... the condy's tentacles look like a link of saugage (will they inflate back to normal?) and my rabbit fish is nipping at the RBTA tentacles, shouldnt that sting him??

thanks for the help!
 
Having multiple anemones in a single aquarium has been linked to one or more becoming irritated, moving, and behaving erratically. I'm not positive on the BTA/Condy combo, but that might be a possible reason for your nem going on the move (in addition to the new tank, water params etc).
 
bues0022 said:
Having multiple anemones in a single aquarium has been linked to one or more becoming irritated, moving, and behaving erratically. I'm not positive on the BTA/Condy combo, but that might be a possible reason for your nem going on the move (in addition to the new tank, water params etc).
Click to expand...


Well.. there is also a 3rd in the tank.. a flower rock nem, he is about 4" in diameter. Only moved once to partically 1/2 in a cave stuck to the side.
 
Zagzoo71 said:
Well.. there is also a 3rd in the tank.. a flower rock nem, he is about 4" in diameter. Only moved once to partically 1/2 in a cave stuck to the side.
Click to expand...
That's a very important fact. I think you're going to have to decide which anemone you want to keep.
 
rssjsb said:
That's a very important fact. I think you're going to have to decide which anemone you want to keep.
Click to expand...

So.. you cant have mulitple nem in a tank?? They are stationary in the tank (as long as the RBTA found his happy spot), condy on the back left of tank, rock flower in the middle 1/2 in a cave, RBTA right middle.
 
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