BTA help please

[kcochran0010]

Alright I have a question. My bubble tip anemone keeps moving to the underside of the rocks so its not getting any light.. I keep moving him so he will get light and now die.. I spend forever trying to get him off a rock and move him and then he just moves to the underside again.. will he die if I just leave him there and he doesnt get any light.. Thankyou

 

[Mavrk]

Stop moving it around. It only adds stress. Sometimes the lights in our aquariums are a shock after having been under lower lights or in a dark shipping box. Try to feed it. If it has a feeding response, then it should pull through. Feed it daily for a while. Do you have a pic? What lights are you using (and size of tank, parameters, etc)?

 

[kcochran0010]

I have a 75 gallon tank. The lights are 2x 150watt metal halides and 2x 130watt Actinics
Ammonia 0.0
nitrite 0.0
nitrate 0.0
SG 1.025
temp 77-80 between day and night..

I feed it and it will sometimes take the food and eat. Some times he spits it out. I just didn't know if him hiding from the light was bad and would cause him to die. As long as he will be okay I won't bother him any more!

 

[1crazymofo]

Mavrk is right moving it constantly will possibly stress it out to the point of death. But i think feeding daily may be a little too much once every few days should be fine.

 

[kcochran0010]

I only feed him every 3 days. But will he be okay with out light?

 

[bues0022]

Also, what are you feeding? Make sure your "food" is at most the size of a pencil eraser. It takes more energy to digest a large piece of food than a small piece. If it spits it out it has wasted even more energy.

 

[kcochran0010]

I break pieces of freeze dried jumbo krill.. But will someone please answer .... If the anemone is hiding under the rock and now getting light.. Will he die?

 

[JeF4y]

+1 for leave it alone... They are finicky creatures that really do whatever THEY want.

Nobody can tell you if your anemone is going to die. However, what can be stated with great confidence is that the more you mess with it (relocating it) the greater the chance that it will die. If it's not getting enough light, it will generally stretch and move about until it gets the light it needs.

I picked up a new RBTA last weekend, placed it low in the tank at a decent spot and it immediately rotated itself to the underside of that rock. It ate and then pulled itself in for an entire day. Came back out today happy as can be.

Do some more reading on BTA's and just give it a bit of time.

 

[yukondave]

I never direct feed mine unless I'm trying to force a split. +1 on leaving it alone, he will find a spot he likes and live under a rock at night and come out during the day. Thats just what they do

 

[kcochran0010]

Thank you then I will leave him alone!

 

[bues0022]

BTA's like to have their foot in the shade. It's not surprising it's on the underside of a rock. It will come out and extend into the light. This way it can more easily regulate the amount of light it needs (think of you being outside on a sunny day. You'd probably like to have some shade so you can regulate your heat/sunburn, right?)

 

[Nakzter]

BTA's like to have their foot in the shade. It's not surprising it's on the underside of a rock. It will come out and extend into the light. This way it can more easily regulate the amount of light it needs (think of you being outside on a sunny day. You'd probably like to have some shade so you can regulate your heat/sunburn, right?)

I agree. Mine on the first week was upside down under a rock after a couple of weeks his tentacles are out and about to receive sun light but his foot is still in the shade. This guy streched out probably 7inches just to get light.