BTA not as interested in food

[rachelcb80]

This winter when I got my BTA and Clarkii pair I would feed the BTA cut up pieces of shrimp and it would suck them right in. The last month or so it has been much slower to grab hold of food and it takes it forever to get it in it's mouth. Now that it's so slow, the Clarkii's are stealing the food pieces and pulling them out of the BTA's grasp. I've started just squirting tiny, tiny krill into the BTA and it gets about half of what I put in it, the clowns get the rest.

It's acting totally normal in every other way and the tank hasn't had any changes since it was put in there. Any way to stop the clowns from stealing food? I try feeding the tank right after I give the BTA it's food but since it's so slow, they are done eating before it's done.

 

[WDLV]

Try it the other way... feed the fish first. Then feed the BTA. I would also look into why the nem is less interested in taking in food. Are the water params what they've always been? Is the lighting old or brand new, is there something bothering it?
Keeping anemones alive is a bit like alchemy IMO. At least in this day and age. I don't know if anyone truely knows what their needs are but my best guess is that reefkeeping experience and an established system are major factors to any "success" people might have.

 

[rachelcb80]

Water params are the same as always;

1.025
83 degrees
0 ammonia, nitrates
8.2 pH

Ca and Alk fluctuate a little more than I'd like right now. I'm looking in to starting the DIY two part solution.

The lights are almost 9 months old. New ones have been ordered and I'm going to start changing them out one at a time in the next month or so.

I changed the rock work around a little awhile back, but not the rocks it was attached to. Maybe the flow changed and it isn't happy about that? It's never moved since I've had it and the clowns came with it.

 

[kurt72]

if feeding the clowns first does not work, try shoing them away while it's eating. my bta took forever to eat a silverside yesterday. my maroons don't eat the silverside, just the female gets in the bta, swims around, knocking into it.

another trick i have read about is getting a strawberry plastic basket or something like it, and covering the bta while it's eating. that way nothing can get to it. good luck!

 

[WDLV]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10114560#post10114560 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rachelcb80

I changed the rock work around a little awhile back, but not the rocks it was attached to. Maybe the flow changed and it isn't happy about that?

I believe this is your culprit.

The strawberry basket is a great idea too.

 

[rachelcb80]

Will it get used to the small change or do I need to try and put things back like they were? I'm wondering if it's mostly ticked about the rock that used to be above it that is now gone.

I try and shoo the clowns away but that darn female clown is one mean little hussy! She bites the stick when I try to push her away. I will find a strawberry basket, or something like it, and try that next time I feed.

 

[WDLV]

I think you should leave it alone. If it's very unhappy, it will move. Also, take note to insure the foods you are offering are not freezer burnt and stick with small pieces. The liklihood of a large fish being trapped by something like that in nature is slim to none. Though i once did witness first hand a clown grabbing a yellow tang by the pectoral fin and dragging the poor bastard half way across a 6' tank to throw him into the anemone! The yellow tang did survive but was soon relocated for his own good.

 

[rachelcb80]

It isn't funny but I sure got a laugh out of the mental picture I drummed up from that description!

The freezer burnt issue is a good idea. I hadn't noticed these shrimp being bad but this new bag was started around the same time the BTA started acting off at feeding time. Maybe I'll buy another bag and see.

Thanks so much for the help!

 

[WDLV]

No worries. Good luck.

 

[holesinhappines]

IMHO your temp could be a little lower. 78ish