BTA...won't stop moving

[jesstabby]

Hello we just got our first BTA 4 weeks ago (really pretty purple base with green tentacles with purple tips). It is in a 150g tank that has been established for 2 years. The only other corals are green, red, & purple mushrooms.

The BTA is eating well (clam, squid, lrf), looks healthy, but will not stop moving. He has been moving everywhere on the rock work (high, low, under rocks, on top of rock work, to the side). We never know where we will find him from morning to afternoon or night to morning. I have read that an anemone on the move is an unhappy or sick anemone, but not sure what to do to make him settle.

Water parameters:

PH 8.2
Salinity 1.025
Nitrate 4ppm
Nitrite 0
Calcium 420ppm
Magnesium 1200ppm (a little low we like to keep it at 1350)
Phosphates 0
Alkalinity 9dKH
Temp 77.5 to 78

Lighting: 3 Kessil A360
We use tropic marine pro salt
We dose with 1/4 recommended does of tropic marine pro coral organic



Any advice is appreciated

 

[vhuang168]

You sure it's a bta? Pix?

It is trying to find a happy place. As long as it is attached and moving among the rocks I would just leave it


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[jesstabby]

Here is a pic

 

[zeemofree]

Here is a pic

I must have gotten lucky with the placement of my BTA, I have it in a high flow area and in full light and hasn't budged,

 

[vhuang168]

That's a nice looking nem. Does it have white lines around the mouth?


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[jd371]

My BTA has been in the same spot for some time, but my condy is constantly on the move lately. I'm getting tired of moving frags out of the way.

 

[BillHicks]

What is the flow in the tank? If you only have mushrooms, I'm guessing it's pretty low?

My BTA moved in my new tank the second I moved it's rock to re-design my rocks. It walked dangerously close to my pump, so I moved it back to the rock it seemed happy on before my re-design, and it walked right back to the same spot it was before (on that rock) and has been there for 3 weeks.

If it's not close to a pump, don't move it, but I would guess it's looking for more flow - cause your lights seem more than adequate.

 

[jesstabby]

We have 2 jaebo rw8 powerhead in the tank (it is 6ft long and 150 gallons). On the top of the rocks he gets really good flow if he wants it.

Here is a picture of where he has set up shop this afternoon and the tank as whole in case that helps.

He is eating stuck to the rock and extended so hoping he is just trying to find his sweet spot.

 

[jesstabby]

That's a nice looking nem. Does it have white lines around the mouth?


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I don't see any white lines around the mouth. What do white lines indicate? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[vhuang168]

BTAs normally have white lines around the mouth. Reason I ask is purple BTAs are not common. That and the nem pictured doesn't look like a BTA.

Another reason nems move is when they are misidentified and placed in a habitat it is not suited for. Eg, Malus like to be on the sandbed and will move around till it finds sand.


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[hotelbravo]

BTAs normally have white lines around the mouth. Reason I ask is purple BTAs are not common. That and the nem pictured doesn't look like a BTA.

Another reason nems move is when they are misidentified and placed in a habitat it is not suited for. Eg, Malus like to be on the sandbed and will move around till it finds sand.


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i also agree that it does not appear to be a BTA in my opinion

 

[D-Nak]

It might be a H. magnifica. If it is, it likes to spread out its foot on a nice flat surface, typically on the top of the rock. This is in contrast to a BTA which likes to hide its foot in a rock crevice.

On a side note... keep an eye on the niger and clown triggers. They may try to nip at the anemone.

 

[BillHicks]

It kind of looks like my Rainbow BTA, except the tips of yours seem white or brighter. The bubbles in my nems tentacles went away after about a week...did yours have bubbles in the tentacles at all originally?

 

[vhuang168]

BTAs have tapered tips. Nem in the picture have tips that are not tapered. That plus no white lines point to it not being a BTA


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