Bta?

P

psilentchild

New member
I have two question.First I went to my LFS to buy a RBTA he was red in the store but once I got home and he opened up he was green.My first question is why is my BTA not eating? I have had him about three weeks now and he spits the food out.I have had the mysis shrimp since may in the freezer could it be freezer burn.My 2 plates eat them.He looks healthy.My second question is I heard it is not a good sign when your BTA mouth is open.Well mine about the first half of the day he is like that then about maybe 3 he looks fine like nothing is wrong.Is that normal?
 
It not eating, and its mouth being open aren't good signs at all.

Need some more info --

What size tank, and how long has it been set up.
What are your lights
What are your current water parameters (( with numbers, include temp and salinity ))
What is your filtration.
 
Its a 72 bowfront with a 30 gallon sump ,filter sock, protein skimmer dont remember the size .I have a 175 watt MH it is on about 10 hrs a day.I have two korila 3 power heads.My par I dont know I check them last week and they were fine I just dont remember what they were.Why is it open only a couple hrs a day.He is not in the spot I put him so if he is unhappy about the spot why did he move there.My tank has been set up since Feb all my other corals and fish and inverts are doing fine.
 
Last edited:
Some anemones can be really picky in what they eat, so you might want to try other things like a piece of silver side, shrimp, etc. When I had a fussy eater, I would put the fish in and then wiggle my finger against the food to create some action and have the anemone close up.

My anemones love freeze dried anchovies. I think it's the fat content, and I get them at an oriental food store. I just soak a fish in some tank water and "selcon" for 10 minutes before feeding.

Good luck. I had one that was badly bleached when I got it, and it just refused to eat after awhile. I wouldn't worry until about a month without eating.
 
As for gaping mouth, don't worry about it until it looks like spaghetti coming out of the mouth. My anemone mouths will swell, gape, etc. That is normal.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13296199#post13296199 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fatdaddy
As for gaping mouth, don't worry about it until it looks like spaghetti coming out of the mouth. My anemone mouths will swell, gape, etc. That is normal.
Click to expand...

A gaping mouth is not normal, and is something to be concerned about. It is should be tightly closed.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13296216#post13296216 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
A gaping mouth is not normal, and is something to be concerned about. It is should be tightly closed.
Click to expand...

I have 3 BTA's and a mag, and their mouths are always changing shape. Sometimes they are tightly shut, sometimes slightly open, sometimes they have puffy lips, and some times they have their mouths open.

I just don't get excited anymore when I see a BTA with an open mouth. If it's been doing that for 3 weeks, that's probably not good. If it does it occasionally, no big deal IMHO.

Feel free to post a pic.

btw, your LFS may have a guarantee. 3 weeks may be a little long, but I'd let them know ASAP if you're having a problem so you can claim any refund.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13296327#post13296327 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fatdaddy
I have 3 BTA's and a mag, and their mouths are always changing shape. Sometimes they are tightly shut, sometimes slightly open, sometimes they have puffy lips, and some times they have their mouths open.

I just don't get excited anymore when I see a BTA with an open mouth. If it's been doing that for 3 weeks, that's probably not good. If it does it occasionally, no big deal IMHO.

Feel free to post a pic.

btw, your LFS may have a guarantee. 3 weeks may be a little long, but I'd let them know ASAP if you're having a problem so you can claim any refund.
Click to expand...

Over the last 15 years of keeping anemones ( Haddonis, BTAs, LTAs, and Sebaes ) I have noticed that anytime the mouth was gaping it was do to some sort of stress. Anytime a new anemone has come in, and its mouth wasn't tightly closed after the first week or so, the vast majority of the time it did not make it.

IME, a gaping mouth is not a good thing, and is a stress.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13296415#post13296415 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psilentchild
But why is he stress only in the morning?
Click to expand...

Could be low levels of O2 during the night.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13298150#post13298150 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psilentchild
Why would my 02 level be low at night and not any other time?
Click to expand...

Photosynthesis.

Light + CO2 = energy + O2.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13296587#post13296587 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
Could be low levels of O2 during the night.
Click to expand...

I,m +2 with Toddrtrex on the 02..... I had a BTA and I had a air stone in the water. It was set up to airate the water during the night......In the morning it would shut off. Every day the BTA seemed to shrivel up around 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon and it would not eat. But if I fed it earley in the morning.....he was OK.

JUST MY OBSERVATION........
 
I looked at what I was feeding my BTA and it is krll not mysis shrimp.I'm going to try silverside.I think I may have figure out my problem.I was sitting at hm last night and happen to glance at my hydrometer and realize I havent checked my salt level in weeks.I have check everything else but not salt.So I checked it and it was high it was I think 1.26 isnt like 1.23 good.I cant remember what it was but it was too high.It never darn on me to check salt level cause everything else was doing good.I usually check everything once every two weeks and do water change every two weeks(not the same week as when I check all my levels)Do yo think that may have been my problem?When I woke up this moring he was looking good but he allways look good half of the day it varys on time if he looks good or not.One more thing I have 2 marron clownfis will they ever host in my BTA or will they just ignore him like they have been doing?
 
I think you left out a "0". The salinity should be at 1.026.

A BTA is a natural host for a maroon, so that shouldn't be an issue. You should be glad that the clowns are ignoring it right now -- would just add to its stress.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Trying to identify what ate my Torch Coral
Replies
12
Views
307
Uncle99
Uncle99
S
HELP! What are these?
Replies
10
Views
563
Sermanley
S
R
Midas blenny missing
Replies
5
Views
282
griss
griss
S
Tank Update & Tentative Stocking Plan
Replies
2
Views
166
griss
griss
A
New Naso Tang breathing heavy and not swimming much anymore
Replies
2
Views
1K
griss
griss
Back
Top