HELP!!! BTA is spewing a milky substance...

[Virginia Reef]

I have had the BTA for several years and it has seemed very healthy (and had split numerous times over the years). Got home tonight and saw a milky substance in the water. It was coming from the BTA's mouth.

The BTA was greatly expanded this morning with the "colume between the foot and tentacles several times wider than normal.

Is this spawning? Death?

HELP!

 

[traveller7]

Sounds like an anemone spawning event. Have the temps jumped up in our VA weather?

If it is a spawn, it will typically not cause too much trouble, but I crank up my skimmers a bit, prep for a small water change, maybe add carbon etc..

 

[Amphiprion]

It does indeed sound like a spawning. Yours sounds like a male, so the effects are a bit more benign than that of a female. However, traveller7's precautions are definitely a good idea.

 

[Virginia Reef]

Thanks for the advice. I'm making water now for a change tomorrow. I keep the AC pretty constant so there is not any summertime increase in my tank temp.

BTW, I'm from NOVA...Annandale HS. I am about ready to set up a 225 gallon in-wall tank with a large service room behind it. I had to agree to build a new house for my wife to get the space that I needed for the tank.

I'm thinking about having Dr. Mac order and cure some large pieces of LR for me.Your thoughts on Dr. Mac for this? I try to stop at Ruesens when I'm comng thru the DC area.

Any LFS that you might recommend? There's one on Rt 236 in Annandale (by K-Mart I believe) that has been pretty fair in the past. Also, another in Herndon off Rt 50(?).

Thanks,

Paul

 

[traveller7]

Hi Paul,

The Washington Area has a great club in WAMAS:

http://www.wamas.org/index.htm

and our forum here on RC:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=137

Dr. Mac and a few new LFS's have been great supporters of the club and provided high quality products for years. fwiw: I have hundreds of pounds of rock from Dr. Mac in my tank ;>)

New set up sounds great, make sure to join WAMAS, and drop in to get up to date local data.

Cheers.

 

[WDLV]

If you're gonna travel all the way to Dr.Mac's, may I make a few other suggestions?
- You can meet Dr.Mac at BWI for a reduced charge on the LR.
- If you're doing an in-wall tank you could just do a 100 gallon rubbermaid horse trough sump and cure the rock yourself while you're setting up the tank. They're about 65.00 at the local farm feed store. Bowens is one, southern states is another.
A couple other decent MD stores are:
Roozens as you know, House of Tropicals in Glen Burnie, Aquarium center in Randallstown, Exotic aquatics in Perry Hall, and a brand new store called Marine Dreams in Bel Air. There's a small store near House of tropicals called Sea Save. You can See the sign from I97. Finding it is a bit more challenging. Then of course there's Pacific East Aquaculture AKA Dr. Mac's.
Good Luck.

BTW, it sounds like a spawning event to me too.