How to feed baby BTA?

[Pittsburgh]

So my BTA decided to split, now I have a tiny nem crawling around the tank. The size of it's mouth is about 1/3'' and the foot is probably 1''.

He keeps moving around the rock for the past month or so, not really growing in size and I suspect that he is not getting enough food and light. I've never seen his tentacles extended, even when exposed to light.

Here's the problem:
- he moves all the time
- most of the time he hides in rocks where I can't reach him
- when I do reach him to feed some mysis, I don't see him taking in any, probably because his tentacles are not fully developed

What I'm thinking of doing is try to mash mysis into pulp and spot feed him almost at his mouth with a 5ml syringe.

Is there a better way?

 

[ssgtgonzo]

If it split, then its mouth may not be fully healed and back in the center of its oral disc. It won't eat until that happens.

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[SNAKEMANVET]

Maybe it will find a spot it like and settles in.It normally takes about 10 days for the anemone to completely heal.Have you turned off all the flow in the tank while trying to feed.

 

[Pittsburgh]

Right, but I think the nem split in mid July, so it's been almost two months now.

Snakeman, you do have a point. I only shut off my powerheads during feeding, so there is still quite a bit of flow from the return. Will try the return as well tonight. But then again, not sure if he's going to be out today at all...

 

[bugs713]

I have a 1" RBTA that moved around for a good two months, but he's settled in one spot, 34" down, for the last three weeks. I feed him a little squirt of Coral Frenzy or Reef Chili once a week with long modified syringe. His tentacles are bright red but still stubby and seems nice and healthy. I believe they will get the nutrition they need from the water without feeding, but I feed just in case.
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[Pittsburgh]

I did try coral frenzy on him, we'll see.
Mine doesn't have fully developed tentacles yet though. You can kinda see them popping out a little, but they are never extended, so it can't really grab any food with them.

I'm going to try and take a picture of him tonight or tomorrow and post it here.

 

[bugs713]

Here is my baby,
4 Months ago: (Quarter size)

2 months ago:

3 weeks ago:

 

[worm5406]

@bugs713

What about today?

 

[bugs713]

@bugs713

What about today?

:blown:

 

[Pittsburgh]

Awesome, mine looks just like yours did 4 months ago.

My guy was out on the rock last night, so I tried a different feeding method:
- took half a cube of mysis shrimp, defrosted.
- while still wet mashed it into pulp
- mixed in 5ml of aquarium water, solution turned into paste
- sucked all into a 5ml syringe
- fed some to the baby BTA, he ate some
- fed the rest to the grown BTA and he really loved it

The paste of mysis shrimp was much easier to feed than just mysis because it doesn't have larger/lighter chunks, sinks well and doesn't start floating all over the tank. Found it great for spot feeding!

 

[aydemir]

Yeah I guess liquid food for filter feeders/anemones will work fine until it gets bigger. And thats a nice looking nem! Im jellin