Hyper-Melanization Question

ScubaPrawn

New member
Are there any coral known not to cause hyper-melanization on a clown? I love my orange clowns, but I noticed a black spot on one soon after I introduced a frogspawn into the tank. I've removed the frogspawn and no more black spots.

If I put more coral into the tank I'm afraid the clowns will host again. So my question is: Are there coral that won't cause the black spots to form? Also, if one coral causes black spots on a clown does that mean others will cause it as well?

I've thought about an anemone, but I think it would be difficult to keep one because they move around and I want a tank full of coral.
 
Some frogspawns, hammers etc. will actually sting clowns and cause scarring just like what you are seeing.
 
What about GSP? I'd like to find something they can host w/o getting the black spots. I'd prefer to avoid anemones b/c they move around so much and can kill coral.
 
I think euphylia species are usually the worst culprits. I would imagine GSP's would probably be fine as well as a sarcophytums. I once had an extremely large goniopora that hosted two true percs for a while without any discoloration issues.
 
Anemones only move if they arent happy in there tank.
Light and water quality etc.

Once they find a place and a water quality is good they shouldint move.
I have never had this moving problem.
 
Anemones only move if they arent happy in there tank.
Light and water quality etc.

Once they find a place and a water quality is good they shouldint move.
I have never had this moving problem.

You don't know how badly I want to believe this....
 
If an anemones environmental conditions are satisfactorily met, there is no advantage to them moving. The problem is that it can be difficult to exactly meet these requirements, and even harder to interpret what is off should it begin to move.
 
If an anemones environmental conditions are satisfactorily met, there is no advantage to them moving. The problem is that it can be difficult to exactly meet these requirements, and even harder to interpret what is off should it begin to move.

If that's true, I'd really appreciate some tips from you or any other experienced reefers on how to meet those conditions. What can I do to ensure the best chance of the anemone being happy in one spot? BTW- I'd probably be getting an RBTA.
 
Here's my thoughts on the matter of wandering BTA's: (copy and pasted from a different thread)

On the topic of a BTA moving "all the time" as some say...I would argue strongly against this statement. In my experience, from reading, and discussions with other people with far more expertise than me, a BTA will remain in its spot if all of its living conditions are being met satisfactorily. There is no benefit to the anemone (risk of being stung/sliced by corals, risk of not finding another rock in the ocean, predatory animals, etc) to "just move around" IF all conditions are appropriate.

Water quality, light, food, Flow, and foot - the five conditions that must be satisfactorily met for all anemones.

Water quality: In the ocean, if local currents drastically change after storms, rivers dump crap into the ocean etc, the nem may want to move to conditions which better suit its liking. In our tanks, however, there are no other areas which have better water - but the anemone doesn't know that. This is my #1 pick for why anemones move without apparent reason. It may even be something in your water which you do not test for - or it may be BECAUSE you just did a water change and didn't match tank water close enough. The anemone is searching for something it just can not find inside a glass box, hence the so called "anemone's just sometimes walk around for no reason". We can't see the reason - so we assume there isn't one.

Light: Lighting in the ocean is quite strong. Far more than our little electrical lights we use. Even on a cloudy day the par is very high - ever had a sunburn on a cloudy day? When you introduce a BTA, you may have a spot picked out that you really want it to go, but it may decide it is too bright or too dim and promptly move. As it gets light-acclimated to your tank, it may move to a spot that is "just right" for its health in the long term. This acclimating and moving to a new home may also cause confusion to BTA's "moving a lot".

Food: Yikes! There is a lot of misconceptions about the "proper" diet for anemones. I did a write-up on RC a while back about the topic: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1835320 A basic summary of that thread is.....assuming a healthy nem, food is likely unnecessary. If you would like to feed, feed small (pencil eraser max) meaty, raw, SW-found foods. Unhealthy nems need more food to gain energy and should be fed more. Feeding leads to faster growth. Feeding can also in some cases overcome less-than-ideal lighting because the food is supplementing the light source. More in-depth information can be found at that link.

Flow: You need to determine the flow requirements of the species of nem you want, and make it match in order to decrease the likelihood of movement. BTA's will like moderate flow, but not too high or too low. Either of those may cause it to move around. Some can be very picky. I know someone who's Haddoni moved across the sandbed after her cleaned a powerhead and replaced it (he thought) in the exact same spot. Apparently it wasn't quite exact. Haddoni's like low flow - if their oral disk is being moved by the current, it's too much and will cause it to move.

Foot: This is my #2 reason why BTA's apparently move without known cause. The foot of most anemones also requires special concern. Some anemones like to bury in the sand, some at the sand/rock interface, and some directly onto rocks. BTA's like to have their foot in a deep crevice, hole, or cave. Basically, it's a safe zone for them to hide in if they need to retract. It's also a way for them to regulate the amount of sun it gets. These deep holes are key to keeping a BTA happy with it's current spot. They like their foot shaded, and head out in the sun.

Hope that's a good summary of what I think about BTA's.
 
Bues, that information is awesome. Thanks for reposting it. Do you have any tips on how to keep the water quality good and constant, other than the obvious routine maintenance?

Have you been able to keep a BTA in one place permanently? If I set up a new tank, should I try to put the BTA in first and let it find it's spot, or put it in after corals have been placed?
 
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