I'm a noob with a BTA and a Clownfish....

[TaylorTTR]

So I set up my first saltwater tank almost two months ago, and just recently a got a green BTA. It crawled between two rocks and won't move. I dangled cooked shrimp (human food) in front of it once or twice and it just shriveled in horror after brushing up against it. I am not sure how to gauge its health but it seems fairly stable. So I'm here to ask you all how you think he's doing.

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 15ish
PH - 8.0-8.2?
SG - 1.024
Temp - 78 degrees
55 gallon long tank
T5 150 watts - 2 10,000 kelvin and 1 actinic

http://postimage.org/image/34uthp9hg/full/

 

[TaylorTTR]

Bare with me, I'm trying to get the photo to work

 

[flare1185]

You should feed raw small pieces of shrimps, and you should state how big your tank is and what type of lighting you have, people will want to know.

 

[lambchops]

You should feed raw small pieces of shrimps, and you should state how big your tank is and what type of lighting you have, people will want to know.

It says it in the first post

 

[Laborator]

It's fine, just wait for it to settle down until it finds the sweet spot in your tank.

 

[__SKINNY__]

it will move on it's own,even if you don't want and where you don't want...lol

 

[TaylorTTR]

It says it in the first post

I edited it in after he advised me

 

[frnkynlop]

Hey taylor,

This site has alot of good info on bta. It helped me out when I first got my rbta. hopes it helps. http://www.karensroseanemones.net/

 

[garygb]

I would try to get the nitrates lower. Water changes and protein skimming should help with this. Also, a slight increase in your specific gravity to 1.025 or 1.026 would be preferable. Just do the increase slowly over a day or two.

 

[TaylorTTR]

I would try to get the nitrates lower. Water changes and protein skimming should help with this. Also, a slight increase in your specific gravity to 1.025 or 1.026 would be preferable. Just do the increase slowly over a day or two.

This is the protein skimmer I have installed.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YZ4IRU

What do ya think?

 

[garygb]

Not familiar with that skimmer. How much skimmate is it producing? Generally, decent protein skimmers will you run you more $, but any skimmer is probably better than nothing.

 

[TaylorTTR]

It produces several table spoons every week or two i guess

 

[garygb]

Several table spoons every week isn't much. Eshopps or Aquamaxx HOB skimmers would probably do a better job.

 

[The Punisher]

If you're only skimming a couple of table spoons every couple of weeks then that skimmer isn't doing much good. Also, your tank is still fairy new and may not be ready for an anemone. From the pic, it looks bleached, keep trying to feed it and try your best to keep your tank parameters stable.

 

[TaylorTTR]

Well, amount of skimmate depends on how much excess food there is and how many creatures there are producing waste right? When I said a couple weeks I meant 7-10 days.