I'm getting my first RBTA today...

[jdantunes]

I was not planning to house one, but I have a changed my mind and I'm picking one from a fellow member of my marine aquarium club today.

I have read some info about care requirement on wet web media an seems to me that I got what's is needed.

Now, I'm looking to read a few tips from any of you who would like to share experience housing them. I have a mated pair of false perculas, but I really don't care if they host it or not. But to be sincere, it will be cool if it happens.

 

[garygb]

BTAs need live rock to attach to, particularly caves or overhangs. They need moderate flow, preferably random. They don't like laminar flow. In your tag line it looks like you have T-5 and MH, so you should have plenty of light for this species. Cover any powerheads you may have with screen or sponge to prevent a wandering BTA from getting sucked in. Once they find a place and seem content, they don't wander often. Parameters: 78-82F, sg 1.026, preferably undetectable nitrates. They will eat mysis, table shrimp, squid, krill, silversides (though some have had bad batches of silversides), fresh scallops, fresh fish, etc. Once or twice per week is fine to feed. And, in fact,target feeding isn't necessary, they will snag food from the water when you feed your fish. For fastest growth or to encourage splitting, feeding a couple of times per week will help.

 

[92reefer]

chiming in here. I am also looking to pick up a BTA. Will they attach to dead rock like Marco Rock? And can someone post a pick of what the screen looks like over the powerhead?

 

[jwoyshnar]

If you have dead rock then your tank isn't ready for anything.

 

[LAKEM0NSTER]

jdantunes, Garygb has given some good advice. One thing I do is get the anemone in a plastic bag and drip acclimate it for atleast 30 minutes. Then when you're ready to transfer it , just put the bag full of water and and the nem in the tank, and turn the bag over so the nem goes with its foot on the bag opening, then just gently let it fall out of the bag foot first onto some live rock. They're sticky as hell and if it gets stuck on your hand it could stress it out.

I've got one that opens up to over 10 inches and I've been feeding it a whole cube of mysis per week. It seems to be alright with the feeding and 6 t5HOs.. & just get some of that blue filter pad and cable ties, and cover all the inlets on your powerheads anywhere a tentacle could get sucked in.

 

[92reefer]

If you have dead rock then your tank isn't ready for anything.

Well the tank cycled with dead rock. So you're saying that the anenome can't attach and live on dead rock?

 

[wonderz]

Well the tank cycled with dead rock. So you're saying that the anenome can't attach and live on dead rock?

The common consensus is that you should wait have your tank for at least 6 months before getting an anemone. It doesn't matter if you got dead (marco's) or live rock to begin with, after 6 months, they all become live, sort of. The advise is just to prevent people from just adding anemone as soon as their tank is cycled.

EDIT: To answer your question, they will attach to marco's rocks. They will attach to pretty much anything, like your aquarium glass.

 

[jwoyshnar]

The common consensus is that you should wait have your tank for at least 6 months before getting an anemone. It doesn't matter if you got dead (marco's) or live rock to begin with, after 6 months, they all become live, sort of. The advise is just to prevent people from just adding anemone as soon as their tank is cycled.

EDIT: To answer your question, they will attach to marco's rocks. They will attach to pretty much anything, like your aquarium glass.

Yes too many people add things too fast and then you end up seeing a post like "My anemone is dying, please help!!!" One thing i found with Marco rock is that it leeches phosphates for a long time.

 

[92reefer]

One thing i found with Marco rock is that it leeches phosphates for a long time.[/QUOTE]

Whoa.. Really?? I researched alot before I bought that rock and many of the posts in that forum claimed they tested and found 0? I tested my tank using Salifert and it reads 0 but then again I've never had a positive reading on my past tanks with that test kit so I wonder.

I guess I could just run BRS GFO in my TLF reactor just in case?

 

[Tmoriarty]

Just because it reads 0, doesnt mean the rock isn't leeching phosphates, the algae/macro/GFO can be consumming the phosphate as it is leeched. I do not know if you run any of these things, just letting you know.

 

[92reefer]

Just because it reads 0, doesnt mean the rock isn't leeching phosphates, the algae/macro/GFO can be consumming the phosphate as it is leeched. I do not know if you run any of these things, just letting you know.

That's just it. I haven't run any GFO yet on this tank and I have no algae at all in tank.

 

[92reefer]

Just because it reads 0, doesnt mean the rock isn't leeching phosphates, the algae/macro/GFO can be consumming the phosphate as it is leeched. I do not know if you run any of these things, just letting you know.

That's just it. I haven't run any GFO yet on this tank and I have no algae at all in tank.