is it normal for BTA to shrivel up periodically?

lionbacker54

lionbacker54

New member
i have a brown BTA, and it is usually about 2 inches in diameter at the foot. every now and then (every two months or so), it shrivels up, with the tentacles becoming thin, wispy and green. the first time this happened, i fed it some shrimp and it looked normal in the morning. it happened again this morning, and i tried to feed it but the shrimp wouldn't come off my feeding stick. the anemone is still "balled up".

should i be worried? or is this normal?
 
If it is every 2 months or so, I wouldn't be worried about it. It very well could be expelling waste/internal water change.

Would only worry if it was doing it every other day or so.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15138139#post15138139 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by romsoccer12
my BTA does this every day at 6:00. its completely normal.
Click to expand...

Actually, for it to be closing up everyday isn't normal. I would look into why it is doing it everyday at that time.
 
why isnt it normal? the people at my LFS said it would do that and the more scheduled it was, the better. what could make it do that so often? ive never seen it move, its a BTA, my params seam normal, 11week established tank. any ideas?
 
Because a healthy anemone shouldn't be closing up that often. Something is either picking on it, or something is going on with the water and it is trying to do an internal water change to improve things.

I would be wary of taking advise from them if they think that the more scheduled the deflating the better.

What does "seem normal" mean in numbers. And IMO, 11 weeks is way too soon for an anemone, more so in a smaller tank -- the water/tank hasn't fully stabilized yet. Even more important to wait when new to reefing.
 
A couple that come to mind are;(( and just having one of these doesn't mean it is dying, but something could be "off" ))

Inflating and deflating often
Not staying attached
Open mouth
Not being sticky
Loss of color
 
well its never moved since i got it, idk if its sticky but when i spray mysis shrimp at it, the dont stay on but its eats the krill i feed it. i dont think its lost its color at all. i dont think its mouth is open ever.
it doesnt just deflate, its foot completely covers every tentacle. in the morning it looks giant, than around 6:00 it completely covers itself, than when it opens, its not nerely as big and the tentacles seem real small.
also, during the day, it stretches its foot reallly high up and it makes it look like a toadstool. kind of interesting.
1 more question, can an anemone get stuck?
 
It stretching up like that sounds to me like it is reaching for more light. How quickly does it eat/pull in the krill?
That much change in its size/shape doesn't sound good to me.

Excluding intakes, they can't really get stuck. However, they could be in a spot that doesn't blow then off the rock (( for BTAs )).
 
Not to drudge on semantics, but I consider "shrivelling" and simply contracting to be different behaviors. My BTA routinely shrinks behind a rock when lights go out, and next morning he's a dinner plate. Been this way for two years. My gigantea also contracts at night, and is huge soon after the halides come on.

Shrivelling, on the other hand, usually means the whole thing, including tentacles becomes deflated. I agree with Todd that if its routinely doing that, something is wrong.
 
Yea, I have to agree, there is a difference b/t getting somewhat smaller when the lights are out, and contracting fully.
 
yeah stretches to get closer to the light. I have 2 36 watt CF's, run my 3 watt moonlight always, and my 60watt fuge light hits it also. he eats krill pretty damn fast
 
thanks for the advice. i did not know that they do that to expel waste and that it is normal behavior.

as for the picking on it, i did add an emerald crab to the tank about a month back. his favorite spot is right next to the foot of the anemone. i caught him once taking food from the anemone. could that be a reason for it deflating?
 
actually everytime i clean the tank or do a water tank.. one of my anemone will get very small/deflate.. the tentacles will become so short and all winker up..

is that all right. or my water change is wrong?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15143769#post15143769 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dolphbox
actually everytime i clean the tank or do a water tank.. one of my anemone will get very small/deflate.. the tentacles will become so short and all winker up..

is that all right. or my water change is wrong?
Click to expand...

If anything mine look bigger/better after a water change. So, I would tend to think that something is going on with your water changes. How much are you changing at a time -- and how big is your tank. And do you mix up the new salt water before hand -- like the day before --- or right when you are doing the water change?
 
dolphbox, it could be your changing the current near the anemone with your arm, or dumping in water thats stressing it a little. if it reopens in a couple minutes after i dont think there is anything to worry about
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15143786#post15143786 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
If anything mine look bigger/better after a water change. So, I would tend to think that something is going on with your water changes. How much are you changing at a time -- and how big is your tank. And do you mix up the new salt water before hand -- like the day before --- or right when you are doing the water change?
Click to expand...

I change only 10% each week!! :p, yesterday change almost 30% of the water..

I mix the salt then do the water change right away..
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15143812#post15143812 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by romsoccer12
dolphbox, it could be your changing the current near the anemone with your arm, or dumping in water thats stressing it a little. if it reopens in a couple minutes after i dont think there is anything to worry about
Click to expand...

i am guity of it.. always stress the anemone when doing my tank maintance.

it take like 1 hour to open itself.. sometimes, i just scare it doesn't.. that what i am worry..

once a while, one of them also throw out things(make my tank very dirty), then i will need to perform another water change..
 
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