Expensive Sushi
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I got a RBTA about 3 weeks ago. He doesn’t move, but he stretches big time during the day. Is this normal?
Long neck BTA
- Thread starter Expensive Sushi
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Expensive Sushi
New member
I have 4 54w T5s in a 72. He is under a rock so he doesn't get much light at all. Shouldn't he move up on his own if he wants more light?
cschweitzer
New member
Yes, but he needs to be fairly healthy...you need to feedonce a day as much food as it can eat. Soak the food in selcon and garlic. These help the taste and have high useable fatty acids and proteins necessary for the regaining health anemones. Mysis are a great choice and usually fairly easy for an anem(especially one that needs to regain health) to eat. Keep feeding him well and you will see that stalk turn a pink, then into a dull-brown color when it has fully bounced back.
By the way, I've been trying to get a picture of my anems stem, but haven't been able to. the stalk is about the same as the anems width from tip to tip. The stalk has to be 2" in diameter and a good 7" long(the whole stalk is under a rock and only peeks the top out)...with good care, yours could be too. I would recommend more lighting for you tank, or at least a better position for the anem...with that lighting I would put him in the top 1/3 of the water and if he wants he can move himself down.
By the way, I've been trying to get a picture of my anems stem, but haven't been able to. the stalk is about the same as the anems width from tip to tip. The stalk has to be 2" in diameter and a good 7" long(the whole stalk is under a rock and only peeks the top out)...with good care, yours could be too. I would recommend more lighting for you tank, or at least a better position for the anem...with that lighting I would put him in the top 1/3 of the water and if he wants he can move himself down.
Not always. Was it that white when you got it? What lighting did it have in the store? Does it eat (and keep the food down)?
I am guessing your tank is 18" deep and it is at the bottom, your t5s are 4' long? While you have 3W/gal, consider this: Its part of the tank probably only gets 1/3 of the light and at 18" less than 2/3 of that, so it is getting about only about 48W. Theoretically, just keep it fed and it will find its place. Trying to move it will just make it worse. You could try to add a temporary light in front (simple 15W NO flourescent) and see if it leans to ward it or shrinks away. If it goes for the light, its probably not getting enough and vice versa. But give it more than a day or two to make a judgement
I am guessing your tank is 18" deep and it is at the bottom, your t5s are 4' long? While you have 3W/gal, consider this: Its part of the tank probably only gets 1/3 of the light and at 18" less than 2/3 of that, so it is getting about only about 48W. Theoretically, just keep it fed and it will find its place. Trying to move it will just make it worse. You could try to add a temporary light in front (simple 15W NO flourescent) and see if it leans to ward it or shrinks away. If it goes for the light, its probably not getting enough and vice versa. But give it more than a day or two to make a judgement
Expensive Sushi
New member
The store had T5s as well. I think probably alittle less light than I have. I put him on the top of the rock when I got him but he moved down under it.
Expensive Sushi
New member
Feed everyday?
I have only been feeding every three days.
He keeps it down - pieces of silversides.
I'll try some mysis tonight.
I have only been feeding every three days.
He keeps it down - pieces of silversides.
I'll try some mysis tonight.
Expensive Sushi
New member
Your right rogart - he liked the mysis and a small piece of silverside but then later I tried another piece of silverside - he took it in then sent it back out.
I think I'm going to just move the rock so it gets more light. It will be interesting to see if he moves or not.
I think I'm going to just move the rock so it gets more light. It will be interesting to see if he moves or not.
If you do move it, remeber most anemones like to have their foot shaded and reach out for the light. Sand anemones like to burry their foot, those on rocks like to hide on the underside of a rock. So when putting it higher make surfe it is on the underside or shaded side of the rock, but where it can reach out to the bright light. Also anemones like strong current, but variable (something often overlooked), so that with the food should all help.
Expensive Sushi
New member
Thanks so much! rogart
I didn't know that they like thier foot shaded. That makes perfect sense to me now why he hasn't moved up to the light.
I didn't know that they like thier foot shaded. That makes perfect sense to me now why he hasn't moved up to the light.
bigdaddyadam
New member
I agree with the other folks about the light, the t5's aren't gonna cut it...in my experience the anemone can last a long time under too little light but eventually they fade away. I currently have 2 RBTA's, split from one large one, and I've had another split about 5 months ago. if you give them enough light and occasional food or a clown to poop in them they thrive
mine are near the bottom of my 55 gallon getting 2x175 MH so that's about 6.36 watts per gallon
you have 4x54 T5 which is about 3 watts per gallon, your tank is deeper than mine, and t5's are not as high intensity per watt as MH
my advice is upgrade the lighting or trade the anemone before it kicks the bucket for lack of light
mine are near the bottom of my 55 gallon getting 2x175 MH so that's about 6.36 watts per gallon
you have 4x54 T5 which is about 3 watts per gallon, your tank is deeper than mine, and t5's are not as high intensity per watt as MH
my advice is upgrade the lighting or trade the anemone before it kicks the bucket for lack of light
bigdaddyadam
New member
also I just saw in your tank specs that 2 of the four bulbs are actinic, which is a spectrum used in the same way as 10k, so your tank is probably getting about 1.5 watts per gallon of photosythetically useful light. keep the t5's if you like, but add some more or supplement with PC or MH
Just to add a twist about light anmeones live at very different depths in the oceans. Some are shallow some are deeper and others are all over (just look at peast anemones). I found a species that is brown in color but is living under 60W of NO flourescent (2yrs, 7 clones (some argue clones are a result of stress)). I am not recommeding low light, just illustrating with the right tank location, flow, and feeding you should be able to sustain your anemone. I do agree with bigdaddyadam though actinic lights should be used to compliment low heat color lights to add the blue spectrum. My tank uses all 10K bulbs, the blue only lights I think are mainly for looks only if the rest are well balanced. Again, I do not recommend low lighting at all and beleive you need better lighting, my tank is an experiment with a clone, not the norm. In the pic below you can kind of see how they reach out from under their rocks.
Expensive Sushi
New member
I moved the rock so the BTA will get more light. We'll see what happens
55semireef
Moved On
Make sure you feed your RBTA every other day with meaty foods otherwise its going to have a tought time making it.
bigdaddyadam
New member
in my experience, brown BTA's, and even green BTA's will tolerate much lower light levels than rose BTA's...my understanding is that rose BTA's need higher light because they usually live closer to the surface of the water where light is more abundant.
this isn't to say that the anemone might not live, but it will lose color and no amount of food will help that, eventually you'll be left with a bleached out anemone, from the pics it looks like that has already started to happen.
this is what your rose BTA should look like colorwise if it is under the appropriate amount of light...
this isn't to say that the anemone might not live, but it will lose color and no amount of food will help that, eventually you'll be left with a bleached out anemone, from the pics it looks like that has already started to happen.
this is what your rose BTA should look like colorwise if it is under the appropriate amount of light...
Sushi, if that is your maroon clown in the latest picture, kiss the anemone good bye... Female Maroons can be extremely rough on anemones. Just watch the fish and see if it biting, pushing hard, or violently rubbing the anemone. My experience has been that clowns actually stimulate the health of anemones, but I have seen and heard stories of mismatched by size anemones and maroons.
Expensive Sushi
New member
Hmmmm. He does LOVE the BTA. He is not too rough but is in it most of the time. He feeds it and protects the BTA from cleaner shrimp stealing food.
