LTA in Bad Spot

[Klownfish]

I acquired a Purple LTA last week. After acclimation, I placed him in the main tank. I have a DSB, and put him there, near a rock "boonie". Well.... He crawled into the rock pile, attached himself, and has stayed there for 3-4 days. I can see him with a flashlight, and a mirror, but I can't feed him, and he's getting no light.

Should I move all my rocks to get him out? Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[jkmargerum]

Once he gets hungry enough he'll start moving around again. Give hime some more time.

 

[Klownfish]

OK, thanks. He's fat and healthy now, but I don't want him to waste away. I've had BTA's in the past, this is my first LTA. Very pretty, though.

Moving the rocks would be a major PITA. I'd like to avoid it, if possible. How long should I wait? How much time should I give him to move on his own?

Thanks for the help!

 

[jkmargerum]

If he's in a position were he doesn't get any food he'll probably move within a week. I've heard of some not settling in for as long as three weeks. My BTA is still looking for a good spot. He'll move, realizes he doesn't like it, shrivel up to nothing by the afternoon, move at night and be big and puffy in his new spot the next morning. This has already happened a few times since we got him a couple of weeks ago. We try to feed him every three days since he is also recovering from some clown abuse but sometimes he's just not in a position to be fed. The clownfish are pretty good about throwing him a few tidbits though.

 

[dtaranath]

I'm looking into getting a purple LTA. do you have any good info in regards to care for it?

 

[jkmargerum]

Sorry, I don't know much about the LTA. I did most of my reading up on anemones behavior in general and specific BTA. When I first got mine I was freaking out because my maroon clowns bit off more than half its tentacles in 2 days.

 

[Ryanqk]

i have a lta that wont attach to the substrate even tho ive blocked all entrances to the rock caverns, cuase my maroon likes to drag her anenomes into the rocks, and likes to excavate the sand around the base, any suggestions?

 

[jkmargerum]

My maroons did that to the first anemone I tried which was a purple seabe. I ended up taking it back to the LFS and bought a much larger BTA. One thing I heard you could try is covering it with a small plastic eggcrate style basket that allows plenty of current but the clowns can't swim into. Maroons can be brutal on the poor guy.

 

[Klownfish]

My LTA poked his tentacels out last night, so I fed him a small piece of scallop. He has his foot attached in the DSB, still in a cave.

I just wish he would pick a better spot, where he can get some more light!

I've read that LTA's like to have a rock near their foot in a DSB.

I could move around all of my rockwork, so he would get more light. It would be a real PITA, but i'm concerned that it just might have to be done!

Decorate the WHOLE tank around the one Purple LTA!

 

[hansonfam]

Hate to say it but that is exactly what we had to do. It took him FOREVER to find a spot. I received it from a friend and was actually going to sell it as i thought it would die. And then one morning i got up and it had picked a spot wight in the front of my tank. It wasn't attached but had wedged his foot down in between 2 rocks. So in about a week it planted his foot and has been there ever since. So when we did some rearraging we did it all around him as i was not going through that again.lol
What is odd is it is right under a piece of glass brace and i only have 600 watts of pc lights but apparently it is happy because it is getting HUGE......

Lisa