My RBTA is moving!!!! please help.

[GentleMinh]

i just bought a rbta about 2 weeks ago. i recently put it in my jbj 28 hqi tank . It is up front on a rock. I placed the body/foot inside a hole. The anemone was fine for 2 days. I was really happy , but now it has moved towards the right side of the tank and out of the hole. How can i make it stay in place? i dont want it moving everywhere bc i have some nice zoa/ palys. acans and i dont want it to sting and kill everything.

 

[chelskisw6]

IF the nem is not happy where you put it, he will move, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.

The best advice is make sure that your water is spot on, and the nem is getting enough food/light. Then there will be no reason for the nem to move to find better conditions.

 

[GentleMinh]

i also heard somewhere that you can trap them by putting a container over them until the foot attaches. is that true?

 

[Eklikewhoa]

It is true but it will eventually move again since it is capable of "walking".

 

[kar93]

I dont recommend putting something over it so it foot attaches. You should let it roam where it wants. That way it will be in the best spot.

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12480584#post12480584 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kar93
I dont recommend putting something over it so it foot attaches. You should let it roam where it wants. That way it will be in the best spot.

i disagree i think that they need some help sometimes.

but i dont like putting anything over the anemone, i like to pick a good spot an stick it there with the pumps turned off so that it can get positioned.

 

[E.J. Coral]

IME, BTA are one of the most mobile species. If you really don't want it to sting your other stuff, you should remove it, or the anemone from the tank. Are your powerheads covered?

 

[GentleMinh]

well i only have a koralia 1 in the tank. it's all the way up high near the rim . so the rbta does not like flow ?

 

[05TurboS2K]

I have one Koralia 2 in the oposite upper corner, i figure its mostly safe that far away.

 

[garygb]

The concern with the Koralia is that it can suck the anemone into it. They do appreciate good, random flow. Once a BTA finds a spot it likes, they tend to be very stationary. They prefer to have their foot planted in a rock crevice or under an overhang. Their body makes the general shape of a "J"

 

[coda]

perhaps when you place your RBTA you could give it some food. if it associates that spot with food it might stay put cause it gets some.

 

[fancyfish]

you may want to make it feel secure. they like to have a place to retract into. my BTA moved to the front of the tank and I really did not like it I re-aquascaped and took the rock it was attached to and placed it a more favorable spot. It seems to be happy and has stayed put. they like moderate flow so make sure it has some. good luck. the reality is that they will move if they want

 

[Lmecher]

I have one doing the same thing and it has been well behaved for over a year. Mine has perfect water, lights etc. I just watch it and if it gets too close to corals I move them out of it's way. I care more for my rose than my corals anyway. It needs to choose it's spot you can't force it, it will pick a place where light and flow are to it's liking. Anemones can be stressful but it's so rewarding when you are successful at keeping them. : )

 

[Fitchguy]

what do you do when they crawl under a rock and I know that they are not getting any light? WHat do I do then??

 

[Eklikewhoa]

Nothing.....they will reach out for light when they are acclimated to it...if they don't they were probably not in the best shape to begin with.

 

[April540]

I bought a green BTA about three weeks ago. I put him in a rock with a nice big crater, hoping it would be happy there and I could get my clown to host it, instead of the large Condy.. Well he looked great there for the day, and moved to the back of the rock where you can't see it unless you go the back side and check it out. Now the clown goes from one to the other, feeding them both. I hate it that it has taken up housing there, but it's happy.

 

[mobert]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12496933#post12496933 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Eklikewhoa
Nothing.....they will reach out for light when they are acclimated to it...if they don't they were probably not in the best shape to begin with.

I agree.

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12502593#post12502593 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mobert
I agree.

I actually disagree.

Back when I was selling off all my BTAs, I was shocked to find 4 smaller clones that for some reason never went to the "right" side of the rocks to get the light. Where as other clones from the same "parent" did great.

 

[kes_reef]

It would be great if it stayed perfectly stationary but the reality is it will continue to move unless it is happy with a particular spot.

Before I purchased my RBTA about 4 yrs ago, I actually created a spot just for it. An relatively medium size open area near the top with lots of rocks underneath in the overhang. Then I put it right in that area and it managed to find a secure footing deep between the rocks underneath. I also made sure to put corals in other 'open' spots so that was pretty much the only area the anemone could position comfortably. Then I went out and got the gold bar maroon. Match made in heaven! It has remained in that same spot for 4 + years though one time, it did manage to veer away, but it quickly returned to its spot.

 

[GentleMinh]

okay it moved all the way in the back and between the cracks. seems to me it was trying to hide. I was really scared because i have some nice corals i dont want to lose so i removed a few lr and careful took her out. i made an opening in the front and stuck the foot in the hole. for the last 2 days it has been in the same spot. i'm hoping it will make it a permanant stay. I also fed it a piece of shrimp yesterday. this rbta i got from Vincerama2 has 2 mouths.