New BTA. Is he healthy?

NewJerseyreef

New member
Hey everyone i just purchased a BTA and was wondering if first someone could ID him and tell me if he is looking healthy i tried to get a mouth picture too because ive read it can be a sign thanks!... it actually is more maroon when looking in person.

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A couple of quick questions. What color was the foot on the anemone? Also is it eating (silversides, mysis, flake, etc..) and staying attached to the rock? Was it sticky? If so, those are good signs.

I usually soak my silversides in zoe when I get a new anemone then place small pieces near the mouth. Depending on whether it has a quick feeding response you may have to ward off pesky fish who will try to steal the anemones food. Once the anemone strenghtens up the feeding response is usually pretty quick. New anemones can sometimes be weak and have a slow feeding response.

Best of luck!
 
hes been in the tank for 2 days and i havnt gotten him to eat yet only because i tried laying some mysis infront of his and the fish got it first. he moved to that spot within 2 hours and has stayed there for the last 40 or so hours. how can i get the mysis which is small to stay infront of it so he can get it... i tried a turkey baster and it didnt work. will he eat krill?
 
hes been in the tank for 2 days and i havnt gotten him to eat yet only because i tried laying some mysis infront of his and the fish got it first. he moved to that spot within 2 hours and has stayed there for the last 40 or so hours. how can i get the mysis which is small to stay infront of it so he can get it... i tried a turkey baster and it didnt work. will he eat krill?

you should be able to shoot some of the mysis right as his tenticals and htey should stick to it.
 
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this is him now after the lights are out... since i turned the room light on hes slowly opening... is this normal behavior to close up when light is absent?
 
IT is very normal for H mag BTA and LTAS to ball when light go out. Very common behavior for these types. this is alos common when they feed they ball up also.
 
Try feeding something a little bigger like a silverside. Put flake on the opposite side of the tank so the fish are pre-occupied then lay the silverside in the tenticles near the mouth. I use a long handled scraper to chase fish away until the anemone can start to pull in food. You may have to work a little to keep the food in the mouth zone until he eats it. Good luck!
 
update... i target fed him mysis and put a piece of krill into his arms and he seemed like he wanted to close up and moved just a little but didnt for either he just let the food float away... is this bad. and my tomato clowns just seem to swim an inch away from him( which they did before he was in this location) like they dont even notice him. reasoning?
 
The fact that he still is attached and has color is a good sign. You definitly want him to eat. I would still try something a little bigger. I have always had luck with silversides. I used to hold the silverside in a pair of long tweezers near the mouth so it couldn't float away. You never want to force it in but I would sometimes go as far as holding the silverside in the mouth of the anemone.

What kind of lighting is he housed under?
 
T5 HO 4 39watt bulbs i believe 10,000K. and it has opened wider today but no bubbles on the tips just long like in the picture... is that ok? he seems good so far
 
The bubble tips will appear and re-appear off and on. Here is a pictures of a RBTA that I had previously Some days it had bubbles some days it didn't.


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ok thanks i wish my 2 maited pair of tomoato clowns would host in it. I do have great news. i dropped a 1/2 sized silver side and he closed up and is eating it up right now im very excited that he is eating. :celeb2: after 4 days he seems to be doing good eating today and attached. Im hoping that this meal will make him happier!
 
Per your trying to get the clowns to host, I have had some success in the past by temporarly turning off flow in the area the anemone is located and target feeding my clowns directly above the anemone so that the food is falling toward the anemone. I know it sounds silly but while trying to get the food some of my clowns have inadvertantly brushed up against the anemones and the light bulb goes off (like, hey that was pretty cool). Not 100% full proof but it has definitely worked for me in the past. Also, you may have to use something to ward off other fish while you are trying to accomplish this. Good luck and I hope your anemone keeps eating!
 
thanks and thats actually a great idea! and since i fed it it kinda did this today...
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ive read they do this to expel waste... is this what he is doing... all day he was fine and been like this for about 25 minutes since i saw him.
 
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