Quad colored bta, help

[jake2045]

Ok I have a quad colored bta that has been in my tank for about 4 months and was doing very well. My Maroon clown took to it as soon as I removed my hand. The clown has gotten very aggressive told me when I try to feed the bta, it will actually pull the food out of the nem mouth. The friend that gave me this nem (split) was feeding it once a day with about halve a shrimp with the clown being so aggressive I have not been able to feed him, and the nem is suffering. I have tried giving the clown the shrimp hoping it would then take it back to the nem to stash it for later, but no luck. Any advise ? The nem is not looking good it has lost its color and bubble tips and shrinks often.If and when it does get to eat it will color back up and inflate.

Tank parameters: 75 rr
Alk 7.5
ph 8.0 - 8.2
Sg 1.026
Temp 78 - 80
No3 0
Po4 0
Lighting: Aqua life T5 6 lamp

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Unfortunately it will be one has to leave. This is why I didnt get maroon clowns this tank and got Perculas. The aggressiveness of Maroons is horrible and it gets worse the older they get

 

[shifty51008]

I would have to say something else is going on, anemones dont need to be fed daily to be healthy. I havent spot fed my rbta's in over a year and they are doing great.

How old are your bulbs?

 

[Bent]

Personally, I would just throw a big mass of mysis shrimp in there with a turkey Baster. There will be so much food that some of it will make it to his mouth.

But as said above, nems don't need fed daily. I feed mine probably once a week or less and they do fine. Something else is up.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Yes something else is up... The maroon is beating the crap out of the anemone :hammer:

 

[m0nkie]

hahaha.. my baby lightning maroon got SOOO aggressive after I put him in my anemone tank. Everytime I stick my hands in, he start biting my hand. none stop!

Personally, I would just throw a big mass of mysis shrimp in there with a turkey Baster. There will be so much food that some of it will make it to his mouth.

But as said above, nems don't need fed daily. I feed mine probably once a week or less and they do fine. Something else is up.

This! I over feed mysis shrimp a little. Squirt a huge blast right on top of the nem. All the fish rush over to start eating. Lot of them land on the nem. There should be so much that the clown is busy eating his own.

you may need to up the water change a little

 

[jake2045]

ok I will try the mysis shrimp in a turkey baster, I thought about putting a fruit blow with lots of holes over the nem while it eats. The bulbs are less then 6 months old nothing has changed in the tank. I run carbon and change it monthly. Just seemed strange that the clown will take the food right out of the nem's mouth. I wish I gotten Perculas instead of the Maroon.

 

[jake2045]

Is it possible that my nem is getting to much light? My moon lights are on and the bta is ully inflated.

 

[m0nkie]

when they have too much light, they will start expelling zoo. kinda like pooping but more dark purple/reddish in color.

anyways, you don't need to feed the BTA for it to thrive. If your clown keep digging into the mouth, you will need to remove the clown or the BTA.

 

[hotelbravo]

I agree the BTA does not need to be fed it will not suffer because you didn't hand feed it as long as it can get adequate lighting. if you suspect its getting to much lighting a good sign of to much would be if it retracts under rocks in the shade for hours or days even. they will move if they don't like how much light they are getting.
also in the wild BTA's feed primarily on tiny food particles in the water and the waste excreted from the clownfish so in a way when you feed your clown you are also feeding your anemone since it will eat the waste.

people commonly make the mistake and think they require feeding but the only reason you should be feeding them is if you want them to grow faster and bigger.