RBTA Help Please

[cham]

I've had my RBTA for about a month now. I've also had a purple tip condy for about 4 months too. The RBTA hates my lighting (see sig). Everytime I put him somewhere in the light he goes and hides somewhere in a dark spot. I've only moved him a couple times hoping he will come out on his own.

The first week he stayed in one spot in the light and even ate two pieces of shrimp and one silverside. Since then he wont eat either and just wants to stay in the dark.

His tentacles look good and there are no signs yet of starvation.


Water params are in check.

Salinity- 1.026
Nitrites-0
nitrates-0
ammonia-0
phosphates-0
calcuim-490
mag-1300
ph-7.9 to 8.0

 

[dc]

Well it's just not possible to make it go where you want it. You can possible change directions of your waterflow and see if it will move. Hopefully you can keep feeding it and it will eventually come out.

 

[cham]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8239132#post8239132 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dc
Well it's just not possible to make it go where you want it. You can possible change directions of your waterflow and see if it will move. Hopefully you can keep feeding it and it will eventually come out.

Its not eating, hasnt in three weeks. I havent touched it in three weeks hoping it would come out on its own. Last night I brought it out and put it in a high light area. He keeps going back to a hole in my rocks that has almost no flow in it. Its like the thing hates flow.

Without any light and no food its just a matter of time.

My tank doesnt have a ton of flow either. I only have a maxi 1200 and one powerhead 802, along with the current from my 9.5 return.

 

[Nikon_Guy]

Sounds to me he/she has found a rock with a hole that it likes to bury its foot in. Have you tried moving the rock with the hole it likes to a different area with the anemone in it?

 

[cham]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8240293#post8240293 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nikon_Guy
Sounds to me he/she has found a rock with a hole that it likes to bury its foot in. Have you tried moving the rock with the hole it likes to a different area with the anemone in it?

Its not any one place, it moves around but it stays in the dark areas. Will not come out into the light.

 

[dandydan]

cham
dont expect an answer, I tried with similar problem, my BTA opens perfect at night but during day light and before lights come on he like retreats and shrinks somewhat into the rocks. Till night again. He feeds ok, other rose behaves normally.
If I discover why Ill post back to you.

 

[cham]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8241242#post8241242 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dandydan
cham
dont expect an answer, I tried with similar problem, my BTA opens perfect at night but during day light and before lights come on he like retreats and shrinks somewhat into the rocks. Till night again. He feeds ok, other rose behaves normally.
If I discover why Ill post back to you.

Really? That stinks. How long has yours been living that way? Mines not eating so that makes me a bit worried.

 

[Donkin]

I have my RTBA right under a 250w MH at 14k. Its only about 5 inches under the water and loves the light. I also have about 40x water turnover per hour so he gets tons of flow and loves tha too. I do not run any actinics on my tank because I found that the last BTA I had did not like them at all. I just went to a higher kelvin to solve this preoblem. It's my belief that certain animals really dont like actinics (think it makes them believe that are too deep in the water). Try turning off the actinics a day or two to see if it has any effect on him at all.

 

[cham]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8241879#post8241879 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Donkin
I have my RTBA right under a 250w MH at 14k. Its only about 5 inches under the water and loves the light. I also have about 40x water turnover per hour so he gets tons of flow and loves tha too. I do not run any actinics on my tank because I found that the last BTA I had did not like them at all. I just went to a higher kelvin to solve this preoblem. It's my belief that certain animals really dont like actinics (think it makes them believe that are too deep in the water). Try turning off the actinics a day or two to see if it has any effect on him at all.

Its funny you say that. Right after I moved my little guy last night he settled down out in the open. My main lights flicked off and I have 20 very bright actinic moon lights that flicked on and thats when he went running for the hills.

I catch him quite frequently hanging upside down pointed towards the back wall where the pure white light is reflecting in from my fuge. He has always liked my fuge light.

Very interesting. I almost said something like that but I thought I was going crazy.

Time for some experimentation.

 

[cham]

Hmmmm, heres my issue. I have unpluged my moon lights (he roamed somewhat before I had my moons but not as much) but my lighting is VHO/T5 combo all running on the same ballast. I cant turn off my actinics.


Any ideas?

 

[Donkin]

Try taking the bulbs out all together for a couple days and see if it has any effect.

 

[dandydan]

It could well be for you cham, couldnt you change the Actinic tube or tubes as Donkin suggests? if you have any old ones kicking around or if you had to buy it does no harm to have spares.
In my case ordinary daylight makes mine start to retreat.
I am now gonna stop feeding him.

 

[Racing1]

I agree with Donkin. My RBTA would hide until I got rid of one of my actinics. I have 3 10k and 1 uri actinic and he loves it. He is front and center in the tank about 8inches from the surface. I would try changing bulbs and see what he does.

 

[AquaristicA]

I bought an BTA 1 week ago, same problem.The problem I had was too much flow and i took the rock the BTA was on and placed in the middle of the tank with very low water flow.I was suprised when i discovered it didn't move from the place because it is barely flow.It is under 2x250w 1600k bulbs with 2x24 actinic.

 

[cham]

Can you just remove a bulb from an icecap 660 ballast set up? I dont have any old bulbs but I guess I could buy one to experiment a little.


Here is another question, I am changing my moon lights to another color, should I go with red or white? As a guess, wich color do you think he would like better if he hates blue?

Isnt the red spectrum more common in shallow water giving him the impression that he is in shallower water?

 

[Donkin]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8247116#post8247116 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cham
Can you just remove a bulb from an icecap 660 ballast set up?

Only one way to find out :thumbsup: Good luck!