I added a RBTA last Sat, it seemed fine for the 1st couple of days but after that, and since then, it's acting strange. It paired up w/ my maroon clown right away. It will get all shriveled up randomly & for seemingly no reason. My water params are good, salinity at 1.025, PH at 8.2, ammonia -0, nitrate-0, nitrite-5ppm. I have 2 96w PC fluorescents & 4 moon bulbs. Am I just overreacting & does it need more time to acclimate or is it on it's way out? I tried feeding it today but it was all shriveled up again & my cleaner shrimp stole it's food. Any feedback would be appreciated, thanks in advance.
RBTA Question
- Thread starter spw4949
- Start date
ahullsb
New member
They can take quite some time to acclimate. I agree with fodupos that a rbta probably needs more light than your pc's are giving it. What kind of shape was it in when you bought it? Was the foot intact? Sticky? Also how big is it compared to the clown? Maroon's can be pretty rough on anemone's, so a small anemone against a large maroon isn't always the greatest idea.
Anemone's do shrink up periodically to expel waste, etc. So I would give it a few more days and see if it adjusts. If you have access to a qt tank, or can somehow separate the clown from the anemone for a few days, it may help it adjust.
I would look into t5 lighting in the near future to keep the anemone healthy.
Anemone's do shrink up periodically to expel waste, etc. So I would give it a few more days and see if it adjusts. If you have access to a qt tank, or can somehow separate the clown from the anemone for a few days, it may help it adjust.
I would look into t5 lighting in the near future to keep the anemone healthy.
jkrentz2515
New member
Your lighting may not be sufficient. Your maroon may be too rough on it as they are known to be rough on anemones. You really shouldn't feed an anemone within about the first month of putting it in your tank. Is it losing its color??
My clown is small,(2"), not bigger than the anemone at all. I didn't think that anemone's needed a ton of light, I thought that 2 96w would be enough. Someone else on here told me to try & feed it that's why I did, I prob just stressed it out even more. It was in good shape when I brought it home & it has flashes in my tank, half the time it looks good, it's the other half that's the problem....
jkrentz2515
New member
I think your best bet is to just wait it out and see what happens. A breeder box may be a great option so that the anemone gets enough light to restore its health, before the maroon clown jumps into it again.
Please give us updates in the future. I bought a RBTA about a month ago, and I knew as soon as I bought it that it wasn't in the best of shape, but I have read enough to know that they are pretty hardy and come back from far worse situations.
Please give us updates in the future. I bought a RBTA about a month ago, and I knew as soon as I bought it that it wasn't in the best of shape, but I have read enough to know that they are pretty hardy and come back from far worse situations.
rbnice1
New member
not sure where these people are coming up with not enough light. PC's are fine for bubble tips. May need to have him toward the top but they do well in lower light tanks.
I got one that was almost dead and almost completely white thats in my daughters softy tank that is a 30 gallon with 2 PC bulbs and its doing great. Its also coloring back up nicely.
I got one that was almost dead and almost completely white thats in my daughters softy tank that is a 30 gallon with 2 PC bulbs and its doing great. Its also coloring back up nicely.
goodtimes2
New member
I purchased one about 4 months ago, it would shrink at night on and off for the first 2 months, it can take a long time to aclimate to a new tank. My is fine now and has double in size and stay fairly inflated most of the time. They will deflate when they expel their waste.Give it more time and do not force feed it.
jkrentz2515
New member
If you feed, use silversides or mysis, or krill.
I have a skimmer box,my H.O.T. magnum return,my skimmer return,& my return from my refugium. I think it's decent? When I first put it in the tank I put it inbetween 2 pieces of live rock and when I woke up the next morning it had anchored itself near the rocks but in my substrate. It seems to have found it's spot(at least for now). Should I seperate it from the clown?Could the clown be stressing it out that much? He does spend every second in it....
Toddrtrex
Premium Member
I kept BTAs ( green and red ) under PCs, and I wouldn't say that they did great under it. (( was 6*65 over a 75 )), they looked a lot better when I upgraded to MH.
They can be kept under PCs, but I think that 2*96 ( and assuming that one of the bulbs is an actinic ) is right on the line of not being enough, and wouldn't recommend it.
They can be kept under PCs, but I think that 2*96 ( and assuming that one of the bulbs is an actinic ) is right on the line of not being enough, and wouldn't recommend it.
jkhudson
New member
Yes I do have a RBTA! Matter of fact I now have 2. I guess keeping it under T-5's allowed it to grow to the size of a dinner plate before it split. And all i feed it is mysis shrimp 2-3 times a week. Anyway, BACK ON TOPIC, spw4949 obviously people disagree on care, anemones will close up. It may be stressed for some reason, probably just because it's in a new enviornment. Your water parameters maybe somewhat different than what it's used to.
MPeer
New member
I just read this thread and did I read it correctly that the recommendation is not to feed the anemone, in this case an RBTA, food within the first month? If this is the case, then I should stop feeding mine? I've had them for a week now and have been feeding them twice.
Sorry spw4949 for the hijack.
Sorry spw4949 for the hijack.
