RBTAs and Powerheads/Canister Filters/Pufferfish

[SkullV]

So I went out and bought the lighting for an RBTA yesterday and one of my local reefers has a baseball RBTA that he is willing to give me at a good price. I couldn't handle not having one anymore with my maroon clown but I am worried about it getting sucked up into something.

My first question has to do with my powerhead and canister filter. I have 1 Koralia Evolution 1400 in the tank that I am worried the RBTA could easily get sucked into and I was wondering how likely this is to happen (photo posted at the end of thread). I also have a Fluval 405 canister filter that I use to help with filtration in the tank (I clean it with every waterchange to keep out the possibility of a "nitrate factory"). What is the likelihood of the RBTA getting sucked up in there? The intake has a screen on it and is almost at the bottom of the tank far away from the lighting.

Here is a FTS of the tank before I added 20lbs more liverock to the display tank and added the new lighting (just to show where the powerhead is):

My second question has to do with my Stars and Stripes Puffer. Is it going to eat this thing or is it going to get the hint when it gets stung? Will my Maroon clown likely protect the anemone when it HOPEFULLY hosts it?

 

[SkullV]

Anyone? I'm supposed to go pick the nem up in 3 hours if I have no objections!

 

[lidofishieboi]

You should never use a canister filter for salt water, and anemones always move around until it finds a spot it likes.
Do you have a overflow?
how big is your tank?
what kind of filter system are you running? deep sand bed, live rocks, cheato at least?
How long as the tank been cycling for?
What kind of lights you using T5's MH compact?

 

[SkullV]

You should never use a canister filter for salt water, and anemones always move around until it finds a spot it likes.
Do you have a overflow?
how big is your tank?
what kind of filter system are you running? deep sand bed, live rocks, cheato at least?
How long as the tank been cycling for?
What kind of lights you using T5's MH compact?

I only use the canister to supplement my wet/dry system with overflow and skimmer. The display tank has a deep sand bed, I have about 80ish lbs of liverock in the display tank too. I understand that the nems move around, but I am just wondering what the liklihook that it is going to get sucked up into the filter or powerhead are or get eaten by my puffer. T5 lighting by the way.

 

[bradleym]

I'm guessing you're tank is at least 55 gallons? Then you should have at least 4 T5s over it. Otherwise the anemone might wander until it dies looking for stronger light. For your PH wrap window screening around the back half. For your canister filter intake strap/wedge/glue a foam block over it or the odds are against you. BTAs like the light but they also like to hide their foot down low, so don't take the chance IMO.

And BTAs rarely eat healthy fish and vice versa so your odds are pretty good on the puffer, but no idea if yours is persistently stupid lol.

 

[SkullV]

I'm guessing you're tank is at least 55 gallons? Then you should have at least 4 T5s over it. Otherwise the anemone might wander until it dies looking for stronger light. For your PH wrap window screening around the back half. For your canister filter intake strap/wedge/glue a foam block over it or the odds are against you. BTAs like the light but they also like to hide their foot down low, so don't take the chance IMO.

And BTAs rarely eat healthy fish and vice versa so your odds are pretty good on the puffer, but no idea if yours is persistently stupid lol.

Yeah plenty of light, I'm just so worried about the powerhead. Would a baseball sized RBTA be able to get sucked into the koralia or is that just too big?

 

[bradleym]

For our purposes, think of anemone as a living blob of jelly. Now imagine if your giant blob of jelly decided to lean up against the intake of a vacuum. I've seen it, size DOESN'T matter in this case. Nuff said.

 

[SkullV]

For our purposes, think of anemone as a living blob of jelly. Now imagine if your giant blob of jelly decided to lean up against the intake of a vacuum. I've seen it, size DOESN'T matter in this case. Nuff said.

Hm alright, and is a sucked up BTA a guaranteed tank nuke? I'm willing to do the screening on the powerhead and foam on the intake, I would just hate to kill my fish!!

 

[bradleym]

Depends on the tank, and the filtration system. If the tank's big enough, or the biological filtration is strong enough, it'll absorb the toxic chemical spike. But in a 55 gallon, you gotta get all the bits out and do a big water change ASAP or you could be in trouble.

 

[SkullV]

Depends on the tank, and the filtration system. If the tank's big enough, or the biological filtration is strong enough, it'll absorb the toxic chemical spike. But in a 55 gallon, you gotta get all the bits out and do a big water change ASAP or you could be in trouble.

Good deal. I think I'm going to go for it then. Window screen on the power head and foam on the filter intake.

 

[bradleym]

Good luck. I answered only the questions you've asked but there are many other challenges to owning an anemone. Since you didn't answer all the questions posed by lidofishieboi I am assuming you already know what is required to care for a BTA, aside from what we've covered. If you do have other questions though, please ask. I would hate to see one of those beautiful things die when I'm still trying to get one myself.

 

[whipit]

I never had a nem die that messed up my tank.
I use MP40 covers on my Koralias there easy to get and cheap just rince them now and then.
I never used a canister filter on a reef tank. so I wouldn't know but I imagine it would suck them up as easily as the ph

 

[SkullV]

I understand the rest of the care, was just mostly concerned about the powerhead and puffer. I spot feed my eel and have no problem feeding it, I have a maroon clown that I HOPE will host in it. I have the lighting, I have the rock. The water quality is pristine. I just need the anemone and pray to god it does not get sucked up!

 

[greech]

At the very least I would move the powerhead and the intake up towrads the water line. If you have a sump and a skimmer, there really should not be a need for the cansiter. You can cover your powerheads with a variety of materials (filter foam cut to fit, needlpoint templates (sold in fabric stores), I have even seen panty hose used. I have also seen where others have used the foam covers for a vortech to cover their Koralias.

You will want to turn your pumps off when you first add it and let it anchor its foot. Turn flow on to the tank one pump at a time and keep and eye on it.

I will say, your tank looks very new. Adding a nem to a new tank is not a good idea as they do not take well to fluctuations that are common to newer tanks (especially as livestock is added). If, I am wrong about the age of the tank, I need you to come by and show me how you keep it so clean !

 

[SkullV]

At the very least I would move the powerhead and the intake up towrads the water line. If you have a sump and a skimmer, there really should not be a need for the cansiter. You can cover your powerheads with a variety of materials (filter foam cut to fit, needlpoint templates (sold in fabric stores), I have even seen panty hose used. I have also seen where others have used the foam covers for a vortech to cover their Koralias.

You will want to turn your pumps off when you first add it and let it anchor its foot. Turn flow on to the tank one pump at a time and keep and eye on it.

I will say, your tank looks very new. Adding a nem to a new tank is not a good idea as they do not take well to fluctuations that are common to newer tanks (especially as livestock is added). If, I am wrong about the age of the tank, I need you to come by and show me how you keep it so clean !

The tank was very new when that photo was taken. I have since added a lot of liverock to the display and the sump. The tank is about 6 months in, very well cycled and one of the local guys who keeps a lot of anemones says that he thinks the tank is ready. He was the one who turned me on to the issue with the powerhead and anemone. I think I will move the powerhead up twords the water iine. It will mean more vaccuming for me, but better for the nem!

 

[greech]

Good deal, just mentioned it to be sure. Good luck with everything. Look forward to some pics!

 

[SkullV]

Going to pick up the nem, another 10 lbs of coraline encrusted rock, and my new t5 fixture!

 

[SkullV]

Got him home about 20 minutes ago and he's drip acclimating right now:

He is about the size of a baseball when fully open and happy! I cant wait to get him in the tank. I just hope the puffer gets the hint after the first sting!

 

[bradleym]

Wow! Good find. That's a gorgeous healthy looking nem.

 

[SkullV]

Here are some little videos. Does everything look good so far? I have no idea what a RBTA is supposed to look like when it is first introduced. Sorry for all the stuff floating around in the water, my other fish were having a field day chomping on the new live rock I added.

Right after I added it to the tank (it attached to a piece of rock in the acclimation so that was nice):
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fDuCOv2mYII?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fDuCOv2mYII?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

10 Minutes after being added:
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mtIJN0mvLss?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mtIJN0mvLss?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>