Some advice with my BTA with pictures

haulme

New member
Hi all

I've had my BTA for a few days now and tried feeding it thawed cocktail shrimp dipped in mysis and some New Era Lipsome Spray.

The BTA did not take the shrimp in its tentacles and only after I held 1/2 of it in front of its mouth for a while did it eat the shrimp. It did not spit it out

I think it may have lost its ability to fire its stinging cells as the LFS could not show me it eating.

Any thing you would suggest to get it back to normal?

Also could you be so kind to comment on the general health of the nem based on the pictures I took.

Thanks

Pictures of my Nem and Tank
 
Aren't cocktail shrimp cooked? Try a raw shrimp or maybe something "meatier" like silversides. What is New Era Lipsome?
 
Feed your BTA silversides, you can find them at your local LFS. Always feed them raw fish. Your BTA looks like he is starving from the short stubby tenticles. Is it able to hold onto food?
 
You may want to check out the site below. It has a lot of good information. I've been lucky enough to never have to be in this position. I would make sure you have the correct lighting and your water parameters are good. I have also never tried lancefish.

Keep trying to feed him very small portions, but don't force him.

www.karensroseanemones.com
 
I forgot to mention, being that you have only had it a few days, it may still be getting used to his new home. This may be the reason he is not eating.
 
His mouth is a little puffy/gaping but I've certainly seen worse make it.

Lancefish and silverside are both excellent foods for your anemone. It is best not to hold the food over his mouth, it is possible to fatally injure an anemone by messing with his mouth.

Cut the pieces into small pieces, 1/4" or less to start with.

Hopefully as it gets healthier it will darken up and the mouth will become a small slit that opens when it eats only.

Try to feed him every 2 or 3 days until he starts looking well and growing.
 
Haulme. He does look to be starving, just starting however.
Do NOT put anything on the lance or silversides, they don't need additives.
And don't touch it to their mouth as Dan stated, drop it on the tenticles, if you have to , wiggle it in the tenticles like a fish would do that is caught in them.
If you wiggle it they will usualy close up, be it from the fish or irritation.
They they will feel the fish and usually will swallow it.
You need to get right on the feeding as it is also starting to bleach.
A sign of stress and lack of food.
I would feed it daily, 1/4 to 1/2 inch of silverside until he takes it in immediatly. Then go to ever 2 or 3 days.
The good thing is, it is attached to the rock and open. That is good.
Post pictures tomorrow of his mouth for us. It always concerns me when mouth stays open for more then a few hours. It should be tightly closed .
Best of luck to you with him.
 
just an update.

Ive only just managed to get a hold of some lance fish so for the past few days I've had to feed him the shrimp.He likes this though and has been swallowing whole shrimp.

Mouth is tightly closed now, hes going a bit more brown and a bit bigger now. his tentacles are getting a bit longer and more seem to be growing too.

He is staying put on his rock also and is only rotating around the same bit of rock.

I will post new pix as soon as I can
 
Sounds like you're well on the way to recovery!

Be sure to cut the silverside up a little. You want to make it easy for the anemone to digest!
 
Important thing to do like the others stated is to let them catch it. If its wild and not captive split It may not eat like some suggest you need to find its own feeding schedule in my opinion.

My own eat Bloodworms at thats all on ocassion I will mix it into liquid with cyclopese and squirt it so it clouds then they take it in.

R.
 
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