tips when buying BTA from your LFS?

[USC-fan]

looking to add one to my tank....

I plan to wait for my water test from AWT before adding any to my tank.

spec on tank:
90gal display 37gal sump
2x 250mh de
tunze wavebox
tunze nano 6045 modded and k4.....30x turnover. might add another nanostream but i don't think its needed right now.
skimmer- DAS ex-2
posban reactor
carbon reactor
ozone reactor

Thanks

 

[Lance M.]

Try and find one that hasn't been at the lfs for a long time, the mouth is tight, it is attached to something, it fully inflates, it is not bleached, and shows no physcial damage.

I go to Tideline regularly and am friends with Chris and everybody there; however, I wouldn't recommend buying any of the btas there unless you have some previous experience with btas and are willing to take a chance and nurse it back to health.

Now saying that I did buy one from them but it met all the criteria that I stated above except it is bleached.

I live 45 mins away from any other lfs so I haven't seen what they carry regularly. I have been to Aquatic Imports Int. store and it is sterile in my opinion and they were going to charge me $1 an inch for caulerpa so I never bought anything from them. They did have an anemone but it looked in bad shape. And I've been to Age of Aquariums before and their anemones also weren't in good shape. But that was several months ago when I last visited those two stores.

You'd probably have better luck asking people in the reefers club if they have a bta that has split and see if you can buy the clone from them.

 

[gberry]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10917138#post10917138 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lance M.
Try and find one that hasn't been at the lfs for a long time...

Not sure what that has to do with it. I have a 9" LTA that my LFS had for months and had difficulty selling due to it's size and it's been a snap to acclimate and is thriving. Personally speaking, I think the time between it being moved for wholesaler to LFS and LFS to home helped it quite a bit.

Otherwise I agree with what Lance has stated, and would add to ask to see it fed, I'd shy away from anemones that refuse food.

 

[USC-fan]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10917138#post10917138 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lance M.
Try and find one that hasn't been at the lfs for a long time, the mouth is tight, it is attached to something, it fully inflates, it is not bleached, and shows no physcial damage.

I go to Tideline regularly and am friends with Chris and everybody there; however, I wouldn't recommend buying any of the btas there unless you have some previous experience with btas and are willing to take a chance and nurse it back to health.

Now saying that I did buy one from them but it met all the criteria that I stated above except it is bleached.

I live 45 mins away from any other lfs so I haven't seen what they carry regularly. I have been to Aquatic Imports Int. store and it is sterile in my opinion and they were going to charge me $1 an inch for caulerpa so I never bought anything from them. They did have an anemone but it looked in bad shape. And I've been to Age of Aquariums before and their anemones also weren't in good shape. But that was several months ago when I last visited those two stores.

You'd probably have better luck asking people in the reefers club if they have a bta that has split and see if you can buy the clone from them.

Yeah this is why i'm asking. I went to all you have listed and only tideline had any BTA's. They didn't look too good but i wasn't sure exactly what i should be looking for.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Lance M.]

I said "Try and find one that hasn't been at the lfs for a long time... " because most lfs (at least all the ones I have been to) do not have the proper environment (lighting, feeding, etc.) to keep anemones long term. So the anemones come in looking good for the first week and then the longer they are there they slowly decline in health.

The ones at tideline have been there for months. I go to tideline at least 3 times a week (I've been known to go 3 times a day ) and constantly see the same btas. I know they dont feed them. and they are all bleached from improper lighting. And lta's aren't offered a sand bed.

They do have a special for $20 bta's on the coupons if you decide to try and nurse a bleached one.

I got a bleached bta at a chain lfs up in Columbia about a year ago, totally white. I've gotten it back up to green and for some reason it's turning orange with the green on the tentacles and pink tips, it is very healthy. Not hard to do with the proper environment and care.

 

[Aaarrrggg]

---> http://www1.karensroseanemones.com/ <---
A must read!