Tired of SPS, I give up on them. Something new?

[Maxi]

I kept thriving SPS corals for 2 years and a half. One day to the next, all critters are fine, all parameters are fine, even my starfish and clam are thriving like crazy, and my SPS all seem to get the deadly RTN.

I am extremely dissapointed, as I have no idea how this just happens overnight. The color splash in my tank is gone, so i thought.. Why not an anemone?

My tank:
26 Gallon bowfront plus 10g sump.
35+ lbs of Live rock
3 koralias
tek light T-5 with individual reflectors
2 true percules
1 six line wrasse
1 lawn mower blenny.
Tuxedo urchin
maxima clam
and a whole ton of empty live rock.
3 year old tank, first SPS was added after six months wait.

I was thinking, why not a RBTA? They are sure colorful, and I know how my tank behaves.
I need some info on this wonderful species of anemone.

-Max

 

[garygb]

RBTAs (Entacmaea quadricolor) are generally considered the hardiest of the host anemone species. I think one would make a good inhabitant in your tank. Your lighting is more than adequate and your tank has been set up a while and is well established. RBTAs can often be found as clones or frags specimens and, as such, are well adapted to captive conditions. Though percs aren't natural symbiotes to RBTAs, they frequently take to them in aquariums. If you can provide water conditions that suit sps, you will be fine with RBTAs. They require liverock to attach to, and need a hole/cave/crevice to plant their foot. They sometimes wander until they find a suitable attachment site, so intakes need to be covered with screen. That's a bit of a primer for this species. You can ask more specific questions on this forum for additional info.

 

[bradleym]

+1 to the above, and I just wanted to note that LIGHT pink to white coloration or transparency in the tentacles is a sign of an unhealthy RBTA.

Also, if you are not in hurry and have some money, there are many "color morphs" such as red with yellow tips, or green with red tips. They are uncommon, and noticably more expensive, but you can sometimes get twice the "pop" for the space they occupy.

 

[Maxi]

Sweet, thank you.
Yeah there is tons of room for this anemone to take place, and I was thinking of also getting rid of the koralias and just place a vortech mp10

Any specific locations where and how to place the RBTA in the tank? How to acclimate it?

 

[bradleym]

They require liverock to attach to, and need a hole/cave/crevice to plant their foot. They sometimes wander until they find a suitable attachment site, so intakes need to be covered with screen.

+1

They like to to be near, but not in strong currents. And with bright lighting, they may need time to adapt as many commercial sources don't have the best lighting.

http://www.karensroseanemones.net/

This website is a good resource IMO. It covers choosing, acclimating, and caring for RBTAs, but the advice is applicable to all BTAs to be honest. Read it all at least once and you'll be better off for it.