Trying an RBTA ---

[Sk8r]

Seeing whether it will tolerate my LED lighting and tank. So far so good. It anchored nicely in the first place I put it. Water quality seems to be huge with these guys. I'm on a re-set-up, and working to stabilize the calcium-alk-mg balance (future stony reef). This fellow seems to be a real mine canary for a downtick. Not sure whether I will get a clown or not. Maybe.

 

[ThRoewer]

I have 3 under Mars Aqua LED in a tank that can only be described as an Caulerpa swamp. The Caulerpa is so dense that the fish have hardly room to swim.
No idea what the calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium levels are, though I somewhat doubt that they are ideal for Acropora.
I have the RBTAs parked in a planter basket and they seem to be doing OK.
I would think nitrates and phosphates are far more critical for anemones than All, Ca, and Mg.
RBTAs seem to be relatively fine with LED lights while I feel that the green BTAs are not so fond of it.
Appropriate settling space (larger, closed cavities in the rockwork) and laminar flow seems what they like. My two green BTA usually do not extend out of their caves more than that their tentacles (in bubble state) form a nearly continuous surface with the surrounding rock. It seems almost like a form of camoflage. I don't have anemonefish with them which may very well be the reason that the BTA behave a little skittish. BTA with anemonefish seem to be less "fearful" and more outgoing. (There has actually been scientific research done on this and the finding was just that.)

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[ThRoewer]

Effects of anemonefish on giant sea anemones: expansion behavior, growth, and survival

 

[Sk8r]

Thanks for that. Maybe I'll get one clown, hoping he will stay peaceful. [Veteran of a bitey pair of Clarkiis here.] The nem has certainly found his niche in the rockwork.

I will take a look at the nitrate/phosphate level, too. THe tank sump is in a construction zone and my biggest headache has been protecting it from drywall dust---and keeping track of my test kits. Trying to get water quality in general back to spiff.

 

[ThRoewer]

Picture from another thread:

This is how you find them often in the wild.

 

[Sk8r]

That's like my rockwork: lots of holes and nooks. Pretty pic!

 

[ThRoewer]

BTW, what LED do you have?
I found that my BTA really like the cheap Chinese LED boxes.
My RBTA colored up especially nice under Mars Aqua LED.

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[Sk8r]

Mine is Radion, and may be too bright. I'm running at 75%.

 

[j.falk]

Where are you guys finding RBTAs at? I've been looking online weekly for the past 3 months and I can't find anywhere that has them available.

 

[ThRoewer]

Where are you guys finding RBTAs at? I've been looking online weekly for the past 3 months and I can't find anywhere that has them available.

A local store here in Hayward had a whole basket full of them last weekend, some really large ones among them. The price is a bit too high for me personally (especially since I got some nice little ones for free ) but seems to be well within the going range. Best thing is: they ship within the US

 

[Sk8r]

FOund my lighting was a tad higher than I thought. I knocked it back to 70% and increased the blues a bit. I'm using the Radion's Radiance/Radiant? model as a base, but doing some tinkering, and it seems happier.

 

[j.falk]

A local store here in Hayward had a whole basket full of them last weekend, some really large ones among them. The price is a bit too high for me personally (especially since I got some nice little ones for free ) but seems to be well within the going range. Best thing is: they ship within the US

I found a couple of Black Widows available locally so I should be set. Thanks for the tip.