BTA Keeps Hiding

havnfun328

havnfun328

AC Members
Sep 11, 2006
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Kansas
:help:

We added a BTA 3 weeks ago to our tank, along with several new fish, and we don't understand him at all. He keeps moving under rocks, away from light and circulation. Twice we have turned over the rock he was on, so that he gets good light, but he keeps moving and goes under/between rocks. We've fed him Krill a few times so he seems to be eating well. He also "deflates", which is kind of scary. When he comes back he looks ok, with full tentacles and a milky white color (same as at the LFS when we bought him).

Water parameters are all good: SG 1.021, PH=8.2, NH3=NO2=0, NO3=15-20ppm. The tanks has been up since March.

What's going on? Is this normal?
 
I also just got a BTA just over a month ago, so I am still pretty new at this, but from what I read, BTA's "deflate" every so often to expel waste and refresh the large quantity of water that they use to keep thier shape. As for the color being "milky white".... I may be wrong here, but from what I have seen and heard (and I am still new at this anemone stuff) if your BTA is white, it may have expelled its zooxanthellae because of poor conditions at the pet store and no longer has the ability to photosynthesize. This may accout for why it is hiding from the light.

My BTA is bright green with purple tips and it is in full expansion and in full light every day, then shrinks down a bit at night. He has wandered about a bit, but never hides under a rock during the day.

A website that I got a lot of info about BTA's is something like "Karen's rose anemones, or Karen's BTA's or rose BTA's" or something like that. Just do a search on google for Karen and anemones and I am sure you will find her site. She has apparently been keeping anemones for many years and has extensive information on her site with a lot of pictures. She also has some experience with nursing "ill" anemones back to health.

Good luck to you!! If your anemone is truly not well, I hope for a full recovery. If it does not make it, do not give up. Just make sure the next one you get is in good health to begin with. Good luck.
 
The website is www.karensroseanemones.com.

Also, I am not sure that your pc lighting is quite enough for an anemone in a 24" deep tank, but again, I am certainly not an anemone professional. I have 250w MH w/ vho actinic supplements in my 24" deep tank and that seems quite sufficient.

Again, good luck.
 
My bta walked around the tank for about the first three days. Then he found a spot under a ledge and stayed there. He deflates at night and completely goes into the rock. In the morning with the actinics on he comes back and stays through the day.

The first bta I had kept moving so I couldn't see it so I kept moving him back. It died after about a month. I think I killed it by moving it. This time I let it find it's spot.
P1150017.jpg


I'm running halides and it only just peeks out to get the indirect light. Not sure how much they need, but folks say this is the easiest to keep.
Good luck and I hope it works out,
Tom
 
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