Jeni suggested I start a new thread about my rbta that I have so deservedly named Pita (if you aren't familiar with the accounting term PITA used in business for troublesome clients a clue is the acronym starts off as Pain In The ____).
Anyhoo, a recap for Brenda, a much welcomed anemeone expert from WWM and other locales...
I bought a small rbta back in October of 07. It took 3 hours to acclimate and wasn't settling in well by attaching so I ended up rigging a very silly looking contraption to get it to place it's foot down. That worked, it moved slightly and was happy and eating silversides from this place in the tank. It went floating one last time a few days later before moving to a final place and was happy and larger here December 8. Basically it stayed put for 10-11 weeks, was eating every 2-3 days and growing.
Then I upgraded my MH bulbs from 10,000Ks to 14,000Ks December 22. Five days later is when I posted that I had entered anemone "H E double hockey sticks". I tried using a tiny clay pot for the foot (both on the ground, and in the rock work), I've tried staying up all night watching it float and frantically keeping it away from the Koralias. I've tried turning those off, I've tried helping it find what seems like good places and it will stay in them for 3 days tops then off it floats. I've even tried putting the flower pot and clear containers over it overnight just to keep it still so I could sleep peacefully.
I've found it stuck to the side of the powerheads a few times. Both when it was uncovered and even when covered with gutterguard which I had hoped was a good solution but you'll see that didn't work out. Didn't work out anymore than the stockings I tried did. In fact, there are no covers on them now and it has survived it's contact just fine. It's mouth is not gaping, it's foot is intact and inflates but it has not been happy.
My tank specs: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=185
My livestock: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=181
My corals: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=182
My water:
SG 1.025 (by refractometer)
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0
pH 8.4
Calcium 420
dkH 10
Magnesium 1240
To answer some expected questions:
Taken from the top:
And the FTS, you can't see it in this but it is behind the rock between the slimer and pagoda.
So Brenda (or anyone else)...any ideas? Giving it to someone else isn't out of the question but before I do that I'd sincerely like to be sure I've tried everything I can to give it a good home. As big of a pain as it has been I really do like it and have not completely given up on it settling back in once again.
Anyhoo, a recap for Brenda, a much welcomed anemeone expert from WWM and other locales...
I bought a small rbta back in October of 07. It took 3 hours to acclimate and wasn't settling in well by attaching so I ended up rigging a very silly looking contraption to get it to place it's foot down. That worked, it moved slightly and was happy and eating silversides from this place in the tank. It went floating one last time a few days later before moving to a final place and was happy and larger here December 8. Basically it stayed put for 10-11 weeks, was eating every 2-3 days and growing.
Then I upgraded my MH bulbs from 10,000Ks to 14,000Ks December 22. Five days later is when I posted that I had entered anemone "H E double hockey sticks". I tried using a tiny clay pot for the foot (both on the ground, and in the rock work), I've tried staying up all night watching it float and frantically keeping it away from the Koralias. I've tried turning those off, I've tried helping it find what seems like good places and it will stay in them for 3 days tops then off it floats. I've even tried putting the flower pot and clear containers over it overnight just to keep it still so I could sleep peacefully.
I've found it stuck to the side of the powerheads a few times. Both when it was uncovered and even when covered with gutterguard which I had hoped was a good solution but you'll see that didn't work out. Didn't work out anymore than the stockings I tried did. In fact, there are no covers on them now and it has survived it's contact just fine. It's mouth is not gaping, it's foot is intact and inflates but it has not been happy.
My tank specs: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=185
My livestock: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=181
My corals: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/blog.php?b=182
My water:
SG 1.025 (by refractometer)
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0
pH 8.4
Calcium 420
dkH 10
Magnesium 1240
To answer some expected questions:
- The water parameters have been consistent since before the anemone started to move at Christmas.
- I do have (2) 250 watt MHs. They had 10,000K bulbs until I changed to 14,000Ks (and the fixture was lowered to account for the loss).
- It has not taken silversides since it started moving the week of Christmas
- The tank was first set up in early March of 07.
- I peform a 10-15% water change every 7-10 days.
- I dose a 2 part solution daily but use no other additives.
- The only medication I have used in the tank was a single dose of Salifert's FWE after a very minor occurance of planaria. That was dosed after the problems occured and was used with an immediate round of carbon run through a canister for over a week after.
- One of the Koralia's base broke around the time of the experiment with the gutterguard and the flow was obviously different for about 10 days while I substituted a MJ1200 while Koralia was sending a replacement.
- It has been in the same spot for 3 days now in the top part of the back of the tank.
Taken from the top:
And the FTS, you can't see it in this but it is behind the rock between the slimer and pagoda.
So Brenda (or anyone else)...any ideas? Giving it to someone else isn't out of the question but before I do that I'd sincerely like to be sure I've tried everything I can to give it a good home. As big of a pain as it has been I really do like it and have not completely given up on it settling back in once again.