Am I ready for a BTA?

[James_O]

Though one less month would probably be fine,

What the...

The tank has already been setup for 1 month. It is recommended to wait 6 months before getting an anemone.

Last I checked, 6 - 1 = 5....

 

[James_O]

- light should be around 200 par or above
- make sure wave makers and pumps have anemone guards (not fish guards). Anemone guards are larger and have smaller holes. Anemone are basically the consistency of jello. If your pump sucks up a piece of jello it will suck up an anemone. Anemones will wander or even float around the tank for a while until they find a home.
- put the anemone in first then add other corals once it has settled in its spot. But there is no guarantee it will stay there forever
- feed the anemone if you have a low nutrient tank
- be prepared to do water changes weekly to replace trace elements or do additives
- Be prepared to do emergency water changes
- anemones will divide if well cared for or if it’s is stressed out. Be prepared to have many more in the future
- anemones inflate and deflate all the time. It’s normal so don’t stress out. You can test to make sure your water parameters are inline for piece of mind. Be worried if the anemone is shrinking over time or if it looks like it is decaying.

Still not sure on the par... can I buy a par tester or something?

I am prepared to do everything mentioned above.

 

[Jekyl]

Still not sure on the par... can I buy a par tester or something?

I am prepared to do everything mentioned above.

You don't need a par meter. Enough info can be found online to make a close enough estimate. The black box light you had listed will be fine. I had them before. Mount it 12" above the water and in the range of 20% white and 60% blue. They put out some serious par so don't need to run full blast.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Still not sure on the par... can I buy a par tester or something?

I am prepared to do everything mentioned above.

You can rent a par meter from BRS

 

[James_O]

You don't need a par meter. Enough info can be found online to make a close enough estimate. The black box light you had listed will be fine. I had them before. Mount it 12" above the water and in the range of 20% white and 60% blue. They put out some serious par so don't need to run full blast.

It is $100. Is that worth it regardless of brand? I will still call and ask the brand though.

You can rent a par meter from BRS

I’ll see if my LFS has one, but according to @Jekyl, I don’t need one.

 

[Jekyl]

It is $100. Is that worth it regardless of brand? I will still call and ask the brand though.



I’ll see if my LFS has one, but according to @Jekyl, I don’t need one.

Most lights you can just Google "light name par" and find plenty of resources to make a close enough judgment. The light you found is probably viparspectra, marsaqua or philzon. They're all the same thing.

 

[Dolphins18]

It is $100. Is that worth it regardless of brand? I will still call and ask the brand though.



I’ll see if my LFS has one, but according to @Jekyl, I don’t need one.

Mine like a lot of light. You should be just fine, they take some time to adjust, sometimes a month or so.
Try and get one that looks really healthy and you'll likely have no problems at all. I don't think you need to buy a par meter to keep a BTA, but it is a helpful tool to have. I use the Seneye reef monitor to monitor par levels, but any par monitor should do fine. 100 is quite a good deal.

 

[James_O]

Most lights you can just Google "light name par" and find plenty of resources to make a close enough judgment. The light you found is probably viparspectra, marsaqua or philzon. They're all the same thing.

So if I just got one of the black box lights, I should have more than enough light for when I do get a BTA?

100 is quite a good deal.

Not for the par meter, for the light - correct?

 

[Jekyl]

So if I just got one of the black box lights, I should have more than enough light for when I do get a BTA?



Not for the par meter, for the light - correct?

Yup. Those black boxes will grow anything.

 

[Dolphins18]

So if I just got one of the black box lights, I should have more than enough light for when I do get a BTA?



Not for the par meter, for the light - correct?

oh right, yes that seems about right for black box led. Should work just fine for nems!

 

[chizerbunoi]

I use those lights you are looking to buy and they are great. Very powerful and can keep any type of coral.

I agree with the others here that you should wait. Start with some easier corals and work your way up. Once you learn how to maintain a stable reef tank, then jump into a BTA. But for now research and watch lots of videos.

 

[KonaReef]

BTA is easy to keep. Just make sure your chemical parameters are in range and water quality is crystal clear. My two high end BTA love low PAR reading around 150. My BTA will tell me if they are happy or not.

 

[James_O]

I use those lights you are looking to buy and they are great. Very powerful and can keep any type of coral.

I agree with the others here that you should wait. Start with some easier corals and work your way up. Once you learn how to maintain a stable reef tank, then jump into a BTA. But for now research and watch lots of videos.

I will definitely be waiting!

I will call tomorrow on the light brand.

You guys can follow my build thread, if you're interested in where this leads.
Nano Build - 29g Nano Build. | REEF2REEF Saltwater and Reef Aquarium Forum

 

[KonaReef]

When you mix different type of BTA, dont let them touch each other. The bigger one will kill the small one. When I first put the supernova in, it move to the CSB location and touch it. My CSB shrivel up but lucky I pull them apart in time.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

if I recall there is a Chinese black box Facebook group that has some good information.

 

[SE7ƎN]

I asked in my last thread, how hard BTA’s were to keep, and I got the answer “easy, assuming you keep them in the right conditions”

Well, I make sure to treat my fish very well and maintenance my tanks weekly. I think I’m ready!!

Here is the tank specs:

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: <5ppm
pH: 8.4-8.6
Salinity: 1.025
Temperature: 78F
Lighting: Nicrew Marine LED (might look to upgrade later) - Kept on for 13 hours each day, with 15 min. ramp up/ramp down
Water: RO/DI

—-

Do these look like ideal conditions?

The answer I always hear is, when your tank is stable...However, that can be subject to interpretation.

Best advice I have heard (might have been BRS) is when your tank starts growing coralline algae. I used this as a guideline for myself as well.

In my case, it was at the 3 month mark and my BTA has done well since. Everyone’s tank is different and might take longer or sooner, so you can use this guide as a good goal post.

Good Luck!

 

[James_O]

The answer I always hear is, when your tank is stable...However, that can be subject to interpretation.

Best advice I have heard (might have been BRS) is when your tank starts growing coralline algae. I used this as a guideline for myself as well.

In my case, it was at the 3 month mark and my BTA has done well since. Everyone’s tank is different and might take longer or sooner, so you can use this guide as a good goal post.

Good Luck!

Definitely no coralline algae yet... patiently waiting!

 

[kutcha]

yeah others have already hit up the main points but looks like your of the right path i look forward to seeing your tank progress and grow.

 

[James_O]

I think $80 for an extreme rainbow BTA is fair. After looking online, they range from $140-$200 for a small nem.

Plus, I would be supporting my LFS?

Obviously this is further down the road, but I just want to be prepared. ;Cat

 

[SaltISlife]

Elegance coral may fill yr anemone need in the meantime

They are finicky too. Id stay away from them.

If the original poster was wavy tentacle corals. Id focus on frogsoawn. Torch corals. Octospawns lps like that.

Or try a cheap condylactus anemone first. I never had luck with bubble tips until my tank was over a year old and fully settled and aged.