BTA introduction

[RouJr]

Hey guys.

I have just bought a tiny little BTA bud that is about 1inch across and puffs up to 2-3 inch. HOW DO I MAKE IT STAY SOMEWHERE.

PLEASE HELP.
I keep getting it bright and well flowing places yet it keeps letting go and I'm terrified of hurting it.

 

[hdsoftail1065]

Well, it will find its own happy place and it probably won't be where you want it.

 

[Jimbo662]

Just make sure you have foam covers over your power heads. It'll roam around until it finds a spot it likes. Don't be surprised if it finally settles in a spot and weeks or months later moves again.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Here is my suggestion.

First get a smallish piece of live rock from your tank and create a artificial hole about the diameter of the BTA's foot and make it 1/2" to 3/4" deep. Set the rock in a container of tank water with no flow or just a very small flow from a bubbler or a small pump (and start with it turned off). Be prepared to do 25% to 50% water changes in the container every morning and evening for a few days. Add the BTA to the rock and set it with it's foot in the hole. After it has a chance to settle in, say an hour, feed it a small amount of very fine food (because it's a small anemone). If the anemone stays in the hole in the rock for a couple of hours, you could try the pump and start some easy flow and not directed at the anemone. You'll also want a fine mesh or sponge over the intake of the pump so the anemone can't get sucked in if it decides to let go of the rock. If it stays in the hole of the rock for a couple days or more, then you can try moving it to your DT.

I can't count how many times I've kept an anemone in a large plastic peanut butter jar for days while doing 50% water changes with the tank water 2 or 3 times a day. I've never lost one yet. BTW, I have 1 BTA, 1 Curly-cue anemone, 4 mini-maxi anemones and around 35 Rock Flower Anemones in my 40g cube.

You could try the small PVC end cap trick (see my RFA thread linked in my signature below). But although it has worked extremely well for my RFA's, it has been far less successful with BTA's.

Good luck.

 

[Cell]

Short answer is you dont make it stay somewhere. If it doesnt like where you put it, it will move on it's own.

 

[MrsBugmaster]

Is it letting loose and just floating around? Or just moving? If letting go then turn off the powerheads for a while, up to an hour if necessary, to let it attach, When it attaches somewhere then turn the pumps back on. If it doesn't attach within the hour then I would put BTA in small glass or container that is clear and place inside the bottom of the tank. Make sure the container is deep enough to protect it from the flow in the tank so it is not being blown out of the container. Make sure your power heads are covered with foam so it does not go through them if it starts moving.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Is it letting loose and just floating around? Or just moving? If letting go then turn off the powerheads for a while, up to an hour if necessary, to let it attach, When it attaches somewhere then turn the pumps back on. If it doesn't attach within the hour then I would put BTA in small glass or container that is clear and place inside the bottom of the tank. Make sure the container is deep enough to protect it from the flow in the tank so it is not being blown out of the container. Make sure your power heads are covered with foam so it does not go through them if it starts moving.

This technique can work too. Just remember to put some rubble or small rocks in the bottom. But in my experience, the BTA's tend to move up and attach to the side of the glass.

 

[RouJr]

Ron gave great advice. I found a 750gm piece of live rock and drilled in. a whole about the size of the bat foot. I submerged that rock in a large bowl and inserted the foot into the drilled whole. it has been happily attached for over an hour now. I hope to wait to see if it will attach well to that drill whole. How long do you guys recon I should leave it in the drilled whole and plastic mixing bowl before I experiment with current?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Give it a couple of hours if that's convenient for you. If not, you can try it sooner and if it moves, set it back in and give it longer. Like I said, I once had 2 small anemones that I picked up off the beach (not even in the water) during the time when we had serious Red Tide issues. I took them home and kept them in a peanut butter jar for over 2 weeks simply doing 2 or 3 water changes per day of 50 to 75% each time with water from the DT. The nems did fine and are still alive in my DT. I had no water movement and didn't even bother with a bubbler. So IMHO, leaving the BTA in calm water for up to 6 or 8 hours should be OK. They aren't fish and don't need water that is high in oxygen to survive short term.

 

[RouJr]

So I awoke this morning and it decided that the nice comfy hole I made for it wasn't good enough and is now happily attached to the rock adjacent to the home I made.

 

[Ron Reefman]

So I awoke this morning and it decided that the nice comfy hole I made for it wasn't good enough and is now happily attached to the rock adjacent to the home I made.

Honestly, that's not much of a surprise. BTA's are very much of a mind of their own. That's part of the reason I only have one.

But now that it has attached to something, and it's not the side of the bowl or glass, you are moving in the right direction. I'd keep it in this container for at least a few days and let it get comfortable and become completely attached and not moving. Feed id some (but not too much) and add some flow if you have a bubbler or a very small pump. Keep doing large water changes. In 2 or 3 days, if it's still attached at the same spot, I'd pull it out and set it where you think it will be happy in your DT and pray! IMHO you have about a 50:50 chance that it will stay in that same spot.

Keep us posted.