BTA troubles

ReefAddict0814 · Dec 15, 2022

I have tried and failed with 2 green BTAs so far . The first one decided to move to a rock that my Diamond watchman considered his territory and was attacked in the middle of the night. Never moved sgsin and stayed there to die. I figured out he was attacked when I introduced the second larger one for my second attempt. He was great for two days then he moved to the SAME exact spot on gobies rock. This is when I realized the first one got attacked because I heard a large commotion in the tank mid night . I go in realize my BTA it tattered and nobody in sight. I quickly moved him and for days it seemed Like he wouldn’t stop moving around the tank , releasing protein trying to heal. Then I found him hanging upside down and face down in the sand soon after. he died . Unfortunately the gobie lost his life to that fight as well and my new scooter blenny got caught up in the middle of it and Perished as well. They both went under the same rock and died .
my question is, now that my goby is gone- should I possibly consider the rose BTA I’m looking at? Would there be any other reason he couldn’t heal or died ? My parameters are spot on - only issue I’m having is with PH being too low but I have a co2 scrubber on the way.
what am I missing if its Not due to the goby itself?

two tanks one nano 13.5G and a 55g both 6 months and 9months old.

blaxsun · Dec 15, 2022

Some people have an incredibly easy time with BTAs; I'm not one of them (the clownfish just harassed and obsessed over them to the point the anemones just shrank, retracted and died). We're talking a half dozen anemones over a 6-month period.

The only one that I've been able to keep that they can't seem to kill is a condy anemone (but the condy eats stupid fish, so this isn't necessarily the best solution, either).

Sometimes anemones end up picking the absolute worst spots in the tank to 'take up shop', so unless you have clownfish you're trying to host or really want them - maybe it's a blessing in disguise.

Cell · Dec 15, 2022

I doubt the DWG killed the bta and had little to do with the scooter blenny perishing as well. Full parameters and full tank shots are always helpful. Most people struggle with nems in newer tanks.

ReefAddict0814 · Dec 17, 2022

Yeah I was having serious doubts about the DWG attacking the BTA as well but these BTAs were fine until they moved to that exact spot which my DWG was VERY ***** about with anything that came near his cave. I watched him pick up snails and crabs and throw them another thing that made me wonder was because he would NEVER be out at night. Seals himself in at night… until I brought in the BTAs that moved to his spot. Caught him out more than once and that last time my BTA was tore up like something savagely attacked it . DWG was out but quickly retreated to his cave - usually isn’t shy when he sees me except for that time I found the horror in the tank.
All my parameters were spot on though - I’ll have to get pics this next round because I replaced him with a baby YWG and he was fine for about two weeks- found him staying at the top of the tank last night- again parameters were well- nitrates were up 0.5ppm but that was it . Nothing alarming. However I have noticed that my ph has been staying steady at 7.8 recently- could that be a factor? I was planning on getting a CO2 scrubber to help raise it naturally without affecting my alkalinity.