BTA - will it eat fish?

[Eienna]

I was reading that mandarin dragonets should not be kept with nems because the nems are capable of eating them. Is this true of BTAs?

 

[k2parkstar]

Absolutely true

 

[Eienna]

Phooey. >.< Well, I guess I'm not getting one. I'm certainly not picking a nem over my dear Spike.

 

[StevenBell]

Dear ol' Spike there looks to happy to wandering along and snatched up by a BTA!Gorgeous fish BTW!

 

[Eienna]

Dear ol' Spike there looks to happy to wandering along and snatched up by a BTA!Gorgeous fish BTW!

Why, thank you n.n he's a great little fish. Takes pellets, too, believe it or not.

 

[dakotap]

I had a target mandarin in a 28 nano with a bta for a long time. Never showed any interest or harm to each other. Guess there's still that chance though.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4

 

[OrionN]

I never have BTA ever eat a fish in my many years of keeping anemones. Other anemones, mainly carpet and LTA may but fish are safe with BTA.

 

[Eienna]

Any more opinions?

 

[cimmorine]

I have 5 in my tank with a pair of mandarins and thankfully they havent been eaten. But of course now since I read this thread and commented i'm sure one will be eaten tonight....

 

[cdness]

I would say it will eat a fish if it was dead or sick... However BTAs are the least aggressive nems so you would be just fine. If you were talking about a carpet or lta though I may have a different opinion...

 

[Eienna]

I noticed a thread while I was googling this issue where a mandarin got stung by a BTA and swelled up it survived but for a while there it was iffy.

I've decided it's not worth taking the chance. I love my Spike too much.

 

[Sun357]

Should be fine with a BTA as long as it's healthy.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Agree with the consensus. Bta will only eat a fish if its sick or dead. They aren't as predatory as some other nems.

 

[Gillman]

I have a Mandarin with 3 BTA's and 5 Maxi Mini carpets and I have no issues. I think they're smart enough to not walk into them. I see him eating pods all around the Nems as well. They don't cause any issues.

 

[Eienna]

I have a Mandarin with 3 BTA's and 5 Maxi Mini carpets and I have no issues. I think they're smart enough to not walk into them. I see him eating pods all around the Nems as well. They don't cause any issues.

I believe Spike is at least partially blind on one side, which contributes to my concern.

 

[monkiboy]

i have a blue madarin in my nem tank that has at least seven BTAs in it at all times and sometimes up to 10 and never paid any mind to this kind of hearsay. if the mandarin is so weak and dying it will get eaten by a BTA then it will also get destoryed by a powerhead and killed by the overflow and the sand may also devour it. i think you get the point, the fish is the problem if it's that bad, not the nem.

 

[Eienna]

Hmmm. I wish there was such thing as an invisible nem cage XD

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

When it comes to Anemone's...potentially any fish that tangles with it, is on the menu. I haven't found this to be much of a risk around BTA's or RBTA's though as I have around some of the other Anemone's that are often available at the LFS.