Cannot keep a BTA alive!

Floyd- · Nov 7, 2022

I run carbon and GFO in a BRS dual reactor.

Floyd- · Nov 8, 2022

Also looked at my PAR readings. Where they are located now was only hitting 140 par. I bumped the lights 5% to see if that helps. Only at 70% max on the blue channels so I have more to give if needed.

Floyd- · Nov 9, 2022

No new input from everyone?
Also last night I shut off two of the 4 rear jets in an attempt to slow down some of the flow in the tank. The larger nem moved about 2-3" to the right and the other one I cannot find yet but it moved also after slowing the flow and upping the lights 5%.

Sleeping Giant · Nov 9, 2022

Floyd- said:
Most places I read state just as you have. They dont need to be fed and get nutrients from the lights like most corals. I can try actually feeding it and see what happens but its goes against most things I have read. Other than an auto feeder during the day I can only feed once a day when I get home. No other corals or fish have had issues with this tank being setup for more than a year. Even some of the fish are getting round with one feeding a day.

I feed mine 3-4 times a week, they love it

Floyd- · Nov 9, 2022

Sleeping Giant said:
I feed mine 3-4 times a week, they love it

What do you feed them?

Sleeping Giant · Nov 9, 2022

Floyd- said:
What do you feed them?

I give them a turkey baster of my multi-mixed frozen food. Mysis, blood worms, krill, selcon, phytoplankton.

Gernader · Nov 9, 2022

It’s odd that your anemones aren’t doing well considering your other corals and coralline algae are growing. I would just increase the par (maybe 200-300 par) where the nems are and see if they get better. I had a huge 18” Sherman rose bta that never splitted and just kept growing lol. I fed it a pea sized raw shrimp from a grocery store once a week. It was under 350 par.

I also had a rainbow bta that splitted many times in the same tank as my Sherman rose. That was also under 250-300 par with random high flow, so they clearly love light and flow. Hope that helps a bit.

Sherman rose bta when I had it

rainbow bta

Floyd- · Nov 9, 2022

I need to measure it once again but I doubt adding 5% took me from 140ish PAR to over 200. Might need to bump another 5-10% and check with the meter.

Floyd- · Nov 14, 2022

BTA's have moved to the very tip top of the rocks they were on. I bumped the lights 5% all around and see if they need more.

Jeeperz · Nov 16, 2022

92Miata said:
Besides the multiple other BTAs? You can't extrapolate from "These conditions are fine for this acro" to "These conditions are fine for this anemone" - they come from different environments and have different needs.

They can only get sugar (carbon) from the light. They need nitrogen and phosphorus and a ton of other things. If you don't have high enough levels of these things in the water column, they will need to be fed.

Whoever is telling you that anemones don't need food - just cross them off of your list of people to listen to about reef organisms. Anemones are all heavy feeders. You may or may not need to spot feed, but they all need to be fed.

Ok, on this note I have a reefer 350 with just crabs/snails/corals. It went easily over a month with no feedings and the rbta grew. It doesn't take much for them and if he has clowns, that nem will get fed

Jeeperz · Nov 16, 2022

92Miata said:
Do you feed your fish? Then your anemones are getting fed.

The question here isn't "Do they need food" it's "are they getting enough food in the OP's tank"?

The "I don't do X, therefore nobody needs to do X" stuff is just incredibly obtuse. Reef tanks are complicated, and every single one is different.

Yet you are saying the same thing here, you do X so they should too?

Shibaken3 · Nov 16, 2022

im thinking of ph.

Mjl714 · Nov 16, 2022

Floyd- said:
Here is a picture of the two little guys at the moment. Also tossed in a pic of the tank. They are located on the left right above the green leather on the leading edge of the arch. They started off near where the yellow tang is located more towards the center of the tank.

Tank looks great, nicely done. As far as your anemone challenges, have they all been real small, and is there any chance any of your fish (that flame angel comes to mind, not to mention do those clowns try to get in / on them) are picking at them?

Jekyl · Nov 16, 2022

92Miata said:
If you're not willing to feed an animal that's showing the signs of starving to death, you need to stop trying to keep them.

BTAs are typically found in intertidal zones that are frequently turbid. They don't need to be fed, but they need food. They need significantly more nitrogen and phosphorus availability (via inorganic in the water column, or food) than SPS corals do.

Again, how much do you feed?

My nems are enormous and I've never fed them. They catch what they catch. Oldest is 3 or 4 years now. Started about the size of a quarter and close to 12" now.

Floyd- · Nov 17, 2022

Shibaken3 said:
Im thinking of ph.

Trying to get it up with Kalk at the moment. Best so far has been 8.02 yesterday.

Mjl714 said:
Tank looks great, nicely done. As far as your anemone challenges, have they all been real small, and is there any chance any of your fish (that flame angel comes to mind, not to mention do those clowns try to get in / on them) are picking at them?

They have always been small. I have never seen a fish anywhere near these nems. The clowns at one time were "loving" on them rubbing all around but not anymore. They now host my green leather coral.

92Miata · Nov 17, 2022

Jekyl said:
My nems are enormous and I've never fed them.

Really?

Jekyl said:
They catch what they catch.

So you do feed them.

This entire thread is people who don't seem to know the different between feeding and target feeding. BTAs need to eat.

Jekyl · Nov 17, 2022

92Miata said:
Really?

So you do feed them.

This entire thread is people who don't seem to know the different between feeding and target feeding. BTAs need to eat.

Not true. They get everything they need from proper lighting. If lucky they might catch a mysis or 2 a week.

LiamPM · Nov 17, 2022

I had a magnifica in an observation tank for around 3 or so months that had zero food input. Looked as healthy as it did in the larger tank before it sat in the observation tank waiting to be moved on (due to its size being a good foot round).

I have never directly fed any anemone over the years and the magnifica sitting under a radion about 10 inches away and a Vortech about 10 inches away had zero chance of being fed whilst in observation as the tank was never physcially fed. It never recieved a water change or any input during its stay either - Id say it grew and even flourished in the observation tank being solo, looked healthier than it ever did whilst in there in all honesty.

I do and have always believed that its not a necessity unless the anemones initial health is not at full fitness when introduced.

In your situation, yes, id probably attempt to feed it something simple and small like a few pieces of mysis and see how it reacts over time, they may well be in poor health when you recieve, especially if they are all new tank splits - There isnt much that can go wrong with a simple feed, so worth seeing its reaction. But i do not believe direct "food" feedings are a necessity when in fine health and often recommend against it. I dont always believe splitting is a "healthy" reaction and feeding seems to induce splitting more often than not.

I think increasing your par and having the anemone move up the rock into more light is a clear good sign too. If they did not like it they would move into the shade considering the position of them in your tank, yours have gone to the light....That may well have been "the" issue so its worth keeping tabs on that.