Green BTA questions

[Nimitz]

I ended up winning a green BTA at a reef conf this weekend. I hadn't intended on adding one to my tank at this point since my tank is fairly new but I have him now. I know these guys are famous for moving around in the beginning until they find a spot they like (he's already moved 3 times since Sat) but what kind of light & flow conditions due they prefer? He seems to be favoring low light areas? Is this typical for them? Also, once we get a pair of clowns, if they end up hosting in it does the BTA then stay in one spot?

 

[ritter6788]

Really there is no way of knowing for sure. You'll have to observe and keep your water parameters optimal. BTAs will do what they please. Depending on your lighting they will move to a lower light area in high light tanks until they adjust to the light. Clowns will not be of any benefit to a BTA as far as keeping it from moving.

 

[Trex]

What lights to you have?
What lights was it under? Are you acclimating it to your lights?

 

[Tank2379]

How big is the GBTA?- I had a small fella one time he moved around for about a week until he found a low light spot with medium to heavy flow and stayed in that spot for as long as I had him. I've heard other stories about GBTA moving around a ton, but it's actions sounds normal for a GBTA, I would juts give it time

 

[Nimitz]

got up this morning & he had moved again, this time to a spot much higher in the tank with more light exposure ... tonight my Vortech gets installed so it probably doesn'r mattter what he was doing as I expect he'll be roaming again . ..

I have 2 white AI Sols which ramp up to 60% max for 2 hrs & then slowly back down. In addition I have 2 T5 ATI blue plus bulbs & 6 blue PowerBrite LEDs which come on for 2 hrs early in the morning before the AIs come on & stay on for 2 hrs in the evening after the AIs are off ...

 

[Nimitz]

BTW, the BTA is about 4" around, the place I won him from called him a "lg BTA" but I think it's more like a medium size given how big I've seen some of these get ...

 

[Cl0ne1]

I just got a GBTA, and it hated the rock I put it on. Moved for days, I guess he couldn't find a way off of it. So I put it where it is now and it hasn't moved in almost a month. It must love its new spot. Totally opposite from tank's nem. It loves a higher spot in my tank and lower flow. I think they are all different. I have 3 mini carpets that are all from the original 1 hitchhiker I found. 2 are right next to each other, the other one is about 6-8 inches higher in the tank. Crazy they are.

Tank you for your time,

Kevin

 

[Nimitz]

he hasn't moved in 2 days but my Vortech goes in this afternoon so I assume he'll be on the move again ...

 

[Saltwatertaylor]

Some advice since I just got a BTA and my tank is around 3 months old now ( which is more toward the new side ). Watch your water parameters very carefully. PH is very important for them and any big fluctuation could stress them out. Also patience with these. I thought mine died the other day, but he was only excreting waste. What are you feeding him? Patience and maintenance/water changes are key to keeping them alive in a new tank.

 

[Nimitz]

thx, he seems to be doing fine so far, he gets a small piece of silversides every 3-4 days ...

my Ph is is a little low ( for corals) because Alk is a little low due my salt selection (Tropic Marin Pro) but becuase my fuge is on an opposite light cycle it stays pretty stable ... will be switching to Red Sea Coral Pro via water changes over the next month or so ...

 

[bjledbetter]

As for moving mine moved for about a week behind my rock work before coming out and setteling down and neither have moved sense and its been 4 months. Watch all your power heads they love to move up around them and it usually dosent end well for the nem. Also I know this is a major debate among people who have nems but the bones from the silversides have been thought to kill nems occasionaly, and the nem will usually excrete a pile of skin and bone back into ur tank. Frozen krill or uncooked table shrimp is much safer. I feed my 3 gbta's and condy, shrimp every three days and they are growing fast and ones split twice

 

[Nimitz]

thx for the info .. I'll look into switching to frozen krill or the shrimp ...

 

[Aqua fire/medic]

he hasn't moved in 2 days but my Vortech goes in this afternoon so I assume he'll be on the move again ...

Make sure you use the screen that comes with your vortech....... At least in the beginning, if not you might have bta chop suey in your tank the morning after

 

[Nimitz]

agreed, however, even though he keeps moving the distance is less and less each day & he seems to favor under the rockwork in a cave area I have set up ...