I need to know if i can get a bta.

[Ishaithecoralguy]

Hey everybody i have a 30 gal biocube with a metal halide and actinic leds. I run activated carbon and a refugium but nothing else. I have 2 clowns and some inverts. Right now the clowns co-host an armor of god zoa and a frogspawn which is great and all but i want to get them a bta. I have a reefing buddy who has a plethora of big rbtas and he is giving me one in about a half month. Mainly im worried about the nem stinging corals since i have so many. Here is my plan... im going to move all the coral sitting in the middle on the sand-bed (armor and frog spawn) then im going to take a hammer to some different live rock i have like fiji and tonga and others and im going to break it into various size rubble pieces. Some will be bigger and some smaller and put them in that same middle area for the bta. Do you guys think this will work? Dont mind my powerheads, i bought some filter padding that im using to create protectors.

 

[sbash]

It sounds good in theory, but probably isn't realistic.

The anemone will move around on its own. You would be better off moving the corals away from it (as it moves around), instead of trying to get it to stay where you want it.

 

[MasterBacon]

yes and no, you can place it where you want but there is no guarantee it will stay where you put it. you might have to move some more coral when it chooses it spot. Edit he beat me to it!

 

[Ishaithecoralguy]

It sounds good in theory, but probably isn't realistic.

The anemone will move around on its own. You would be better off moving the corals away from it (as it moves around), instead of trying to get it to stay where you want it.

Yeah i know they move around but alot of my coral is glued down thats why im wondering. Some of it i can move and some i cant. Will the nem sorta just move along? And whats the best thing i can use to protect my powerheads?

 

[sbash]

Yeah i know they move around but alot of my coral is glued down thats why im wondering. Some of it i can move and some i cant. Will the nem sorta just move along? And whats the best thing i can use to protect my powerheads?

I've never had a nem stroll into a power head, so I don't know what to answer for that. The only time I have had an anemone go through a power head is if it died and started floating around... gross...

Anyway, my BTAs camp out where ever they feel like it (usually it is long term though, 6-8 months at a time). If it is beside a coral, they kill it back, period - there is not a lot you can do about that.

Have you considered getting rock flowers or mini-maxis instead?

 

[Ishaithecoralguy]

I've never had a nem stroll into a power head, so I don't know what to answer for that. The only time I have had an anemone go through a power head is if it died and started floating around... gross...

Anyway, my BTAs camp out where ever they feel like it (usually it is long term though, 6-8 months at a time). If it is beside a coral, they kill it back, period - there is not a lot you can do about that.

Have you considered getting rock flowers or mini-maxis instead?

I want the clown to host it and i dont think they do with those right?

 

[Ishaithecoralguy]

I've never had a nem stroll into a power head, so I don't know what to answer for that. The only time I have had an anemone go through a power head is if it died and started floating around... gross...

Anyway, my BTAs camp out where ever they feel like it (usually it is long term though, 6-8 months at a time). If it is beside a coral, they kill it back, period - there is not a lot you can do about that.

Have you considered getting rock flowers or mini-maxis instead?

Also since i use halides and leds wont the bta wanna stay at the bottom?

 

[theKoolAidMan]

Couple things. First, Percula and Oscellaris clowns to not naturally host BTAs. Of course some people have had them host them in tanks, this is more the exception than the rule. You could easily end up like me and have a beautiful healthy rainbow BTA that your pair of clowns utterly ignore. So make sure that you want the BTA in its own right, and not just for your clowns to host because Oscellaris clowns + BTA is a very hit or miss proposition.

Second, the nem is gonna nem no matter how well designed or intentioned your plans. They like a lot of lighting, so I would be skeptical that it would be happy to stay on your sand. I would try and place it somewhere with moderate flow that is fairly high up. Maybe you get lucky and it stays put. I've had one for over a month and it's moved about 1 inch from where I original placed it. I got lucky and apparently can channel my inner nem to find a desirable spot. You need to be ok with the potential for the nem to move around to find the spot it likes best. This may end up with some stung corals, however that BTA has a fairly mild sting compared to other nems, so at long as you are willing and able to move any corals it gets too close to quickly, you should be fine.

 

[MasterBacon]

Yeah i know they move around but alot of my coral is glued down thats why im wondering. Some of it i can move and some i cant. Will the nem sorta just move along? And whats the best thing i can use to protect my powerheads?

look for a foam cover that keeps them from being sucked in. or diy one with zip ties or rubberbands till it settles

 

[rkpetersen]

If you put a sizable bta in that tank, especially one that has already been established in another tank, it's very likely to move around a lot before it settles, and in the process, will sting and possibly kill every coral it touches. They likely won't stay where you want them to, not even necessarily on the bottom of the tank. If the nem is already used to high light, it may climb up onto a rock or onto the backwall glass. Smaller ones will also wander into and through your overflow combs. They mostly won't wander into powerheads but if they're unhappy, detach and float off, they can be sucked into one and shredded. I protect my overflow combs and powerheads with fine plastic mesh covers, but this is only useful for a short time if a nem happens to get sucked in; you have to catch it quickly when it happens because the nem will eventually be sucked through like jello.

Even though it's not their natural host, many ocellaris and percula will eventually accept a bta, although it could take 6 months or more.

 

[Amoo]

Based on everything you said, I would say, no, do not get one.

As was already mentioned it's not a natural host and you already have an established tank. So chances of you waiting for 6 months, a year, forever...etc are pretty high, meanwhile your nem may or may not romp around all over your tank, destroying literally anything and everything in it's path.

Sounds like you already have a nice tank and your clowns are already being hosted by something. Personally I'm very strongly of the opinion that if you're not getting the nem for the nem, it's not the right reason.

 

[Ishaithecoralguy]

If you put a sizable bta in that tank, especially one that has already been established in another tank, it's very likely to move around a lot before it settles, and in the process, will sting and possibly kill every coral it touches. They likely won't stay where you want them to, not even necessarily on the bottom of the tank. If the nem is already used to high light, it may climb up onto a rock or onto the backwall glass. Smaller ones will also wander into and through your overflow combs. They mostly won't wander into powerheads but if they're unhappy, detach and float off, they can be sucked into one and shredded. I protect my overflow combs and powerheads with fine plastic mesh covers, but this is only useful for a short time if a nem happens to get sucked in; you have to catch it quickly when it happens because the nem will eventually be sucked through like jello.

Even though it's not their natural host, many ocellaris and percula will eventually accept a bta, although it could take 6 months or more.

Based on my tank size and amount of corals what would you recommend. And what anemone would be better. A carpet, or a long tentacle?

 

[Ishaithecoralguy]

Based on everything you said, I would say, no, do not get one.

As was already mentioned it's not a natural host and you already have an established tank. So chances of you waiting for 6 months, a year, forever...etc are pretty high, meanwhile your nem may or may not romp around all over your tank, destroying literally anything and everything in it's path.

Sounds like you already have a nice tank and your clowns are already being hosted by something. Personally I'm very strongly of the opinion that if you're not getting the nem for the nem, it's not the right reason.

I have always really wanted a nem. Something about clowns hosting it i love. But seems like since i already have so much coral i shouldn’t get one. But i could move some corals and as long as the nem settled Down eventually i would be happy.

 

[theKoolAidMan]

Based on my tank size and amount of corals what would you recommend. And what anemone would be better. A carpet, or a long tentacle?

Oscellaris clowns naturally host carpet nems, magnifica, and ritteri I believe. All of them are BIG and fairly advanced to keep. The tough things about nems are you sort of have to know you want to keep one from the onset and plan for it. The issue here is that you already have a lot of established coral which means you really need the nem to stay where you want it, which may or may not happen. If you're willing and able to relocate coral in the tank as the nem moves around and accept that it may damage some as it finds its sweet spot, then by all means, get one!

The question is, do you want a nem because you think nems are cool and want it for its own sake, or just because you want the clowns to host it? If the answer is that you just like nems, then a BTA is a good first foray into the world. They're fairly small, move around a bit less than some others, and their sting isn't AS damaging to coral as some others. They're also much hardier, especially if you get one that was aquacultured.

If you just want one to have the clowns host, then I would still get a BTA and get rid of those clowns if they don't host it and replace them with something that does. Cinnamon, Tomato, Red Saddleback, Clarkii, and Marroon clowns all host BTAs naturally.

I would NOT start with your first nem being a carpet or ritteri or something. But again, this is your tank.

 

[Ishaithecoralguy]

Oscellaris clowns naturally host carpet nems, magnifica, and ritteri I believe. All of them are BIG and fairly advanced to keep. The tough things about nems are you sort of have to know you want to keep one from the onset and plan for it. The issue here is that you already have a lot of established coral which means you really need the nem to stay where you want it, which may or may not happen. If you're willing and able to relocate coral in the tank as the nem moves around and accept that it may damage some as it finds its sweet spot, then by all means, get one!

The question is, do you want a nem because you think nems are cool and want it for its own sake, or just because you want the clowns to host it? If the answer is that you just like nems, then a BTA is a good first foray into the world. They're fairly small, move around a bit less than some others, and their sting isn't AS damaging to coral as some others. They're also much hardier, especially if you get one that was aquacultured.

If you just want one to have the clowns host, then I would still get a BTA and get rid of those clowns if they don't host it and replace them with something that does. Cinnamon, Tomato, Red Saddleback, Clarkii, and Marroon clowns all host BTAs naturally.

I would NOT start with your first nem being a carpet or ritteri or something. But again, this is your tank.

Great advice thanks so much. I think i will get a bta because i really love the look and my friend had a huge one to give me for free! I have a really powerful halide lights as well as powerful leds so that should be fine. I think im going to move these fish soon anyway because they are about to spawn so ill move them to my breeder. I have a lightning maroon im pairing soon and ill put that pair in with the bta. I have alot of established mushrooms and zoas on mi rock, the nem should avoid those mostly right? I am prepared to move my frogspawn and other stuff like that but i cant move the other sps zoas and mushroom. Will it just be to stressful for the nem with that much coral in the tank? And if i put a large amount of live rock in the middle with no coral wont the nem sorta be forced there? And it also has great flow to that area.

 

[Amoo]

BTAs typically go where they want regardless of what you already have there. They'll even stay in a spot that isn't the greatest for them if their able to get their foot in a safe area.