Lighting config for a BTA

Calmbeast · May 22, 2015

Hello, I am interested in adding a bubble anem to my tank, and am looking for guidance as to how I should set up my lights as far as how long and to what intensity each channel is on. (Blues on one channel, whites, green, red, violet.)
Tank is a 24"x24"x 20h 50 gallon
LED light is a dimmable 120w ocean revive-artic T-246

The tank is FOWLR. I am guess it'll take some adjustment, but I'd like to set up the timer and don't want to go drastically over or under on lighting.

Thanks!

Reef-in · May 22, 2015

I keep my bta under r420r led lighting and they are open all day

Calmbeast · May 22, 2015

Reef-in said:
I keep my bta under r420r led lighting and they are open all day

How long do you have blues and whites on them? I'm not sure how much it would need. I typically run blues 10am-10pm and whites noon-7. Do you that'd be sufficient?

Calmbeast · May 22, 2015

And just adjust intensity as need?

Calmbeast · May 22, 2015

@OceanRevive

Reef-in · May 22, 2015

I will have to check tomorrow I will get back to you

Reef-in · May 24, 2015

Yes that would work I would add an extra hour of whites

Calmbeast · May 25, 2015

Okay thanks!

915MANG · May 25, 2015

The RBTA will move around to find its sweet spot. Itll move to more flow, less flow area. So just keep an eye out for your powerheads.

Marty.h · May 25, 2015

I have a BTA opens up massively during day using 2 x R420R Razor 160 16000K

My settings are as follows

0900 a:0 b:1
1200 a:20 b:50
1500 a:100:b:100
1900 a:70 b:100
2100 a:10: B:50
2330 a:0 b:0

Here is a picture of mine I just took.

I have found building him a cave has helped that allows him to retreat back out of lights and I have gentle flow running across. I feed him once a week with mussel he loves it.

Hope that helps

Calmbeast · May 25, 2015

Great tips! Thanks!

Marty.h · May 25, 2015

Forgot to mention do your homework on them if they go wrong they can easily nuke a tank.

When buying the anenomie check.

Colouration.....make sure it's not bleached.

Mouth... Make sure it's not sagging

Foot... Make sure it's foot is good with no damage if the one you are looking at in the LFS is attached to a rock a safer bet would be buy the rock with it but check for things like aptasia and hitchikers.

If the LFS offers to remove it from the rock and they simply go to pull it off walk away as that will more then likely damage it's foot and they clearly don't know how to remove them correctly.

To remove an anenomie from a rock correctly you should aim a powerhead or a pump output at it this will make the anenomie moody and it will slowly release it's own foot from the rock as it will want to move from that environment you will then be able to get it easy.

Placement in your tank should offer the BTA some nice deep crevices in rock work for it to put it's foot in and feel safe a unhappy anenomie will tend to wonder.

I have had to move my rocks several times and both times I've had to remove the anenomie from the rock using the method as mentioned above so I could safely work on the rock work without any danger of me hurting him.

Both times I have built him a cave and turning him over to make sure his foot is clean of substrate and the area he is being placed free of substrate i laid him in the cave. He will then find the spot he like you will not force a BTA to stay anywhere it does not want to be. Provide a BTA with everything it needs and it will stay put and be very happy.

Hope that helps and is bassed on my own personal experience with them

Calmbeast · May 26, 2015

I will definitely take these things into consideration. Especially trying to create a few options for giving the BTA a cave like area. Are you aware of any typical change in behavior of clownfish that host anemones? For example more, or less, aggressive.
Oh and great tip about using the power head to get the anem to release. Thanks!

Marty.h · May 26, 2015

Depends on the clown tomatoes I have seen hosting are agressive one LFS I know has an anenomie tank with a tomatoe in there hosting one of the anenomies if they put there hand in to get an anenomie out it goes mental.

I had true percula hosting mine before I lost them and they was not very agressive in my opinion but kept things away from the anenomie within about a 6" range.

If I put my hand in near it at the beginning they would come butt me not hard but just a warning but they got use to me in the end and was fine this was before I got myself a 2.5 ft pincer like a litter picker uses made of plastic to feed the anenomie.

I'm not keen on putting my hand in tank unless I really have to so I would invest in one of them. They also come in handy should you see a snail that's fell off a rock and is upside down you can easily flip them over or for just leveling substrate or giving it a little stir if you have nothing to sift it.

The issue I'm having at present with no fish in the DT and clowns not hosting is the shrimps annoying it and making it very moody I'm may have to consider asking my LFS to house it if they persist and if it starts going down hill

I can't put it in my QT due to copper contamination.

Reef-in · May 26, 2015

Calmbeast said:
I will definitely take these things into consideration. Especially trying to create a few options for giving the BTA a cave like area. Are you aware of any typical change in behavior of clownfish that host anemones? For example more, or less, aggressive.
Oh and great tip about using the power head to get the anem to release. Thanks!

Almost all clown get more aggresive towards other fish but they get really aggresive towards other clowns they are not farmillar with, unless they are a bonded pair. Otherwise no major aggresiveness towards other fish

Shahin Ruyani · May 27, 2015

I can't get mine to eat. I've had it a month. It tried to, but it's like it gives up. I've cut the pieces as small as possible. I've had to dose the tank with phyto. And the clown is afraid to host it because I'm constantly messing with it.

Marty.h · May 27, 2015

Leave it be the worst thing you can do with an anenomie is keep pulling it about just let it be and it will settle.

Anenomies get food from the zooxanthellae within them as well as actual food they ingest so can go a long time without food as long as the lighting is ample and they are not bleached.

Shahin Ruyani · May 29, 2015

If it starts to bleach will the color come back once tank parameters are good?

Marty.h · May 29, 2015

Yes but you will also have to feed it bleached anenomie is hard to get back with not much experience have a good google on the subject and this link will help you.

http://www.karensroseanemones.net/

Everything you will ever need to know is on there

Shahin Ruyani · May 29, 2015

Marty.h said:
Yes but you will also have to feed it bleached anenomie is hard to get back with not much experience have a good google on the subject and this link will help you.

http://www.karensroseanemones.net/

Everything you will ever need to know is on there

Thanks. It seems to be doing better since I started blending silversides. They can filter feed. What happened was my heater malfunctioned a few weeks ago at 90' F and It injured the anemone. It's just starting to heal up, but it needs protein to heal. And zooanthellae are protists so they need protein to do mitosis.