My BTA is hiding

[Chris37]

HI everyone, I purchased a BTA last week and since I added it to the tank, it has been hiding under a rock. The BTA is attached to a rock in a very shaded area and I am worried. Should I move the BTA or leave it alone?

 

[Mhart032]

What are your tank parameters including salinity tank lighting and flow?

 

[Mical]

What are your tank parameters including salinity tank lighting and flow?

And how long has tank been set up?

 

[Uncle99]

Never move the nem, he will move where HE wants.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Never move the nem, he will move where HE wants.

This^. It will move where it's most happy.

 

[Mhart032]

This^. It will move where it's most happy.

Yep even if it kills corals on the way. mine is in a very bad spot for my liking and blows up to be the size of a cantaloupe its very valuable sps space. but eh what are you going to do.

 

[Kzang]

Never move the nem, he will move where HE wants.

I don't agree with this. I've had nems, even a black widow, crawl under a rock and die bc it wouldn't move. I should of moved it to a different spot and still regret to this day not moving it

 

[Flippers4pups]

Yep even if it kills corals on the way. mine is in a very bad spot for my liking and blows up to be the size of a cantaloupe its very valuable sps space. but eh what are you going to do.

It is a fine line keeping on if you wish to keep SPS corals. You have to take the good with the bad.

 

[GSnake]

you can move it if you want, they need light. my earlier BTA ive moved mine into light before and it still decided to go under a shaded area. that one eventually died. my more recent bta moved on its own from a dark side of my tank into the brightest spot in the center near acros.

 

[sprungson]

I don't agree with this. I've had nems, even a black widow, crawl under a rock and die bc it wouldn't move. I should of moved it to a different spot and still regret to this day not moving it

I agree with you here. I'm on my 11th anemone and I moved all of them to ensure they open up. I would be more concerned with it not opening up right away. I do a slow 1 hour drip acclimation (1 drop per second) and then drop them where I want. I will guide them to where I want them and I will make sure that they get some flow and sunlight. After I know they're doing well in my tank(usually months), I let them freely move without bothering them

 

[Chris37]

What are your tank parameters including salinity tank lighting and flow?

Hi everyone, my parameters for my coralife Biocube 16 are:
SG: 1.024
Temp 78
pH 8.3
Alk 10 dkH
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrates 2 ppm
I have one powerhead
HIPARGERO LED Aquarium Light
The tank has been up and running for 5 months

 

[Chris37]

Never move the nem, he will move where HE wants.

Yep even if it kills corals on the way. mine is in a very bad spot for my liking and blows up to be the size of a cantaloupe its very valuable sps space. but eh what are you going to do.

lol

 

[Chris37]

I don't agree with this. I've had nems, even a black widow, crawl under a rock and die bc it wouldn't move. I should of moved it to a different spot and still regret to this day not moving it

I am worried about the lack of light. Thanks

 

[Chris37]

you can move it if you want, they need light. my earlier BTA ive moved mine into light before and it still decided to go under a shaded area. that one eventually died. my more recent bta moved on its own from a dark side of my tank into the brightest spot in the center near acros.

Wow, that sucks, I have heard other say that theirs kept moving back into darkness until death.

 

[Chris37]

I agree with you here. I'm on my 11th anemone and I moved all of them to ensure they open up. I would be more concerned with it not opening up right away. I do a slow 1 hour drip acclimation (1 drop per second) and then drop them where I want. I will guide them to where I want them and I will make sure that they get some flow and sunlight. After I know they're doing well in my tank(usually months), I let them freely move without bothering them

How do you guide them to where you want them to be?

 

[badluckman]

I got my first anemone just before I moved tanks, and I did as sprungson did and "guided" the nem to a rock with a deep hole so it could attach itself by turning off my pumps and then placing his foot where I thought was a good place for it. Held it in place for about a minute without any force, just to let the foot touch the rock and after that it crawled inside and then it was stuck there until about a week ago. Not it's trying to find a better spot, and is slowly hiking along my entire rockwork. Guess it didn't like the front and center position I gave it in the new tank

 

[sprungson]

How do you guide them to where you want them to be?

If he was attacked to the rock, I would carefully turn it over so he can get some light. Mine opened after it got sunlight.

 

[Malifry97]

I don't think the light is your problem. I and many others, including @Cbones1979 have kept anemones happy under that same light. Can we get a picture?

 

[sprungson]

Here's a few pictures of my anemones. My camera phone doesn't do the colors justice . Ignore my cyanobacteria problem... had to change my RODI filters, fixing it now

 

[burnetb1]

I would move the rock if you can. Target feeding might help if he isn't getting much light and needs energy to move.

I always made sure my nems had plenty to eat and they always seemed happy. After splitting they would hide from the light for a couple days, then would hike around the tank till they found a spot they liked (usually about where they started...) and once they found a spot they would stay put. I had a couple "get lost" and do circles in one part of the tank till they made it back to a good spot, but they always seemed to have enough energy to move even without much light. I'm no expert by any means, I had a RBTA for 5 years in a 55 with a pair of mocha clowns.