My green BTA just committed suicide

[Nimitz]

So I've had this green BTA for about 3 1/2 weeks and he has constantly been on the move, every day or so in a new spot. Not a big deal as I only currently have fish, 2 small Zoa frags & a green polyp leather toadstool. he seemed healthy and was accepting a small piece of silversides every couple of days. This morning I found him in a new spot at the extreme back left hand corner of my tank. When I got home this afternoon I found my Vortech MP40 (which is located on the opposite tank wall about 5" below water line) on the bottom of my tank with the BTA inside the hosuing .... he didn't survive the experience.

Anyone got any clever ideas how to prevent this from happening again as I really like BTAs but can't stand the thought of this potential again ... thanks for any suggestions

 

[blackx-runner]

Vortechs and BTAs don't mix. My 12"+ RBTA ventured too close to mine and it wasn't a pretty sight. Good luck with finding a way to keep them safe.

 

[Lazys Coral House]

Consider using the Vortech sponge covers that come with them. I think the new ones do not sure if it is all models.

 

[Trex]

If you want to keep an anemone with a Vortex you will need to have the sponge covers over them -- all 3 of my tanks have MP10's, and they all have anemones, and the MP10's are all covered.

Also, need to figure out why your anemone was moving all the time -- something was off if it never settled in.

 

[mobyreef]

I had a rose bta that met my mp40. All that was left of it was a golfball sized nub. I kept it in the aquarium to see if it would regenerate but it never came back. I have another rbta and have had it for about 8 months now. I placed it in a rock that has a deep crevice in it and it likes the spot so far. Keep it fed and it should have no reason to move. Mine had also split about 4 months ago so I got my money back as well! Knock wood, now that I posted this it will probably start moving tomorrow. I would take the other's advice and put on the sponge cover.

 

[Nimitz]

I do have the sponge cover & will add it but those slots on the side seem awful small for him to have gone through? I assumed he went in through the front ... which I know makes no sense due the the velocity of the water flowing out ....

I fed him every few days but that didn't keep him from moving ....he was in areas of high flow, low flow & no flow but just kept going

If clowns are hosting in them does that tend to keep them stationary??

 

[FishLipz]

Clowns will just migrate with the anemone in my experience. Anemones are strange. What one wants, another will run away from. It's all specific to each individual animal and until it finds a place it likes, it will keep searching for it. Definitely use the sponges though. A BTA is mostly water and not much substance. They can and will fit in the smallest holes.

 

[creefer]

I gave up on BTA's for the simple fact that they always seem to find my vortech. That and I move to a mostly SPS system and have considerable flow. When the commit suicide, clean up is always a pita and I don't want to risk the loss of some nice SPS.

 

[Nimitz]

I'm not giving up on them so I'll just have to take more precautions ...

 

[Trex]

Lets start from the beginning.

What size tank?
What lights?
What are your current water parameters --- with numbers please.
Do you have any other anemones in there?
What other fish/inverts do you have?
How long has the tank been set up?
What do you have for flow?

 

[uall8up]

Had the same thing happen to me.....it broke my heart!

 

[Nimitz]

150g DT, 50g sump, 20g fuge
2 AI Sol whites, 6 Powerbrite blue strips, 2 ATI blue + T5s
SG 1.025, temp 79 (chiller), Ph 7.90, Alk 6.67 DKH, Ca 508, Ammonia 0, nitrate < 1 ppm, phosphate < .025 (readings from last night)
no
1 barlett anthais, 2 jewel lyretail anthais, 1 baggani cardnial, 1 longnose hawkfih, 1 Kole yelloweye tang, 1 phesuo skunk fish
2 sm Zoa frags & 1 green polyp leather toadstool
2 months
1 Vortech MP40 + return flow from a Gold Reeflo Snapper

 

[solar]

Im sorry for your loss

 

[shecter]

You might be going a little to fast for your system. 7 fish a nem and coral at 2 months is really really fast and it might end up biting you in the butt so to speak. Most people don't advise putting a nem in a system that's under a year old. I personally waited 6 months and mine did great. The ph is a bit low. I don't know if that would cause the nomad nem to move or not. Mine moved once every 2 or 3 weeks for the year and a half I had it. It too met my mp10. Definitely use the sponge covers. There's no way a nem got into the front unless it was shut off. Mine was 14 inches across when fully open but could shrink down to golf ball size if it got stressed.

 

[Newb73]

Its fast.....but for a 150G...im not sure if its "really really fast". I put 3 small fish in a 120 and the ecosystem never even noticed they were there (judging from the parameters, algae growth etc) i imagine ill need about 5 fish and 2 or 3 corals before it would even begin to show....

Still My luck with anemones is they live for about a year and then find a way to self destruct....some are lucky though! Personally i dont like things that move a lot in my system (other than the fish)...heck i dont even like crabs and star fish if you want to know the truth (prefer just to have the snails). Im a low maintanence kind of guy....

 

[shecter]

That's the reason I didn't replace mine. It was beautiful but moving all the time stinging my coral just turned me off of it.

 

[Nimitz]

Didn't plan on the BTA this soon but my wife won it at a reef conf .... With the exception of ph all my numbers continue to be good, I'm not adding anything for a while but I don't really think 7 sm fish and a couple of sm frags is really stressing the system ....I really like the clownfish/anemone interaction so eventually I'll be ading another ...hopefully the sponge will address that issue ...

 

[bairdimusprime]

sorry about the loss... bta's are off when it comes to behavior