Eco, I did a bunch of reading and there seem to be two things people agree on for RBTAs: 1. They will move and search for better light if they aren't getting it; and 2. Aim a powerhead at it and it will get irritated and move.
Regarding #1 I found the following on Wet Web Media:
Bubble Tipped Anemone Mobility 2/8/06
Hi Crew,
<Hey, Mike G with you this afternoon.>
I have a current issue at hand I would like your input on.
<That's what we're here for.>
I purchased a while back a Rose bubble tip anemone from a reputable online company specializing in rare corals, colorations, etc., with a good history
of shipping great specimens. This purchase was no different in that the BTA was very vibrant and acclimated quite well.
<Always good news.>
I placed the anemone in a spot of the rockwork that is a little closer than ½ of the way up in my 250
gallon tank. He promptly inserted his foot in a crevice and seemed happy. This location provided moderate flow (tentacles swaying back and forth), and
good light from one of several 150 watt HQI Metal halides directly overhead. Since then, the crevice his foot has been attached to has allowed him to
alternate facing either the front or the back of the tank (depending on his mood I guess). This remained the case for about the first month.
<Sounds ideal for your anemone.>
Recently, we woke up to find that the anemone had walked upward to the next rock higher (very top of the rockwork maybe 12†from the top) and very
strong flow rate blasting from a near by power head (power head rated at 900 gph). His tentacles are flailing around in the current produced from the
power head and now closer to the same 150 watt MH light as it basically moved mainly vertically and slightly over horizontally. My main concern is
that this 1 ft. move has now placed the anemone dangerously close (about 2â€) from my Spaghetti finger leather (Sinularia flexilis). My leather was
shipped attached to a very small round rock and I had to utilize underwater epoxy glue to attach him otherwise I would have already moved him. I am not
sure how easy it will be to break the rock from the epoxy and what kind of stress that would be for the leather…although the alternative may be worse.
<In my experience, underwater epoxy doesn't hold very well at all, though I suppose I may only have access to bum epoxy. If you can't remove the leather, you can use powerheads aimed at the anemone's foot to force it to move to where you want it to. That, or you could merely wait for it to get to where it's headed and move all corals out of the way as it goes.>
I am afraid that the anemone may be intentionally encroaching on the leather and either one or both will be damaged/killed.
<I doubt the anemone's movement into the leather is in any way intentional - their movement seems to be, for the most part, entirely blind.>
In case water parameters are of issue here, ammonia/nitrite 0
<Perfect.>
nitrate 2.5
<Fine.>
pH 8.4
<Fine.>
SG 1.025
<Fine.>
temp 76.5 – 78
<A touch low for an anemone, though not at all serious in the least. ~80 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal.>
PO4 0
<Perfect.>
dKH 12
<Fine.>
calcium 380
<Low - should be ~400-450. I seriously doubt this has anything to do with the anemone's flight, however.>
I do 10%
weekly water changes with Tropic Marin Pro Reef mixed/aerated with RO water and aged for one week.
<You have good taste in salt and a wonderful water change schedule.>
Daily top offs with buffered RO water, skimmer pulling about 1 cup of great skimmate daily.
<Sounds like an incredible system! Good luck with it!>
Best regards,
Steven
<Same to you. Mike G>
So I guess what I am thinking is, can you move the whole rock into a location where the RBTA will have to detach and look for light? Aiming a powerhead it it might help irritatte it enough to make it move faster.
I have a rose anemone, but to be honest when I have to move it I move it like my condy- I just peel the edge of the foot up with a fingernail very carefully. It usually lets go when I get about halfway.
Hope this helped
Laurie
