Thinking about a BTA for my clowns... Need help!

reefiniteasy · Oct 12, 2019

Hey everyone! So I have my classroom 16 gallon BioCube with a pair of black and white clowns. We are ready for coral and I want to add something the clowns can host. I was told a BTA would be a good choice. What do BTA require in terms of light and flow? I have a Kessil A80 Tuna Blue and a Hydor Koralia Nano 425. Also, where would I place the BTA in my aquarium? How much should I look to spend and what vendor is the best source?

Also, if a BTA is not ideal, what other options do I have?
Here is a picture of my tank.

Leslie Tabor · Oct 12, 2019

How old is your tank? BTA require a pretty stable tank, most say at least a year old. They do like a lot of light and flow, but more importantly things have to be stable. You can't constantly change things, and the water quality should be stable as well.

I have no great suggestions for other options. I have seen flowerpot coral recommended. They don't HAVE to have an anemone, but it is cool. Just need patience.

KrisReef · Oct 12, 2019

My clowns like to hang out in a colony of blue metallic mushrooms. They also have a red bubble tip I added later and they use both now. I wish I had stayed with only the mushrooms because they are easier to keep and not as harmful to surrounding corals.

Nicholas Dushynsky · Oct 12, 2019

I would suggest not getting a bta, for a couple of reasons.
1. as you say it's a classroom tank and as nems can wander, there won't be anyone there when it gets stuck in the powerhead you have in there. It will happen when no one is there because that's what they do I wouldn't risk that.
2. There is no guarantee that the nem will host the clowns. I have had nems and 2 clowns for nearly a year in 1 tank and only 1 goes in them.
As for suggestions to other potential hosts you can have long polyp toadstool leather, which I have had in my old tank. Some lps such as hammers, torches or frogspawn, but the clowns could potentially damage the flesh if too aggressive to the lps. I have seen them in zoas aswel so you have some other choices.

Katrina71 · Oct 12, 2019

I'd get them a big fluffy frogspawn.

reefiniteasy · Oct 12, 2019

Leslie Tabor said:
How old is your tank? BTA require a pretty stable tank, most say at least a year old. They do like a lot of light and flow, but more importantly things have to be stable. You can't constantly change things, and the water quality should be stable as well.

I have no great suggestions for other options. I have seen flowerpot coral recommended. They don't HAVE to have an anemone, but it is cool. Just need patience.

The tank cycled back in April. I used Fritz TurboStart and ammonium chloride. It went very smooth. Once it was cycled I then kept dosing ammonia throughout the summer in place of having fish. Not being in the classroom full time I didn’t want to add livestock and not be around. Then when school started in August I added a CUC and then the clowns. When I added the CUC I also added another bottle of TurboStart. Everything has been great. My have parameters have been fairly consistent at:
pH - 8.15
NO3 - 10ppm
Mg - 1380ppm
KH/Alk - 8.15dKH
Ca - 450ppm

reefiniteasy · Oct 12, 2019

Nicholas Dushynsky said:
Some lps such as hammers, torches or frogspawn

Katrina71 said:
I'd get them a big fluffy frogspawn.

Are frogspawns easy to keep?

Katrina71 · Oct 12, 2019

Alex Sadowsky said:
Are frogspawns easy to keep?

Much less headache than bta imo.

Nicholas Dushynsky · Oct 12, 2019

This was my old 24 gal with the toadstool in

Katrina71 · Oct 12, 2019

My son's frogspawn.

Nicholas Dushynsky · Oct 12, 2019

I agree, bta can be a big pain. I have had the same hammer for over 13 years now and it is much more forgiving than my other corals. I have only had frogspawn this last year. I will say though I have this tank with 2 clowns in. It is over 3 years old and full of hammers torches and frogspawn and the clowns sleep in the top corner by the wave pump. They look like they might go in my torch but don't.

Nicholas Dushynsky · Oct 12, 2019

This is my sons 7 gal with 2 clowns in it for 3 years now and full of hammers, they sleep by the pump in this one also.

reefiniteasy · Oct 12, 2019

Where did you all pick up your hammers and frogspawn? And what should I be looking to spend?

Katrina71 · Oct 12, 2019

Alex Sadowsky said:
Where did you all pick up your hammers and frogspawn? And what should I be looking to spend?

We were told at least 3 heads to handle the stress of a clown pair. Ours is now about 8 heads. We paid 20.

Nicholas Dushynsky · Oct 12, 2019

You should be able to pick a few heads off of a fellow reefer near you or a lfs. The hammer that's in my tank and my sons is all the same coral that was the first one I bought over 13 years ago and that was 2 heads for £15. I have over 60 heads between both tanks and have sold lots off.

Nicholas Dushynsky · Oct 12, 2019

Oh another thing that could host clowns (please dont shout at me, fellow reefers) is pulsing xenia
That is so called easy to keep and gives nice movement. It doesn't require the constant testing and tweaking of calcium, alkalinity and magnesium as much. It can grow to be a pain though.
Although I say it's easy I can't keep it. I'm trying to grow it up the rear glass of my sons tank and its really slow at growing. Other people throw it away. I do like the pulsing on it though.

reefiniteasy · Oct 12, 2019

I’ll have to put out a thread searching for some. Hopefully someone local will have some they would part with.

sarcophytonIndy · Oct 12, 2019

Alex Sadowsky said:
Hey everyone! So I have my classroom 16 gallon BioCube with a pair of black and white clowns. We are ready for coral and I want to add something the clowns can host. I was told a BTA would be a good choice. What do BTA require in terms of light and flow? I have a Kessil A80 Tuna Blue and a Hydor Koralia Nano 425. Also, where would I place the BTA in my aquarium? How much should I look to spend and what vendor is the best source?

Also, if a BTA is not ideal, what other options do I have?
Here is a picture of my tank.

I have had good luck with BTA's hosting clowns in BioCubes

clowns in

TriggersAmuck · Oct 12, 2019

If you aren't aware of clubs in Orlando, try this one: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/orlando-reef-caretakers-association.212/

Also, World Wide Corals there in Orlando has an excellent reputation, though I'm sure there are many more. If you come towards Tampa I can recommend shops (as well as the two major reef clubs here) as resources for picking up either a BTA or Frogspawn.

TriggersAmuck · Oct 12, 2019

I think BTAs are the easiest anemone to keep, but I think most people are saying they are a PITA primarily because A) they wander, B) they can destroy neighboring corals (assuming you have a mixed reef). If you host one, you need to make sure your powerheads and any filter slots have foam or plastic guards (you can find 3D printed ones online) to keep the anemone from becoming a milk shake. Having said that, seeing a BTA grow and split over time can be very rewarding.