Anemone?

[Barrett.Oliver]

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Just recently got a BTA, seems to be doing quite well, target feeding regularly, water 'rams are good. 2 K2's for flow. He has even found a home on a piece of LR!!....

My problem/question is he is in the back of the tank (almost on his side). Which means there is a little lack of light on the underside of him. The top part of him that is getting the light is nice a bubbly tipped, but the underside of him is rather unbubbly tipped. I first and foremost want to be sure this is going to be okay for him? Also secondly want to know if there is a way to coax him to another spot(in front maybe?). Or is he better off left where he is?

We'll soon be getting some Clownfish (hopefully), and I would hate for them to start hosting in the back of the tank out of sight. Many thanks to those who can offer some help, and to those of you interested enough to read (and perhaps learn).

Barrett Oliver

[BC564]

If you can...move him to the front of the tank and place in the same kind of conditions in the front of the tank....hopefully he will stay...it may take a few times....I had to move mine for a couple of weeks until I got the light and flow to his liking.....he doesnt move at all now....oh...I also fed him only in the front of the tank shortly after I placed him there....hoping he would think that it was a good food source in that location....I never fed him at the back of tank.

[Keri]

mine ran to the back when I put him in too, where the lighting was bad, but over a couple of weeks he moved to the front into the best light/flow

[Barrett.Oliver]

How would you suggest to safely remove him from a rock?

[BC564]

I just worked at the foot and slowly and carefully peeled him off. sometimes they tend to have a super good hold and you can't....then you just have to leave him be and try later.

[RCFA]

Rather than moving the anemone I would try to move the rock it is attached to. Much less stress than trying to peel it off of a rock.

[tang daddy]

my rbta moved to the bottom of my tank, I had originally placed him on the top, he lives in a cave now and when the lights go on he moves out to get the light and food.


When you say the back does this mean facing the back or can you see him if he's facing the back I would try to move the rock he's on to the front however if he's unhappy in the front he may move to the back again if this happens use a powerhead to point at him and hopefully he'll be upset and move to the front. I thought anemones need alot of light but mine apparently likes abit of light and is very comfortable hiding in the cave until the light comes on, I feed mine once every 2 weeks.

[Pier Pressure]

We have to keep in mind that these are animals and not plants. I also direct feed only when they are in a spot I like, but I have had lots of nems and no matter what it seems like sooner or later they go rambling on...

[mike31154]

My BTA stayed put in the placement I chose when introduced to the tank for close to a year, then decided to move to the back of the tank and farther down. I had placed it near the center of the tank about 1/3rd off the bottom in a nice hollow of a piece of LR. I had 2 Maroon Clowns hosting in it already when it decided on this perplexing move into a darker area. It really sucked since I could no longer see what was going on with it or the clowns without sticking a mirror in the tank.

Knowing that they generally move to a place they find to their liking I let it be for close to a month hoping it may realize there's less light where it had moved to and come back to the forefront. Darn thing stayed put and when I noticed it starting to shrink and lose colour, decided to bite the bullet and rearrange the rock work, grrr, big job. I didn't even consider trying to detach it and move it that way, it was tucked away too well. Ended up rotating the rock it was on to position close to where it had been before, perhaps a little higher. It hasn't moved since, regained a good colour and is once again growing.

In your case, it might be a good idea to wait it out a little, watch it closely to see if it's losing colour or shrinking in size. I get the impression it hasn't been in your tank very long and it may yet move to a more viewable spot for you. If not, you may need to do as I had to and move the rock, or try the various methods to make it let go so you're able to move it. No guarantees that it won't move again though.

[fishytime]

They love to get their foot into a small hole and then expand around it, wedging themselves in. Just my theorizing, but I think they put the need to find a good foothold above their requirement for light. The power head trick works.

[EmilyB]

You can't place an anemone where "it should be". It will find it's place and you better make sure it can't get into a powerhead. :razz:

I've got a RBTA right now that had two spots, something new for me. During the day, it was on the glass, and towards evening always ended up in it's normal spot in the rock.

I cleaned my powerheads...:redface: and it seems much more settled...

[Barrett.Oliver]

I guess the general thoughts are the powerhead trick for right now, as the BTA is just going to go where he wants to. Many thanks to those of you who took the time to lend a hand!

Hope he gets bored of the spot hes in and moves to a spot I'm not bored of him being in.

Barrett