Anem mowing down my SPS

[the Undone guy]

Before I went to bed last night I found my GBTA basically sitting on top of my SPS frags. Most notably my rainbow pocillopora which just happens to be my favorite =/ I moved the anemone and hoped for the best....

Today the poci isn't looking so hot. Before the polyps were fully extended and it looked beautiful, but now only some of the polyps are extended and the bottom portion of the skeleton seems white. The other stag frags I have seem to be ok though. Is there anything I can do to help in its recovery or is time going to be my only friend here? Thanks!

[Gyr]

My rose BTA has stung a few SPS's in the past and they always recovered after being moved away. But I never had the BTA sitting on top of the coral, just tenticles brushing up against them for a while. That part of the coral would start to get pale, even bleach when I didn't move it for a week or two, but eventually would recover. I suspect your Pocci will recover with time, too, but yours sounds like it got a bigger hit than mine ever did.

Good luck.

[the Undone guy]

My rose BTA has stung a few SPS's in the past and they always recovered after being moved away. But I never had the BTA sitting on top of the coral, just tenticles brushing up against them for a while. That part of the coral would start to get pale, even bleach when I didn't move it for a week or two, but eventually would recover. I suspect your Pocci will recover with time, too, but yours sounds like it got a bigger hit than mine ever did.

Good luck.

I'm sure it was just moving along and I happened to catch him in the act. I'll try and get a pic tomorrow when the halide turns back on. Thanks for the hope! Now if I could get the damned anem to stop moving in the first place...

[Gyr]

I have been lucky with my BTA. She found her spot within a week of being added to my first tank, and then again after moving to my new system. She didn't move again. I didn't epoxy any corals in place for a few months, however, in case it took her a while to settle in. If your BTA keeps on moving, that suggests she may not be able to find a micro-environment she feels comfortable in. (Not enough or too much light, not enough or too much flow, seem to be the most likely problems in my limited experience.)

Good luck.

Oh yeah, be sure to put coverings over your powerheads (I used nylon stockings) until the BTA settles into a spot.

[the Undone guy]

I have been lucky with my BTA. She found her spot within a week of being added to my first tank, and then again after moving to my new system. She didn't move again. I didn't epoxy any corals in place for a few months, however, in case it took her a while to settle in. If your BTA keeps on moving, that suggests she may not be able to find a micro-environment she feels comfortable in. (Not enough or too much light, not enough or too much flow, seem to be the most likely problems in my limited experience.)

Good luck.

Oh yeah, be sure to put coverings over your powerheads (I used nylon stockings) until the BTA settles into a spot.

I use an MP10 on different settings throughout the day, think that may contribute to my GBTA not liking its environment since the flow is always changing?

[allsps40]

Get rid of the BTA. Nothing good can happen with one in a sps tank. IE kills sps.

[Dog boy Dave]

What AllSPS said times 4. Its not if its when......

[Pallobi]

Agreed w/ previous posts... sps tanks are absolutely no place for anems... unless u like to damage ur corals...

[droth335]

+4....I think anenomes are cool but don't have one for that very reason...

[Gyr]

I use an MP10 on different settings throughout the day, think that may contribute to my GBTA not liking its environment since the flow is always changing?

I don't think so. I have two Vortechs, usually keep one on reefcrest mode, the other on lagoon, and my RBTA is apparantly content. That being said, it is in an area of the tank where it is not getting blasted by the current.


With regard to the above posts, I agree that keeping a nem in a tank with corals is not without risks, but personally, I think it is worth it. I have been lucky with my BTA in that it really hasn't ever moved much, and when it did it was slow (several inches over the course of a few days). Before my upgrade, it was in a 55 gallon tank that got VERY crowded with SPS and the BTA did, in fact, come in contact with several SPS's. After a few days of contact I would notice the SPS turning white in the area the nem was touching, but when I moved the SPS they always recovered. I do keep a fairly large 'safety zone' of no corals close to the BTA, but if it does start to roam I can always move the SPS or remove the BTA.

Here are a few shots of my BTA and surrounding SPS. This first one is a right-end view and from this angle it looks like there are SPS's right next to it, but the ones that look close are actually quite a bit to the left or right of the BTA (from a front of tank perspective).

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=648&pictureid=29257


Here is a front of tank shot. I can't get accurate color representation of the corals from this angle, but at least you can see how the BTA is located between the back wall and a ridge of rockwork that is barren of any coral. I do have corals in front of BTA, but there are at least 5 inches of no-man's land between the BTA at its maximum expansion and any of the corals. You can kind of see where the maximum extension range of the BTA is on the rock work (it is paler and barren of the clove polyps that cover most of the other rock in my tank).

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=648&pictureid=29293


I'd estimate my BTA is about 10-12 inches when fully expanded. It adds a lot of color to the tank, and it also adds 'movement' which would otherwise be lacking in my SPS dominant tank. I also really enjoy the clownfish/anemonie interaction. I think the BTA is actually the 'show piece' of my tank.

Good luck.

[Tony B (UK)]

I got rid of my gbta for two reasons, first because it walked when a tunze stream failed, smoking corals as it moved along. Second reason was space, it was about 20inches from tip to tip.

I doubt I'd have one with sps again.

Tony

[SPSEMPIRE]

IMO, I wouldn't want any kind of anemone in my sps tank. With every rule, there are exceptions. Gyr, you are either doing something right or you have gotten really really lucky.

[Toadally]

Agree....no place in a SPS system.

[Gyr]

Gyr, you are either doing something right or you have gotten really really lucky.

I'd like to think the former, but its likely the later. My particular BTA just seems to be a couch potato.

[M Woodhill]

I always have my nem and spss coexist and they always make it.

[jakearoe]

I think I posted this on another thread...but

I finally decided to move my rbta (huge nem) out of my 120 sps system - couldn't take the worry anymore as it got so big any shift in how it opened up each day would put one or more corals possibly in harm's way. A buddy suggested a another tank (in this case a 29 MH cube) and move the nem and the clowns to that tank.

So I set the new tank up, got it cycling and moving, then bam - nem splits into three. I would have been screwed if I didn't have another tank ready to go. Now we have a 29 cube in our basement family room, nems and clowns are happy, and I think I will be adding clams and acans to fill it out. I also moved a bid 25 head frogspawn to the nem tank to make more room in my 120. It is turning out to be a fantastic idea. My wife was not at all in favor of moving the nem (as it turned out three nems) and clowns, as change can be difficult. But she is beyond happy with the new tank.

I realize not every problem can be solved with spending more $$$ on a new system, but I guess I have to agree with some of the other posters...you just never know when things are going to change with anemones.

[gary faulkner]

It will move, just a matter of time. And when it does it will leave a path of destruction. I won't ever keep a nem in an SPS system again.

[karavak]

I have a mixed tank and currently have 7 RBTA in the 120g tank.. and if they would just sit still I wouldn't be looking to sell off most of them!

They get comfortable and then start roaming.. right after I made room for them by moving corals out the way.

After one did a major hike to go and sit right next to my clam I decided that most of them need to go... so I'm almost to the point of giving them away.

You are a brave man to have one in that dense of a tank.

[RRaider]

I think I posted this on another thread...but

I finally decided to move my rbta (huge nem) out of my 120 sps system - couldn't take the worry anymore as it got so big any shift in how it opened up each day would put one or more corals possibly in harm's way. A buddy suggested a another tank (in this case a 29 MH cube) and move the nem and the clowns to that tank.

So I set the new tank up, got it cycling and moving, then bam - nem splits into three. I would have been screwed if I didn't have another tank ready to go. Now we have a 29 cube in our basement family room, nems and clowns are happy, and I think I will be adding clams and acans to fill it out. I also moved a bid 25 head frogspawn to the nem tank to make more room in my 120. It is turning out to be a fantastic idea. My wife was not at all in favor of moving the nem (as it turned out three nems) and clowns, as change can be difficult. But she is beyond happy with the new tank.

I realize not every problem can be solved with spending more $$$ on a new system, but I guess I have to agree with some of the other posters...you just never know when things are going to change with anemones.

Chances are it split because of the stress of being moved.

[RRaider]

I have a sebae I've had for over 2 years who hasn't caused any problems. He stays on the sand bed.

I did have a gbta and before it was said and done I ended up with 11 of them. Traded them all in once one started stinging my green slimer.

[NatureNerd]

I have had an LTA for fifteen years in my SPS dominated reef and it is probably my favorite animal. It hasn't moved after settling in and anchoring its foot in the sand to the bottom glass next to a rock. It made me worry only for a few days until it found its spot. It hasn't moved since then. It is a perfect addition to my particular tank. I think BTA's are more likely to wander.

My anem provides movement, it hosts my pair of occ clowns, it is easy to control in size, and it is interesting and beautiful to watch. If I feed it, it grows, if I don't it stays the same size or very slowly (think years not months) decreases in size. I feed it only about once a month because it gets some pods and small shrimps that have a steady population in my tank. I will always have an LTA in any SPS reef I setup.

[NatureNerd]

I think it really matters what species of anemone you try to keep with SPS.

[jakearoe]

Chances are it split because of the stress of being moved.

I should have been clearer - it split right before I was going to move it - so I ended up having to dislodge and move 3 nems. Not sure why it split, it was almost as big as a dinner plate.