Bad news for my BTA

[davidryder]

Well, I bought a very healthy BTA about a month ago along with a GSM. The GSM took to the anemone very fast. I had heard they are rough on anemones but this was pretty bad. Anyway, I have been feeding him (at least I thought) for the past month a whole piece of salad shrimp a couple times a week trying to get him back in shape.

Well tonight I was watching because it was getting worse and I fed him and my fire shrimp came and tried to take it!! I watched for a half hour and the BTA got most of it in it's mouth so I walked away. Came back and he was tugging on it again and nipping at it's flesh. Sooooo I had to watch it eat the entire shrimp (almost an hour). I put a metal strainer over the anemone so the GSM couldn't get to it. I'll keep it under there until it recovers. It it a metal grater with made of thin wire so it let's quite a bit of light in.

Any other thoughts?

I'll post a picture tomorrow.

[rachelcb80]

My Clarkiis will take the food from my BTA when I feed it. I have to "stand guard" with the pole I feed the BTA with and push away the Clarkiis. I was having trouble awhile back with my BTA not eating the shrimp very fast, or not eating it at all. After some reading and posting I determined a whole shrimp was just to big for it. I've gone to feeding a half, or third, of a scallop and my BTA seems to do much better with that. I'd say try a very small piece of shrimp, or whatever else you want to feed, and see if it does better with the smaller size.

[RichConley]

The problem most people have with maroons and BTAs are that their BTAs are WAY too small to be hosting those size clowns.


You people do realize that BTAs really dont need to eat, right?


Also, BTAs aren't fish eaters in the wild. If you do feed them, feed them small food: brine and mysis.

[MACJMC]

You people do realize that BTAs really dont need to eat, right?

I would like to see some proof on this statement.

Here is a pretty good article on feeding anemones http://www.karensroseanemones.com/feedingyourbta.htm (not sure if I can insert this link) HTH

[rustybucket145]

If your metal strainer isn't 316L Stainless Steel it will begin (already has) begun to break down releasing metals into your tank (not good!!) Pull it out asap and replace it with a tupperware with holes cut in it.

[RichConley]

Originally posted by MACJMC
I would like to see some proof on this statement.

Here is a pretty good article on feeding anemones http://www.karensroseanemones.com/feedingyourbta.htm (not sure if I can insert this link) HTH

Check out any of the thousands of tanks with BTAs that dont target feed them. Yes, they grow faster with target feeding, but they still grow ridiculously fast with just good water and light.

Even without feeding, they grow fast enough, that long term, they can become a nusiance.

[hensleyrobw]

there isn't any need to feed a BTA if you have good lighting and especially if it host a fish. most clowns will feed the anemone themselves with there waste or i've seen them feed the BTA with shrimp fed to the fish. had many years of BTA without target feeding, even had reproduction of them.

[kirkland]

I agree with feeding the BTA smaller bits of food. Chop that shrimp up! Our BTA is hosted by 2 GSM but the BTA is huge and doesn't have a problem with them. When I feed the tank, the clownfishes take small morsels over to the BTA who eats them pretty quickly. It's funny watching because the GSM go back to the BTA after all the food is gone and seem surprised that there isn't any food left in the BTA for them.

[Aquaman]

The following is quoted from

FIELD GUIDE TO ANEMONE FISHES AND THEIR HOST SEA ANEMONES

Dr. Daphne G. Fautin
AND
Dr. Gerald R. Allen

Sea anemones are invertebrates, or animals lacking backbones, in contrast with fishes, which are vertebrates.

Primitive animals, anemones belong to the phylum variously known as Cnidaria (with a silent "c") or Coelenterata ("se-len-ter-a'-ta"). The former name alludes to the cnidae, or nematocysts, that are manufactured by all members of this phylum, and only by them. The latter means "hollow gut," referring to the single body cavity that serves as stomach, lung, intestine, circulatory system, and everything else. There is but one opening (the mouth) into this cavity, through which all water, food, and gametes pass in and out. It is surrounded by few or many tentacles, which are finger-like or filamentous projections, typically studded with nematocysts. They are active in capturing food and transferring it to the mouth, and may be used defensively, too


The very fact that they are classified as an animal means they eat. They do capture small fish, shrimp, mysis and what ever else that comes in contact with their tenticles. If you have clowns that host with the anemone the clowns can feed it their waste but that is not a good nor reliable method of ensuring the anemone's survival.

[TitansFan]

well lets keep this simple... if it did not need to eat why would it have a mouth and stomach?

[Tyler.L]

why do any corals have a mouth and stomach?? mushrooms, brains, acans.....everything can be spot fed but do they really need it?

i feed my bta formula one pellets and eats it no problem...but i like watching my corals eat anyways...

[RichConley]

Originally posted by TitansFan
well lets keep this simple... if it did not need to eat why would it have a mouth and stomach?

Ever heard of a vestigal organ?


Dont forget, its stomach and mouth are also its butt and its colon.

The very fact that they are classified as an animal means they eat. They do capture small fish, shrimp, mysis and what ever else that comes in contact with their tenticles. If you have clowns that host with the anemone the clowns can feed it their waste but that is not a good nor reliable method of ensuring the anemone's survival.

No, it doesnt. Many zooanthid species have mouths and dont eat.


These are animals capable of providing 100% of their nutrient needs through photosynthesis and adsorption. They can eat, yes, but they dont need to.

[woz9683]

Which are also things that wouldn't be necessary if it didn't eat (the butt and colon)

[RichConley]

Originally posted by woz9683
Which are also things that wouldn't be necessary if it didn't eat (the butt and colon)

Just because something doesnt eat doesnt mean it doesnt expel waste. Photsynthesis converts energy into matter.

It also expells gametes from its mouth. Do things that dont eat not reproduce either?

[SPARTAN VI]

Originally posted by RichConley

Dont forget, its stomach and mouth are also its butt and its colon.

And even reproductive sac.

[Aquaman]

Originally posted by RichConley
These are animals capable of providing 100% of their nutrient needs through photosynthesis and adsorption.

Can you point me to published documentation that colaborates your above statement?

Thanks.

[RichConley]

Originally posted by Aquaman
Can you point me to published documentation that colaborates your above statement?

Thanks.

No, can you post published papers saying otherwise? (and I dont mean reefkeeping, advanced aquarist, etc, articles without trials and carefully done experiments)

I've kept quite a few BTAs, and never target fed a single one in my tank. They grow quite fine, and reproduce to the point of being a nuisance. Many others have had the same experience.

[davidryder]

Originally posted by RichConley
Check out any of the thousands of tanks with BTAs that dont target feed them. Yes, they grow faster with target feeding, but they still grow ridiculously fast with just good water and light.

Even without feeding, they grow fast enough, that long term, they can become a nusiance.

The anemone is severely damaged that's why, among other reasons, I feed mine - to speed its recovery. Thanks for the info, though.

[ludnix]

Originally posted by RichConley
No, can you post published papers saying otherwise? (and I dont mean reefkeeping, advanced aquarist, etc, articles without trials and carefully done experiments)

I've kept quite a few BTAs, and never target fed a single one in my tank. They grow quite fine, and reproduce to the point of being a nuisance. Many others have had the same experience.

I agree completely with Rich here. The purpose of being photosynthetic would be to obtain the energy from the light. For example Pitcher Plants are plants capable of digesting animals and insects however they can be 100% healthy without feeding on them from photosynthesis alone.

That aside, I think it's good that you're feeding your anemone while it is sick. Also I would try and build a new feeding cage for, that is not made metal. I would try and piece together a couple of strawberry baskets using zip-ties.

[LobsterOfJustice]

Originally posted by TitansFan
well lets keep this simple... if it did not need to eat why would it have a mouth and stomach?

Why do you have an appendix?

They do not need to eat if they have sufficient lighting (like most corals we keep in our tanks). Most people that keep coral and anemones dont feed them anything but light.

They have a mouth and stomach because they evolved from other cnidarians which did not posess zooxanthellae, and therefore could not meet their energy needs by photosyhthesis. There are indeed types of anemones and coral that need to eat. Then again, there are also coral that have evolved so far away from this that they could not eat if they tried. Xenia's stinging cells and gut have seen no use in so many thousands of years that xenia is not able to capture or digest prey.

[davidryder]

They have to eat, but don't necessarily have to be fed - if there is enough food to be eaten. Whether it is intentional or not, we all feed anemones if we feed fish. Surely you aren't suggesting that all mass and energy comes from the light.

[davidryder]

After a day in the cage it's already doing much better. I will continue to feed it - daily - until I feel it's large enough for the GSM. Thanks for all the comments.

[LobsterOfJustice]

Daily feeding will probably result in two anemones rather than one larger one.

[LobsterOfJustice]

Originally posted by davidryder
Surely you aren't suggesting that all mass and energy comes from the light.

Well, not exactly, I never said they do not absorb nutrients and other things from the water. Why cant anemones do it? Plants do it. Think about those huge redwood trees. They dont eat, where do they come from?

[davidryder]

Originally posted by LobsterOfJustice
Well, not exactly, I never said they do not absorb nutrients and other things from the water. Why cant anemones do it? Plants do it. Think about those huge redwood trees. They dont eat, where do they come from?

Either way their mouths aren't useless or a leftover part of evolution - I watch my anemone eat food they are very useful. I don't know how plants create mass, but I know it takes hundreds of years for a giant redwood to reach maximum size.

And my point was only that anemones eat and we feed them - directly or indirectly. I don't know if they can survive solely on nutrients in the water but I would be interested to know for sure.