Is this unusual behavior for a Rose BTA ?

[David Grigor]

I have had this Rose anemone that I got from someone locally getting out of the hobby for about 2 months now. It is in a 37g Oceanic with a 400W 20K Radium on it ( recently changed from the 250W HQI DE 10K ).

It has developed some sort of ritual ( even before the lighting change ). It will hang out in the light for about a week or so and then go behind the rock in the tank for 5 or so days where the best I can tell it doesn't get any real amount of light but I think it really likes the MJ powerhead flow back there. I can't directly see the anemone but if I look at the reflection in the back glass at just the right angle I can tell it is there and flowing in the current.

I am not really concerned as it is nice size and color looks really good. The first couple of times I was hoping that it was about to split.

Has anyone else seen this kind of behavior on a regular basis ? I have seen were some have said that their anemone has basically stayed put.....

[jbf16falcon]

I think that it just hasn't decided what location it likes best in the tank yet. Maybe it would like a little more water flow in a lighted location. Mine all keep their feet in a crevice, cave or dark location and extend toward the light. I have about 40 bubble tips in a 175 gal reef and turn over 1500 gallons an hour. Lighting is 10 three foot VHO's. The population doubles at a rate of about every 6 months. Mine do not move around except when they split and move to a location they like. Most don't move more than a few inches from the one they split from. So all in all I would say your's is still searching for a location that provides all the conditions it would like and will probably wander from good current flow back to good lighting and back again etc. until you provide it a location that meets both the needs. Just my opinion.

[David Grigor]

I have good flow in the tank. However, The one powerhead in the back is the only one that is on 24/7. The rest are on a Tsunami wavemaker with 15-20 minute long intervals. Perhaps it prefers that flow just can't survive there.

During the first few weeks it was literally all over the tank but has settled down to alternating between the two locations.

[Ironreef]

fwiw mine stays uder a ledge and recieves shade 250w 6.5k with 4 110w vho. Its under current from a sea swirl. i belive it likes the flow and really not too much light? Otherwise it would go higer?? It came from 400w 10k and stayed on the bottom. I put it in and it stayed in that same spot withing 3-5" for 1 week now. They probally like the current. I watch the bubble blow. hope they don't pop :)

[Angel*Fish]

D.Grigor - You have probably already thought of this-- but just in case-- I don't know what kind of light your BTA had before you got it..

But one thing I noticed when I added better lighting for my BTA was that it started heading down away from the light - so instead of leaving the light on for 10 hours, I cut back to about 3 hours and have gradually built up to about 6 -- it is coloring up nicely and readjusted itself and went back to where it was originally.

Yours may have different issues - but I think mine just needed to work on its "tan"

From what I have observed with mine is also that it really LOVES actinic light - I plan on buying it a brand new very powerful one for Christmas:D

[David Grigor]

It originally came from a 40g breeder with 2X400W Iwasakis.

It was all over his tank and gotten caught in powerheads on several occassions. Which was a plus for him becuase it was the #1 cause for it to split. I have foam inserts on all the powerheads now.