LFS says "Dont Feed your Anemone"PICS

[tenwhiteduke]

I went to the LFS yesturday, and puchased a RBTA. My first finally. I have had a GBTA for 6 months now, and he/she started out great, but over the past few months Its just kinda shrunken up and not so pretty as before. I have been feeding it mysis and silversides. It seems to eat the mysis, but the silversides it takes it in, sucks on it a bit, and spits it back out. So I decided to get some info from my LFS, there was a new guy in the store I never met before, and he said "Never Feed your Anemones" That the silversides and shrimp will get them sick. They feed on plankton only.

So thats his advise. But does anyone have any help for me to get my GBTA back up and perky again. The clowns in this tank are scared of the BTA's it seems, they hang out in the brain only. I switched out my YS Maroons with the True Percs. The YSM were in the GBTA all the time. Its been over a month since I did this 6 weeks or more. Does this have anything to do with the GBTA looking so bored?

Anyways I need advise.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/150735June_14_012.jpg http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/150735June_14_017.jpg http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/150735June_14_021.jpg

[percula99]

If I am not mistaken, true percs don't naturally host in BTAs. It can happen, but it's not their first choice. You would be better off getting them a giant carpet or a ritteri. Those a more natural host for true percs. All clowns have their preferences. They generally won't host in an anmone unless it is the right type. Mine host in a leather umbrella, but that's another story.

[redvipe2010]

Your GBTA is starving, bleached, and near death. It does need to be fed. The guy at the LFS is wrong. You may have been feeding too large of portions of the silversides. Your maroons may have also been too rough on the BTA. Your tank may have been too new for the anemone also, and my have added some more stress. How much lighting do you have on that tank?

I would start feeding it tiny peices of food, daily until it improves. You can also try soaking its food in selcon for some added vitamins.

[redvipe2010]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10147352#post10147352 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by percula99
If I am not mistaken, true percs don't naturally host in BTAs. It can happen, but it's not their first choice. You would be better off getting them a giant carpet or a ritteri. Those a more natural host for true percs. All clowns have their preferences. They generally won't host in an anmone unless it is the right type. Mine host in a leather umbrella, but that's another story.

It is not there natural host, but many will host. I don't suggest a carpet or a ritteri in that tank. I also don't recommend it for someone that has only been in the hobby since January.

[tenwhiteduke]

I have not given it entire silversides, but small pieces at a time. Takes them in sucks the skin off, then spits it back out. I have been feeding it mysis shrimp, which it seems to like a few times a week. And I always have been soaking with selcon. I think im going to get some krill today and try that too.

He looked just fine when the marrons were in there. I dont think he is bleached, this is the same color its always been from day one, it might just be the picture.

I will try feeding him daily to see if that helps. Do you think its better to make my own batch of food.
Shrimp, squid grate it up and soak in selcon, then to get the mysis at the LFS?

And no I am not getting any more for this tank, but corals maybe.

[Slakker]

Looks bleached to me...anemones do need some food, no matter what the guy at your LFS says. The people that don't feed their anemones directly feed meaty foods to their whole reef and the anemone gets what it picks up.

What do you mean by small pieces of silverside? Because if it's bigger than about the size of a pencil's eraser, it's probably too big.

[dc]

I feed mine prime reef frozen cubes. Thawed of course.

[tenwhiteduke]

I have Prime Reef, but have never fed it to my BTA though. I guess I can try that too!

[redvipe2010]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10147478#post10147478 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tenwhiteduke
He looked just fine when the marrons were in there. I dont think he is bleached, this is the same color its always been from day one, it might just be the picture.

I will try feeding him daily to see if that helps. Do you think its better to make my own batch of food.
Shrimp, squid grate it up and soak in selcon, then to get the mysis at the LFS?

And no I am not getting any more for this tank, but corals maybe.

That nem is bleached, it was probably bleached when you got it. That is not uncommon. It also probably wasn't large enough to host Maroons. Those short stubby tenticles shows that it is starving.

I wouldn't get any more corals for that tank. It is too small.

How much lighting do you have on the tank, and what are your water parameters?

[tenwhiteduke]

I have 150w MH,

temps 78
Amm 0
trites 0
trates 0
ph 7.8

everything is normal. This bta has been like this since removing the Marroons about 6 weeks now. I have been feeding three times a week to him specifically. I also put in mysis shrimp into the tank daily for the clowns, which swirls around the tank and some of those also get into the BTA. So there has been plenty of food.

[Slakker]

what's your specific gravity?

[phender]

I'm I looking at the same pictures you guys are? Bleached RBTAs are pink.
The flash picture has washed the color out a little, but it doesn't look anywhere near bleached to me.
It looks to be in pretty good shape to me.
Percs usually take some time to accept BTAs as hosts. I had a pair that took over a years to finally go into a BTA that took up most of the tank. Be patient.

[puter]

Took me a while to see it too. Best shot is the 2nd picture. Green BTA is above and to the left of the RBTA. It's hard to tell how close the GBTA is to the RBTA... I would not assume that they're going to get along well (in fact I'd assume they won't).

I agree with the recommendations to keep feeding it small pieces of food (mysis, shredded shrimp, cyclopeeze) two-three times per week. I'd also run carbon, make sure there is some distance between it and the RBTA and just give it time to recover.

Mark

[liferuiner055]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10147574#post10147574 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dc
I feed mine prime reef frozen cubes. Thawed of course.

<edit>

also, thawed brine shrimp works good as well.

[liferuiner055]

oh yeah and some LFS are dumb, and the people working there dont always know everything. so always looks for a second opinion on certain things.

[holesinhappines]

I have a carpet and 2 bubble tips.... as well as a mating pair of True PErcs...


One hosts the Capret one hosts the BTA. They both started out in the BTA

[a&cbowman]

Try feeding krill as well, small 1/4 pieces at first, my anemones dont like silversides as much, they are actually pretty picky, but they gobble the krill right up.

[Musho3210]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10147850#post10147850 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Slakker
what's your specific gravity?

Preferably a SG tested from a refractometer or digital.

[thrillreefer]

Keep it away from the rose bulb. It appears pretty close and may be getting stung. To get a feeding response without clowns, try gently shaking food in its tentacles until it starts to really grab on. I have found anemones don't like "dead" food so you have to entice it by wiggling it the way a clown would (or a live fish trying to escape). Mine loves frozen brine shrimp

I wouldn't give up on the anemone yet. I have a rose bulb that kept bleaching and moving around my tank. It went into death mode: retracted and absorbed all of its tentacles and appeared as if it was going to "melt" as many anemones do when they die. However, I moved it to a secluded spot as a last attempt to save it. After a week, it started to recover, regrew its tentacles, and is now thriving over a year later. So keep trying new foods, give it a new spot in tank, and see if it can't recover.

[flasher1]

you might want to try to bring your pH up. It is borderline at 7.8. Anything less then that can stress out your fish and corals.

[OrionN]

The GBTA is in bad shape, but the RBTA seem OK. I would make sure the water condition is good and feed them more. The green one seem to be starved, IMO.

[OrionN]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10148198#post10148198 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phender
I'm I looking at the same pictures you guys are? Bleached RBTAs are pink. ...
Phil,
I think most of the post that talk about a bleached anemone above are talking about the GBTA with is small with bleached color and very short tentacles above and to the lelf of the RBTA.

[anemoneguy]

i had a pair of true percs that hosted in a rba. they loved it. i also would not suggest a hard species like a carpet or ritteri to some one wih little exp. also i see only he only has a 24 aquapod. dont we agree a large nem needs a little more than that?

[55semireef]

there was a new guy in the store I never met before, and he said "Never Feed your Anemones" That the silversides and shrimp will get them sick. They feed on plankton only

Incorrect...anemones do need pieces of meaty foods to sustain their nutritional and energy needs. Fresh pieces of silversides or shrimp will not get your anemone sick. It is when you feed them rotten pieces of silversides or shrimp. That will cause any anemone to become sick. Plankton is not enough for anemones by the way.

Your RBTA looks healthy but your GBTA looks extremely bleached. Don't listen to that new lfs guy. Feed it small pieces of fish and shrimp.

Good luck.

[Slakker]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10155137#post10155137 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by anemoneguy
i had a pair of true percs that hosted in a rba. they loved it. i also would not suggest a hard species like a carpet or ritteri to some one wih little exp. also i see only he only has a 24 aquapod. dont we agree a large nem needs a little more than that?

Realistically BTA's need more room than that long term, too...

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10157153#post10157153 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Slakker
Realistically BTA's need more room than that long term, too...

Realistcally, anemones need the ocean...;). But then again this is a hobby.

[Slakker]

A fair point...lol

[rkelman]

Is it possible the RBTA is stinging the GBTA? Just a thought... I wouldnt suggest a Carpet to someone with a 24g tank.. I wouldnt suggest 2 BTA's either. Personally I would keep the RBTA and give the GBTA to someone with a larger / established tank and hopefully it will pull through. As suggested small pieces of food and good water quality are really all you can do.