Anemone trouble after moving rocks

hrdneglcry · Apr 7, 2023

I have 3 RBTA in my 120. Two larger around 5-6" sometime and a smaller around 3-4". I did a major rock rearrangement but left the Nems rocks where they were. But th seascap around them changed. Two receded and I built some burms above them which I have found lets them crawl out later when they are adjusted. But on is actually hanging upside down in a cave. Like if you ever saw when people take the rock out and hang the Nem over a water dish to detach it. This Nem is hanging upside down. The top mouth side is resting on the ground. It is stretched to about 3 inches and dangling. It doesn't look good. All three have run for cover after the rocks were moved but I have not seen on look like this. Any tips? Nothing else change besides the rocks. And I kept their rocks in the same place but moved those around them. I am not very concerned about two of them but the one hanging upside down worries me somewhat.

HankstankXXL750 · Apr 7, 2023

Was he attached to the bottom before? You said you didn’t move their rocks so was he there before, just not hanging down?

hrdneglcry · Apr 7, 2023

HankstankXXXL750 said:
Was he attached to the bottom before? You said you didn’t move their rocks so was he there before, just not hanging down?

No. He was around on the top of this rock. He was there for awhile. A week at least. Maybe 2-3 weeks. But a few days ago he started to deflate. Which I have seen them do before. But then he went under and now hes hanging. I added more rock to the tank after this to cut down the flow and give more lighting options. I have had him for quite awhile and he has done fine. But there was a landscape change. I tried to not move the nems. But they all have retreated. This one though, I never saw one hang upside down. I hope I didn't over feed it. I know recently I hit them two days in a row which I usually do not do. The smaller one was hiding and I stacked rocks around it. It then was able to find the conditions it wanted with flow and light.

HankstankXXL750 · Apr 7, 2023

I’m no expert, but all three of my BTA’s are 1 1/2-2years old and I have never fed them once. I feed brine, spirulina brine and mysis and they collect some of that.
IMO don’t feed your nem allow it to get food from the water column and photosynthesis. The one in my 75 is almost dinnerplate size when fully expanded.

hrdneglcry · Apr 8, 2023

HankstankXXXL750 said:
I’m no expert, but all three of my BTA’s are 1 1/2-2years old and I have never fed them once. I feed brine, spirulina brine and mysis and they collect some of that.
IMO don’t feed your nem allow it to get food from the water column and photosynthesis. The one in my 75 is almost dinnerplate size when fully expanded.

Yes I hear many people say that. I do hear others that feed them. They grow faster and they do eat eagerly. I notice mine get stronger. But really should be no more than every other day. If a Clown is hosting them they are actively feeding them with their own waste of by grabbing food and giving it to them. So I am not opposed to feeding mine.

Nano_Man · Apr 8, 2023

Brine shrimp once a week . A lot of people don’t feed them at all as said above. Nem will come out for light at sometime. I’ve had them missing for 2 weeks in rock work

Cell · Apr 8, 2023

When i want a bta to grow fast and promote a split, I direct feed it several times a week.

HankstankXXL750 · Apr 8, 2023

hrdneglcry said:
Yes I hear many people say that. I do hear others that feed them. They grow faster and they do eat eagerly. I notice mine get stronger. But really should be no more than every other day. If a Clown is hosting them they are actively feeding them with their own waste of by grabbing food and giving it to them. So I am not opposed to feeding mine.

As I said no expert. However I see many places on the internet and here where people talk about feeding them a chunk of shrimp and them regurgitating it and never recovering and dying. I’ve never had that happen, and I did feed the huge one once or twice then quit. But this is just anecdotal as we don’t know their parameters, wether the shrimp was thawed completely or left out too long? So I would say it is an individuals choice, and as you stated they will get more nutrition if they are hosted. I do like what some others have said about target feeding, but if so I would probably use mysis as it is supposed to be more nutritious than plain frozen brine.