Can a clown hurt the Anemone?

[VG30DE-TT]

I have a relatively small BTA, it's clearly bleached and having a hard time in my tank. My cheapo LED light have difficulty delivering enough par in the shadow of the rock this BTA loves to hide under.

The BTA has been in the tank for several weeks now, I make sure it gets feed when the fish do, it moves in and out of its hiding place every day usually 2-3 times a day and poops once a week. I know it needs more light, but I'm resisting the urge to pull it out of there and put it in a more PAR rich part of the tank.

Anyway the smaller of my two Clowns found out it loves rolling all over this BTA and hasn't left it alone all day (12+ hours non stop) and the BTA seems like it likes it and hasn't retracted up under its rock the whole time. Can the clown over do it? I assume if the BTA was unhappy or being injured it would hide back up in the rock.


Here is a video, it's just now so its Twilight in the tank, very dark 40% blue and that's it. But the clown just stays beating up on the BTA

 

[laverda]

I don’t think your clown is hurting you BTA, although it is possible. I would not move your anemone, it is capable of moving on its own. You can supplement your light with an additional light or slowly increase your ligh schedule to give it more light. It will take some time to recover from bleaching.
Please post the pertinent information about your tank. Tank size, age, lights, light schedule, parameters including at least ALK and nitrate and anything else you think may be relevant. How long have you had the anemone? How much flow is around the anemone?

 

[Ludders]

Just to second Laverda's comments, definitely don't move it and it's normal behaviour for a clown/anemone relationship.

What are you feeding it? I only feed mine about twice a week, not on the same cadence as the fish.

 

[VG30DE-TT]

pertinent information:

Tank size: 29G display. 10G sump
Age: 11mos (started April 2018)
LIghts: Current IC Pro (LED)
Light schedule: LEDs start sunrise at 11:00am and are full power by 12:00pm, sun set sequence starts at 10:00pm (no more full power lights) fades to 6hrs of twilight (40% blue only) 10:45pm- 4:45am

Parameters including at least ALK and nitrate and anything else you think may be relevant.
I test for the basics, PH 7.8, Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, Nitrate 0-5ppm ( I do a 5gal water change at 5-10ppm nitrate which works out to about every 4-6 days) I don't test for ALK I suppose perhaps I should? Salinity is 1.026

How long have you had the anemone: 4 weeks

How much flow is around the anemone? Not sure how to describe this, there is plenty of flow in the tank, no "dead" spots but no direct flow on the BTA

 

[VG30DE-TT]

Just to second Laverda's comments, definitely don't move it and it's normal behaviour for a clown/anemone relationship.

What are you feeding it? I only feed mine about twice a week, not on the same cadence as the fish.

I don't target feed it, but when I feed the fish, I watch it, when it gets something (usually LRS reef frenzy nano or frozen Mysis) it's when I cut the pumps back on leftover particles go everywhere sometimes it gets something and it closes up then balls up under the rock, it's back out in an hour. Sometimes it's not so lucky. I try to make sure it gets something 2-3 times a week.

 

[Ludders]

I use the vitalis anemone pellets with a tube and feed mine directly 3 pellets each twice a week.

 

[Jon Fishman]

My anemone has never been given food. It does fine with light, and whatever it filters itself.

 

[VG30DE-TT]

I suppose my main concern is that the Anemone went straight to the lowest light area of my entire tank within the 1st 10min of being in the tank and ever since then has been very active in moving into and out of its "cave" at least 3-5 times a day but usually more. Now in the last 24hrs since the clown found it the BTA hasn't hidden once at all. The clown slept in it last night.

So as long as the Anemone is happy I guess the only other issue is my clown pair seems to have gotten a divorce. The BIG one wont leave they rock they have called home for more than 30-45sec. I have seen the small one move over on to the edge of the BTA and try to share the BTA with his queen, but she darts right back over asap, she can't stand not seeing the rock they have called home for the last 8 mos

 

[VG30DE-TT]

She slept here as usual

And he slept here, which is new,

They are on opposite sides of the main rock, but I'm sure they will end up living happily ever after somewhere nobody can see them.

I've been lucky so far all my fish love hanging out front and center.

 

[Jon Fishman]

Mine hangs out low too. Maybe I have too much flow. It reaches out a bit and opens really nicely though


Just don’t get too concerned because it isn’t going along with your plan to be front/center of the tank...... It will grow if it is happy, and eventually it will look good wherever it is