Colorado BTA wont stop moving around

392Krew · Jul 29, 2026

26 gallon Red Sea Nano Pinensula

Hey guys, new to the hobby. I got my first nano tank a few months back. Got some clowns, got some fish, then a Colorado sunburst Anenome. I let him roam around for a couple months and he found a really cool spot in the front of the tank and stayed, so I started getting corals. Tank was so nice. Then my midas blenny got ich. I broke the tank down, quarantined my fish a couple weeks ago and my BTA will not stop roaming. He is young and actually split a week ago. Im assuming from stress. Both anemones are healthy. This morning I found the main split attached to the bottom of my chalice coral and had to physically remove him and put my chalice coral on the sand. Water parameters are good. Lighting not an issue. Not sure what's going on.

Gumbies R Us · Jul 29, 2026

What are your parameters?

Any recent changes?

Par of lights?

Flow?

tzabor10 · Jul 29, 2026

I have an anemone tank. This is just how they are. Some might stay put. But most move all over. Every coral is at risk of getting stung hard. The best plan would be to keep separation with sand. Anemones don’t seem to like moving across sand as much. Good luck.

392Krew · Jul 29, 2026

Gumbies R Us said:
What are your parameters?

Any recent changes?

Par of lights?

Flow?

Parameters and lighting are good. I had to break the whole tank down to get my fish out and put them in quarantine. I think what it is, is that every time he moves, I move my corals. sometimes I have to move him. Today I had to rip him gently off the bottom of my chalice. I honestly think, at this point, I need to buy a used, established tank, do a water change in it with my tank water and get the parameters equal in the new tank, then put the corals in there for a couple months until hopefully this anemone finds a place. Either that or take them to my local shop for a couple months. they said they would hold them for $200 a month.

392Krew · Jul 29, 2026

tzabor10 said:
I have an anemone tank. This is just how they are. Some might stay put. But most move all over. Every coral is at risk of getting stung hard. The best plan would be to keep separation with sand. Anemones don’t seem to like moving across sand as much. Good luck.

Thanks man. Yeah, the corals I have on the sand I know are safe. Maybe I will just have to live with a bare rock tank or get rid of the anenome. i just really love him. he is really cool.

tzabor10 · Jul 29, 2026

I wanted everything when I first started. Now I realize that tanks run much better if you have a theme and stick to it. LPS, SPS, softie. Anemone tanks are awesome. My wife loves it. My point is. Get these decisions done before you commit a lot of time and effort to a difficult project.

Reef Jedi · Jul 29, 2026

392Krew said:
Thanks man. Yeah, the corals I have on the sand I know are safe. Maybe I will just have to live with a bare rock tank or get rid of the anenome. i just really love him. he is really cool.

Or be like me and end up with an anenome tank. They whipped out all my SPS over a year and I’ve accepted it at this point.

Here’s a half tank shot,

winxp_man · Jul 29, 2026

tzabor10 said:
I have an anemone tank. This is just how they are. Some might stay put. But most move all over. Every coral is at risk of getting stung hard. The best plan would be to keep separation with sand. Anemones don’t seem to like moving across sand as much. Good luck.

They will travel no matter what you do. They swell up with water and float all over the tank. In the wild they do the same. So sand will not hold them back much. Have seen it in my tank many times. I had a rock stack called Nem Mountain. And for a long time they were fine. Then out of nowhere they started traveling.

winxp_man · Jul 29, 2026

Reef Jedi said:
Or be like me and end up with an anenome tank. They whipped out all my SPS over a year and I’ve accepted it at this point.

Here’s a half tank shot,

That clown sure isn’t complaining at all!

392Krew · Jul 29, 2026

tzabor10 said:
I wanted everything when I first started. Now I realize that tanks run much better if you have a theme and stick to it. LPS, SPS, softie. Anemone tanks are awesome. My wife loves it. My point is. Get these decisions done before you commit a lot of time and effort to a difficult project.

100%. Im trying to get it all sorted before I go to reefapalooza next month. I took my montipora and chalice to my shop. They are holding it for a couple weeks while my anemone figures it out. Picked up this guy while I was there

winxp_man · Jul 29, 2026

392Krew said:
100%. Im trying to get it all sorted before I go to reefapalooza next month. I took my montipora and chalice to my shop. They are holding it for a couple weeks while my anemone figures his sht out. Picked up this guy while I was there

Picked up one if these this past weekend. Is a massive 3 head. Got a good deal on for the amount of heads. $250 think. But could have also been $180, looked over the invoice and didn’t see the cost listed by name. Either way interesting color!

392Krew · Jul 29, 2026

winxp_man said:
Picked up one if these this past weekend. Is a massive 3 head. Got a good deal on for the amount of heads. $250 think. But could have also been $180, looked over the invoice and didn’t see the cost listed by name. Either way interesting color!

Send a pic bro.

winxp_man · Jul 30, 2026

392Krew said:
Send a pic bro.

I’ll get another pic tomorrow. It tucked in a bit being I moved it to accommodate a two headed HG Torch I got today. You can see it to the right closed off.

392Krew · Jul 30, 2026

winxp_man said:
I’ll get another pic tomorrow. It tucked in a bit being I moved it to accommodate a two headed HG Torch I got today. You can see it to the right closed off.

Very nice. I want a banana HG

392Krew · Jul 30, 2026

Alright. I think i have my clear for my Colorado to roam around tonight worry free. Come out come out wherever you are!! (He's actually in the back on top of his split that happened a few days ago)

winxp_man · Jul 30, 2026

392Krew said:
Alright. I think i have my clear for my Colorado to roam around tonight worry free. Come out come out wherever you are!! (He's actually in the back on top of his split that happened a few days ago)

I have a tiny black widow running around in my 150 coral system. I think it might have stung my Goni that normally extends larger than a softball! It’s a nice large colony. And for two days it’s been tucked in, my other two fairly large gonis are just fine.

My tank as of now housing LPS for the most part…
My larger nems are in jail! I don’t trust them! Haha.

A larger black widow, a CSB and a Chicago Sunburst.

392Krew · Jul 30, 2026

winxp_man said:
I have a tiny black widow running around in my 150 coral system. I think it might have stung my Goni that normally extends larger than a softball! It’s a nice large colony. And for two days it’s been tucked in, my other two fairly large gonis are just fine.

My tank as of now housing LPS for the most part…
My larger nems are in jail! I don’t trust them! Haha.

A larger black widow, a CSB and a Chicago Sunburst.

LoL. so no sand? Does your black widow roam on the bottom of the tank? That's a really cool setup!