How long do I really need to wait to put a bta in the tank

Areeflover · Dec 26, 2020

Hey y’all let me start I’ve owned nems in the past I’ve been doing this for years but new tank after not having one for a couple years. How long do I really need to wait to but in a bta.. and yeah I heard it before “6 months” but give me factual evidence that tells me why. Not because someone else told you that a long time ago. Also for anyone is has put them in sooner how was your experience?

josvanmeer · Dec 26, 2020

The reason for that is, anemones do NOT like unstable parameters. Your new reeftank goes through so many swings and it will almost guarantee kill an anemone, they cannot handle it.

Therefor, let your reeftank mature, make the biofiltration strong and get maintenance going so that your parameters will be the same pretty much all the time. Every tank is a little different, and settles on different parameters, and you will eventually learn what those are gonna be. Once everything settles, then it's time for an anemone.

dvgyfresh · Dec 26, 2020

Depends on bta I think lol, I got a tank raised/born Rbta and it’s invincible lol survived Dino’s etc, but I had a green BTA that slowly shriveled and died couldn’t say why

Hincapiej4 · Dec 26, 2020

My black widows are ***** aggressive too. They sense ANYTHING and they will reach out and touch a muthaxxxxxx. They could be angry for no reason, and my rainbows all happy and plump...give it time man. No reason to erase a 100+ dollar nemmie because you couldn't have patience..if you've done this before..you should be used to it

Areeflover · Dec 26, 2020

Hincapiej4 said:
My black widows are ***** aggressive too. They sense ANYTHING and they will reach out and touch a muthaxxxxxx. They could be angry for no reason, and my rainbows all happy and plump...give it time man. No reason to erase a 100+ dollar nemmie because you couldn't have patience..if you've done this before..you should be used to it

Well I’m in no rush to add an anemone because I have to have one. I’m kinda rushing cause I want to give my new clownfish a home

SE7ƎN · Jan 3, 2021

I’m just a noob, but as all the above poster’s said, stability is key. I know a lot of people say 6 months, but the best reference guideline I heard (can't remember the source - maybe BRS) is that a good starting point is when your tank is starting to get coralline algae, which shows your tank is stable enough. I added mine at the 3 month mark, but so far, one month in, it’s happy and doing well. Sadly my 2x clowns want nothing to do with it.

Greg P · Jan 3, 2021

Areeflover said:
Hey y’all let me start I’ve owned nems in the past I’ve been doing this for years but new tank after not having one for a couple years. How long do I really need to wait to but in a bta.. and yeah I heard it before “6 months” but give me factual evidence that tells me why. Not because someone else told you that a long time ago. Also for anyone is has put them in sooner how was your experience?

Since you're not a newb, just get your tank past any diatoms/dinos/algae/cyano outbreaks and ensure your major params are stable
Time depends on the rock you begin with
Could easily still be a few months

Deephouse_jedi · Jan 3, 2021

The earliest I've done I believe is 2-3 months. I had no problems at all. The anemone was even bleached. I was feeding it a lot at the time. Going on 2 years with that nem.

carpetlover · Jan 17, 2021

Deephouse_jedi said:
The earliest I've done I believe is 2-3 months. I had no problems at all. The anemone was even bleached. I was feeding it a lot at the time. Going on 2 years with that nem.

With a really good carpet I managed only 2 days with a carbon and media filter and live rock. Still strong today

MSarro27 · Mar 3, 2021

BTAs, SPS and Softies 2 months in. Stable parameters gone thru dinos and green algae. No coralline algae.

Avelino Alicea · Mar 3, 2021

Areeflover said:
Well I’m in no rush to add an anemone because I have to have one. I’m kinda rushing cause I want to give my new clownfish a home

The clowns don't need the anemone, I'm sure you know that. And there's no guarantee they'll immediately go for it. They will be fine waiting for the right time. In the mean time they will find they're own spot.

I've had my bad luck with nems, but now that my tank is stable, I've been able to keep a bta that my tomatoes have turned into their home. But they're not always on it. Mostly hang during the day and sometimes the female tomato sleeps in it, but not always.

Jeffcb · Mar 3, 2021

when you can snatch the pebble from my hand. you will know

Arcticreef · Mar 3, 2021

I got my pink BTA 3 months after my tank had finished cycling. It found its chosen spot after about 12 hrs and hasn't budged since. Never had a days issue with it 5 months later. Touch wood. My captive bred clowns treat it like the plague and won't go near it even when I bait them with brine shrimp. They aren't interested. Even my gorgeous elegance coral would make a good home. Getting frustrated I followed some unread somewhere and moved both BTA and elegance and the clowns into the quarantine tank to get them all aquainted. Still zero interest. I stopped the experiment after 4 days mostly out of fear or harming my bta and coral in an inferior environment. I understand that some clowns are just not interested. Patience and experience. Hard earned reefing success qualities I will get one-day.

seahorsebill · Mar 3, 2021

Arcticreef said:
I got my pink BTA 3 months after my tank had finished cycling. It found its chosen spot after about 12 hrs and hasn't budged since. Never had a days issue with it 5 months later. Touch wood. My captive bred clowns treat it like the plague and won't go near it even when I bait them with brine shrimp. They aren't interested. Even my gorgeous elegance coral would make a good home. Getting frustrated I followed some unread somewhere and moved both BTA and elegance and the clowns into the quarantine tank to get them all aquainted. Still zero interest. I stopped the experiment after 4 days mostly out of fear or harming my bta and coral in an inferior environment. I understand that some clowns are just not interested. Patience and experience. Hard earned reefing success qualities I will get one-day.

I will only buy a clown fish I see in an anemone area my local fish store. That way I know they are paired. Then I will buy my clownfish a buddy. I never keep just one clown.

green behind the ears · Mar 4, 2021

Jeffcb said:
when you can snatch the pebble from my hand. you will know

A man with only a hammer in his tool box sees every problem as a nail ........

green behind the ears · Mar 4, 2021

Jeffcb said:
when you can snatch the pebble from my hand. you will know

A man with only a hammer in his tool box sees every problem as a nail ........

green behind the ears · Mar 4, 2021

green behind the ears said:
A man with only a hammer in his tool box sees every problem as a nail ........

Read that on a calendar

yourmom · Mar 4, 2021

seahorsebill said:
I will only buy a clown fish I see in an anemone area my local fish store. That way I know they are paired. Then I will buy my clownfish a buddy. I never keep just one clown.

Not intending to hijack, but I am only keeping one clown right now because mine killed it’s partner. All maturation related. Once he became a she and decided it was time to raise a family there was too much aggression. I’ve been through this twice now with two different females. Decided to just keep one because I can’t go through it again. Is this really an anomaly?

yourmom · Mar 4, 2021

I brought home a sherman rose anemone two weeks ago and my tank is a little over 4 months old. She is doing great. My parameters have been pretty stable.