Rainbow Tip

[haigyfish]

Hey y’all just got a RBTA and i placed it on a rock and let it do it’s thing. The next day it found a spot and opened nicely, however I do have hair alage covering around it. In the picture I used a lens so the color is exposed but please give me thoughts.
Also what can I feed to help this guy flourish!

Thank you

 

[Red_Beard]

Sounds like it is off to a good start! Just keep your parameters in healthy ranges, don't bottom out N or P, make sure lighting and flow is good too. Other than that, bump up your cleanup crew to tackle that algae.

 

[garygb]

BTAs like krill, not that mushed Hikari crap, but actual whole pieces of krill (e.g., San Francisco brand). They also like fresh shrimp from the seafood dept. at the grocery store. They also like fresh scallop, again from the seafood dept. In addition to those items, I feed mine squid (San Franciso brand), occasional wild-caught salmon (when I cook some for myself). BTAs, I find, to be good eaters. Feed small pieces, no larger than a green pea. Keep your water parameters in good shape. I just use API tests, which are not super sensitive from my understanding, but my nitrates are always at 0 on that (probably not literally because chaeto grows fast in my tanks). I would suggest a temperature between 77-82F. I believe what Ron Shimek states in his little book on keeping host anemone species, that "full-strength" sea water ~1.026-1.027 with an accurately calibrated refractometer is very important. I don't believe anemones care particularly about Ca or Mg, and I never worry about that or test or dose it. The more you feed, the faster they grow. If you want a really fast growing BTA you can feed a little several times per week, but once or twice a week is plenty, too. And, if you never directly feed, the BTA will stil be fine and grow very slowly.

 

[haigyfish]

Sounds like it is off to a good start! Just keep your parameters in healthy ranges, don't bottom out N or P, make sure lighting and flow is good too. Other than that, bump up your cleanup crew to tackle that algae.

What cleanup crew would you recommend, I have 2 turbo snails and 1 peanut snail. 1 cleaner shrimp and 4 hermit crabs

 

[bobnicaragua]

I can’t tell how big the tank is, but you need lots more snails and a tang if your tank is big enough.

 

[haigyfish]

I can’t tell how big the tank is, but you need lots more snails and a tang if your tank is big enough.

The tang police would murder me! 40 gallon!!

 

[Red_Beard]

2 turbos is good, I would add a tuxido urchin. Those dudes will scour the rock back to white, but can be a little grabby with small things and they will eat coralline too. Which is a plus in my book too. Also like half a dozen astraeas and ceriths, and prob 4 or 5 nassarious depending on how and what you feed the tank. Variety is good as they all have their place.
For the hair and longer algae, pull as much as you can then use a brush or your finger and damage what's left. Then stick the urchin or your turbos on the spot and they will take care of it.

 

[haigyfish]

2 turbos is good, I would add a tuxido urchin. Those dudes will scour the rock back to white, but can be a little grabby with small things and they will eat coralline too. Which is a plus in my book too. Also like half a dozen astraeas and ceriths, and prob 4 or 5 nassarious depending on how and what you feed the tank. Variety is good as they all have their place.
For the hair and longer algae, pull as much as you can then use a brush or your finger and damage what's left. Then stick the urchin or your turbos on the spot and they will take care of it.

When I get rid of too much it flows around the tnak and gets caught in the powerhead. I turn it off during removal but the algae shreds to hair like and dispersed across the tank.

Thoughts!


Appreciate all the responses it is looking much bigger today I will get fresh shrimp tomorrow.

 

[Red_Beard]

When I get rid of too much it flows around the tnak and gets caught in the powerhead. I turn it off during removal but the algae shreds to hair like and dispersed across the tank.

Thoughts!


Appreciate all the responses it is looking much bigger today I will get fresh shrimp tomorrow.

That is a good thing. If you have like a filter media bag or nem guard sponge you could put around the intake, the powerhead does half the work for you. Just put the bag on it before you start and after a few hours once the algae is all stuck pull the bag and rinse it. It will be up-hill untill your CUC and manual removal get a foothold, then it will just go away and you will forget it was ever there. Untill it is time to order more snails and another urchin...