RBTA Help!

Renelope · Sep 11, 2017

Thank you everyone for the assistance, I left him alone last night, and I moved the peer heads as suggested, as well as lowering my light intensity...

He was fully inflated and looked much better today, although from the angle that I can see, I can't see his mouth at all. I think I'm going to leave things be and see if he comes out on his own today, I would hate to stress him further by trying to remove him from the rocks, and is in a weird angle that would require me to break down my scape.

Here is a pic I took with lights off this morning...

James Johnson · Sep 11, 2017

From the pictures of your tank it looks like it is fairly new IME anemones often struggle to find a "happy spot" in newer tanks, there is a lot to be said about tank maturity. Any time I have had a bubble tip anemone stay in one spot for a long period of time I have always noticed that their foot is deeply buried in the rock and when agitated the anemone will full retract back into the rock. They never seem to stay long in one spot when they attach to a flat surface. Anemones like flow to go past them but if you point it straight at them it just causes them to move.
If I might offer a suggestion, I was recommended to use the coral labs program SPS AB+ setting for my radians and I couldn't be happier with the results I love the more vibrant colors I am seeing. Plus since the settings have the white red and green channels at 24% you will also get the drop in intensity that you are looking for as well.

Renelope · Sep 12, 2017

James Johnson said:
From the pictures of your tank it looks like it is fairly new IME anemones often struggle to find a "happy spot" in newer tanks, there is a lot to be said about tank maturity. Any time I have had a bubble tip anemone stay in one spot for a long period of time I have always noticed that their foot is deeply buried in the rock and when agitated the anemone will full retract back into the rock. They never seem to stay long in one spot when they attach to a flat surface. Anemones like flow to go past them but if you point it straight at them it just causes them to move.
If I might offer a suggestion, I was recommended to use the coral labs program SPS AB+ setting for my radians and I couldn't be happier with the results I love the more vibrant colors I am seeing. Plus since the settings have the white red and green channels at 24% you will also get the drop in intensity that you are looking for as well.

Yes the tank is about 6-7 months old, I had thought that it would be better for him to find a space while the rock was open rather than worry about him moving around and killing my corals, that may have been a mistake.
Am I able to access this lighting template on their website or can you post a link to it?

Renelope · Sep 12, 2017

I was finally able to FaceTime with my brother in law (he lives in Florida and has been preoccupied/ he is a pro. Aquarist) and after talking through things with him,I believe our 2 cleaner shrimp have been harassing the rbta and that's what has been stressing him out. Makes sense when I looked at it as a whole, and would explain why he kept moving around.
I've isolated the nem in an acclimation box with my 2 clowns, so they could finally "meet" and my hope is that once they become nice and friendly they will begin to protect my nem from the shrimp... I'm going to let them hang out for a day or two and then place them back in the DT, but they were already friendly when I left for work this morning!!

James Johnson · Sep 12, 2017

It's a built in preset just select coral labs under the preset menu and there should be a drop down menu on the left, I use the sps ab+

Yuki Rihwa · Sep 12, 2017

I'm no expert but I just want to confirm that skunk cleaner shrimp is a harasser, I saw its often went on top BTA and start poking it until the BTA complete retracted under the rock hole. I removed the skunk cleaner shrimp and everyone happy, the fire shrimp never do that though only that skunk cleaner shrimp.

lawofficeaquariums · Sep 12, 2017

When I've had BTAs do this in the past they have usually died within a week. Definitely not a good sign and I don't think he is just trying to split.

James Johnson · Sep 19, 2017

I have never heard a skunk cleaner or a fire shrimp damaging an anemone but they will almost always try to steal the food out of the anemones mouth after you feed it which can irritate/stress the anemone. Peppermint shrimp will eat aiptasia which is basically an anemone so I guess it could be possible. Maybe you could set up a cheap webcam on the tank and watch the video later see if you notice anything

Yuki Rihwa · Sep 19, 2017

No cleaner shrimp don't damage the anemone but they do annoy them when anemone first introduce into the tank, I guess the shrimp was curious about new tank mate thus this will make the anemone feel uncomfy and will take longer to settle. After anemone settled the shrimps don't go near them but will attempt to try to steal food from them, to avoid food stealing from the shrimp I just feed them first

Oh, they will try to steal food from BTA most of the time, they don't dare to go near those carpets anemone since they could become prey item. Anyway, @Renelope how your BTA doing now?