Hey all,
Great to be here with everyone - as you can tell it's my first post and looking for some info. Here's a bit of info for context:
140g reef tank, been set up about 6 months.
I have 6 clown fish, all false percs
Until today, they did not 'host" the ritteri anemone
Ok, here's the story.... I added a BTA to the tank last week, and it was on the far side of the tank away from the ritteri. None of the clownfish until today decided to host either anemone. The ritteri has been in a high flow/high light area since I got him - he's big a beautiful. When I added the BTA, he stayed on the other side of the tank until last night, where he is now perched on a rock just below (not touching) the ritteri.
In the last 4 hours, the ritteri has begun to deflate, and the clowns, oddly enough, are finally hosting the ritteri for the very first time. I am not sure if they can "sense" something wrong with the ritteri, but they are mouthing the tentacles, jittering back and forth very fast among the tentacles, and seem like they are "trying to wake it up." As per the picture , it's about 1/2 the size it usually is. I'm going to test the water, but nothing seems to be "off" that would make this occur.
So, do you think the BTA moving 3/4 across the tank overnight, and perched just below the ritteri is the culprit? I've heard that anemones send out stingers to other aniemones in the water, and I'm thinking I may need to move the rocks and get the BTA off the current rock and move it.
Thoughts on why the clowns are finally hosting? Thoughts on why the ritteri has deflated? Should I move the BTA?
Thank you all,
Renshi8
Great to be here with everyone - as you can tell it's my first post and looking for some info. Here's a bit of info for context:
140g reef tank, been set up about 6 months.
I have 6 clown fish, all false percs
Until today, they did not 'host" the ritteri anemone
Ok, here's the story.... I added a BTA to the tank last week, and it was on the far side of the tank away from the ritteri. None of the clownfish until today decided to host either anemone. The ritteri has been in a high flow/high light area since I got him - he's big a beautiful. When I added the BTA, he stayed on the other side of the tank until last night, where he is now perched on a rock just below (not touching) the ritteri.
In the last 4 hours, the ritteri has begun to deflate, and the clowns, oddly enough, are finally hosting the ritteri for the very first time. I am not sure if they can "sense" something wrong with the ritteri, but they are mouthing the tentacles, jittering back and forth very fast among the tentacles, and seem like they are "trying to wake it up." As per the picture , it's about 1/2 the size it usually is. I'm going to test the water, but nothing seems to be "off" that would make this occur.
So, do you think the BTA moving 3/4 across the tank overnight, and perched just below the ritteri is the culprit? I've heard that anemones send out stingers to other aniemones in the water, and I'm thinking I may need to move the rocks and get the BTA off the current rock and move it.
Thoughts on why the clowns are finally hosting? Thoughts on why the ritteri has deflated? Should I move the BTA?
Thank you all,
Renshi8