Safely adding a BTA to a mixed reef tank

rvamarcel · May 16, 2017

How risky is it to add a BTA to an established tank? It would be awesome to add one, but I don't want to kill everything in my tank by doing so.

How can the risk be mitigated? What's the best and safest way to add it?

I added a pic of the tank. It's a custom 40g AIO with 3 AI Prime (1 HD, 2 regular)

Texas Reefer · May 16, 2017

I put mine on its own rock in the middle of the tank, surrounded by sand and it has stayed put. It's babied wandered, though, and now they're in time out.

Webslinger · May 16, 2017

They wander, some more than others. Some will split a lot and the babies will move quit a bit. They will sting/kill corals so unless you like to move corals around a lot I would skip it.

rvamarcel · May 16, 2017

Webslinger said:
They wander, some more than others. Some will split a lot and the babies will move quit a bit. They will sting/kill corals so unless you like to move corals around a lot I would skip it.

When they wander, do they kill everything in their path?

happyhourhero · May 16, 2017

Mine has split once and never moved in nearly 2 years. It regularly extends and touches nearby corals without too much issue. Mine are getting to be pretty big though and if it splits again I will have to remove the splits. Couldnt imagine my reef without them though. Neither can my clowns.

rvamarcel · May 16, 2017

happyhourhero said:
Mine has split once and never moved in nearly 2 years. It regularly extends and touches nearby corals without too much issue. Mine are getting to be pretty big though and if it splits again I will have to remove the splits. Couldnt imagine my reef without them though. Neither can my clowns.

Your tank looks great!

Did you add the bta after or before you added the rest of your corals?

happyhourhero · May 16, 2017

Here is a pic of when I first added it just so you can see the corals I had then. I have since moved across town so my tank is different looking now.

rvamarcel · May 16, 2017

happyhourhero said:
Here is a pic of when I first added it just so you can see the corals I had then. I have since moved across town so my tank is different looking now.

The one on the left is a maxi mini, right? I have one of those

happyhourhero · May 16, 2017

rvamarcel said:
The one on the left is a maxi mini, right? I have one of those

Yep. Its like a plate of glue.

GoVols · May 16, 2017

rvamarcel said:
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How risky is it to add a BTA to an established tank? It would be awesome to add one, but I don't want to kill everything in my tank by doing so.

How can the risk be mitigated? What's the best and safest way to add it?

I added a pic of the tank. It's a custom 40g AIO with 3 AI Prime (1 HD, 2 regular)

I have 2 in a mixed reef. They will find their happy spot.
If you leave your lighting and flow alone and keep your parameters stable, then they will pretty much stay put.

If you want a bta... IMO pull the trigger.

rvamarcel · May 16, 2017

GoVols said:
I have 2 in a mixed reef. They will find their happy spot.
If you leave your lighting and flow alone and keep your parameters stable, then they will pretty much stay put.

If you want a bta... IMO pull the trigger.

On it's quest for the perfect spot, won't it kill everything it touches?

happyhourhero · May 16, 2017

rvamarcel said:
On it's quest for the perfect spot, won't it kill everything it touches?

Put it somewhere it can reach into flow and duck out of flow, reach into light and duck out of light and it should stay put. That has always worked for me. I run high flow and i think they are more likely to stay put in tanks with good flow.

GoVols · May 16, 2017

rvamarcel said:
On it's quest for the perfect spot, won't it kill everything it touches?

I've had bta's for many years and never lost a coral to one. Maybe, I've been lucky...

I have a big one that has corals pretty close to it. It can sense the carols and when it opens it changes it shape as to not touch the surrounding corals with it's tentacles. That bta has not moved in two years. If they keep moving then they are not happy with the tanks lighting, flow or parameters and every bta is different. My second one is not as happy when I put in led's as it was when it was under all T5
but it found a new home and my big one never moved and still flourishes under the led's.

If you buy one, then just put it's foot where you like him to be but if it hides "just leave it alone"... it will come back out when it's ready. I've seen too many reefer's loose bta's when then first buy then because they just won't leave them alone and they will die from too much stress from an inpatient or ignorant reefer that keeps moving them back from their hiding spot. It's just trying to acclimate to it's new surroundings.

Also, Put something (sponge) around your inside flow pumps until it has found it's home. You don't want it to get chopped up in the pumps impeller while it finding it's happy spot.

Regards, GoVols

GoVols · May 16, 2017

happyhourhero said:
Put it somewhere it can reach into flow and duck out of flow, reach into light and duck out of light and it should stay put. That has always worked for me. I run high flow and i think they are more likely to stay put in tanks with good flow.

+1...

happyhourhero · May 16, 2017

GoVols said:
I've had bta's for many years and never lost a coral to one. Maybe, I've been lucky...

It can sense the corals and when it opens it changes it shape as to not touch the surrounding corals with it's tentacles. That bta has not moved in two years.

Mine does this too. I never see this talked about but they absolutely avoid touching SPS.

Webslinger · May 17, 2017

They will burn up LPS, zoas. I started with one RBTA and one RainbowBTA. They have split over the last year into 3 RBTA and about 20 Rainbows. They are easy to give away to other reefers though.

ThunderGoose · May 17, 2017

Mine moved around a few times before finding her happy place. When she split the two daughters stayed right next to each other. They are lots of fun. I haven't lost any corals but my tank is still young.

rvamarcel · May 17, 2017

Simplicity Aquatics said:
My experience has always been they don't really sting much, but the will irritate it to the point of death (SPS, LPS etc, not sure on zoa's as I am not a fan). If its touching something, a couple days won't likely kill the other coral, but more than that and it probably will. Your mileage may vary If its touching something, I would recommend leaving it for a day or two and see if it moves on its own, or perhaps just put a plastic spatula or similar to give some protection until the nem moves. If it stays put, you'll want to move the other coral.

Good to know! I thought anemones had the "touch of death"! For some reason I thought they would just kill instantly