BTA and porcelain crab host

Louis Tedesco

New Member
Hi Everyone,

I have been reading the forums for a while now and this is the first post I have made.

My tank is a small 6 gallon nano and has been set up over a year now. I have had a bubble tip for a few months and have no issues with him. I recently added a porcelain crab and the anemone moved into the dark corner after the crab hosted it. All my corals have been growing beautifully and my anemone is full of color and not expelling anything.

Hasn’t anyone run I to this before?

pH: 0
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Salinity: 1.025
Phosphates: under .025
Ammonia: 0
Lighting nano Fluval LED
 

Louis Tedesco

New Member
To add on no changes to the tank in a while and the water have been very stable, 20% water change each week. He was fine before I added the crab.
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
Your really asking a lot of a 6 gal tank with a BTA in it. Long term, I think it's going to be almost impossible to maintain a BTA, considering their requirements for lighting, very stable conditions, and high water quality.

As for a porcelain crab, they are considered reef safe, but you never know for sure. It is also possible that while the crab may not be attacking the BTA outright, it is bothering the BTA just be roaming around on it.

I'd remove the crab, at least for awhile, and see what the anemones reaction is. If it starts coming out and is healthy, then the porcelain crab or anemone will need to go.
 

Louis Tedesco

New Member
Thanks for the responses. I do agree a bta is large for this tank. I’m working on upgrading to a larger in the future. He’s not harming the BTA he’s really inside it and grooming the tentacles. He seems to have calmed down and stopped moving. Maybe he’s just adjusting to a host? I heard clowns can irritate BtA as well.

Would be hard to remove the crab he’s deep in there.

Louis
 

Uncle99

Well-Known Member
Then by all means, just watch!
You are correct, clowns can sometimes irritate the nem, in fact I have seen posts from members which describe it as an attack, or maybe that just looks that way.

Let them both settle down.

Remember, with such small water, consistency can more difficult, but certainly possible.

Good luck, keep us posted on what happened, a great learning for all.
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
You should be fine with the porcelain anemone crab & anemone combo. They mutually live together in the wild. The porcelain anemone crab is more of a filter feeder than predator. You may want to blow off the rocks daily to get the detritus into the water column for the crab to eat. Video of filter feeding:

Agree with others that a bigger tank may be needed in the future for the anemone. BTW, Porcelain anemone crabs are not "true crabs". They actually evolved from a relative of the squat lobster.

https://www.themandaringarden.com/porcelain-anemone-crab.html
 

Louis Tedesco

New Member
Thanks everyone for the info. He’s finally back out and looking normal again. Crab is all tucked in there and the anemone doesn’t seem to mind anymore.
 
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