picked up a RBTA, what to look for?

[bcarleton]

Hey guys, I decided to give an anmone a try. The LFS just got a shipment in today and they had 2 beautiful BTA's in. Great color on both of them. I have been waiting for a while to make sure me and my tank were ready. Tank is just shy of 2 yrs old, still have the first fish I put in it. Have 125lbs of rock arranged to have different levels of water depth. My water params have been stable for over 6 months. About 6 months ago is when I got rid of canister filters and went to a fuge. Temp is usually 77-79, phos. less than 1, nitrate fell between 0-0.5, calcium 480, and carbonate 161, ph 8.1. Lighting is t-5 and a good bit of it. I placed him/her on a rock that is about 5-6 inches from the surface, the lights are about 6in above the surface. I guess what I am getting at is what should I look for, what is some normal behavior that may freak me out?

[Dentoid]

Sounds like you are ready! Not too sure about the T5, but I guess it's the next best thing to MH. I have heard of hobbyists keeping them under T5s. Expect for it to move for one. They will move around until they find a suitable location. Having it close to the light may not be enough if the flow is not right. So don't be alarmed if you wake up in the morning and it has gone into hiding. Also, make sure that PH are covered. They are notorious for climbing the glass, just to get sucked into a PH intake.

[kathywithbirds]

how about pics? Got any pics of it?

Good luck with it. I really like mine, been in the same spot since I got it.

[zy112]

Would love to see pics

[Octoman]

Originally Posted by bcarleton

I guess what I am getting at is what should I look for, what is some normal behavior that may freak me out?

Shrinking up real small and expelling slime, that's how they poo. (Kathy could tell you more about that...)

[bcarleton]

Sorry no pics yet. By the time I got my camera ready it had found a cozy spot where I could not get a pic of it. Its been a few hrs now and its night time. Just the single 20" is on for dusk light. But I can see that she is twice the size of when I put her in the tank. Soon as I get a shot I will post. Should I start looking for a Clown now or wait till she finds her comfort spot? What spieces seem to do best with BTA's? Of course watch me get a clown and the darn thing settle for my finger leather instead.

[Dentoid]

It's best to give the anemone time to settle in before adding a clown. Oscellaris clowns are suppose to be gentler than Perculas on their hosts and will both host with a BTA.

[galovsredsox]

I had a gold striped maroon that lived in one.
Jim

[lcstorc]

Maroons can be very nasty.
I have a pair of Clarki that are doing fine in their RBTA.
It sounds like you have a good shot of keeping one. I have mine under T5 lights but it moved itself to the very top of the highest rock and has stayed there ever since. In fact when I do water changes not only is the anemone out of water but the clowns stay in the anemone out of water. This is in my 20g tank so water changes are very fast.
The one piece of advice I would give is to not immediately freak out over most anything. Anemones are very strange creatures and often behave oddly. Mine is perfectly fine after being out of water but will pout and look absolutely horrible for no reason that I can figure. Usually the pouts only last a couple of hours but sometimes longer. If it releases from the rock then you should start worrying. IME as long as it is attached it is fine. In all cases the way to be sure is the smell test. You will knpow immediately that it is dead.
HTH