Lance's 225 gal tank

Delphinus · #1 10-08-2010, 03:05 PM

I found that there didn't seem to be a huge correlation between size and when they'd split. Well, sort of, and sort of not. If some wanted to split at say 4" then usually they'd split some time after reaching 4", but there'd still be the occasional bigger one or occasional smaller one.

When I started off in the hobby I just used a copious amount of regular normal output fluorescents over my tank. I found that when I switched that tank over to halides the anemones all changed their max sizes to about double.

But it just seems to me they will pick a size to be at and that's sort of that (there is probably a host of variables). The largest BTA I ever saw was an enormous beast, some public aquarium I was at ... think it was London of all place. Anyhow it was easily 18" across. They had mislabelled it as H. magnifica but I'm pretty sure it was BTA (bubble tips and everything. Also it was your typical brown colour of BTA). I have two roses right now that are clones and one is 4"-5" and the other maybe 2" at best. I feed them both the same. I have another one in the same tank and he's barely 1" and I feed him as much as I can. One thing I do notice though is that both small ones are on rock that I'm having a very difficult time removing caulerpa from so there could be some allelopathy going on. (If I could just put the rock in the big cube the tangs and rabbit would eradicate the caulerpa but the butterflies would probably mistake little BTA's as big majano's so that's sort of a no-go!)

Wow, what a long winded way of saying "I don't really know." In any case, your BTA sure does look awesome.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lance

A few questions for the Nem experts......... Tony?

My BTA has been growing like crazy lately. Probably doubled in size in the last 4 to 5 months. It's now about 14" across with tentacles 6" long. I feed it twice a week: one day a 1/2" long shrimp and four days later half a silverside.
I'm certainly no expert on nems and was wondering if it's pretty much full grown now. Is this growth spurt leading up to splitting?

Lance · #2 10-08-2010, 04:40 PM

Thanks for the info Tony. Hopefully it stays this size; any bigger and I'll have to start moving corals away from it. Am I feeding a BTA of this size enough? (see my last post) I'm sure it gets some mysis, etc. from the fish feedings and it is certainly getting enough light.

Delphinus · #3 10-08-2010, 09:22 PM

Seems fine to me. They need to eat but they don't need to eat a lot. If you're happy with it (and it seems to be doing well) you could just continue on. Alternatively you could probably easily get away get away without the silverside and just feed weekly. Silversides are a little bit messy, kinda oily and I've heard stories on RC of people losing, or almost losing their anemones after they suspected was "a bad silverside". Usually those were in reference to carpets though, I've never heard the same thing said about a BTA, but then BTA's are more resilient overall so it's probably not even a concern.

I tried feeding various things to anemones including mussels, clam, fish meat, mysis, shrimp/prawn .. I found with BTA's they tended to eat shrimp with the most gusto. Fish with less gusto and shellfish the least (in fact would usually get spat out the next day). It seemed to me anyhow that BTA's were preferring shrimpy food. Nowadays I pretty much just give mine mysis and/or krill.

lobsterboy · #4 10-08-2010, 09:29 PM

hey lance, nice tank

Lance · #5 10-08-2010, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lobsterboy

hey lance, nice tank

Thanks!

And Tony, that's good to know about the silversides. I should probably chuck out the last of them anyway. They're going on a year old.

Lance · #6 10-10-2010, 01:36 AM

WANTED: Hair algae. (You don't hear that very often).
TORO, my LM Blenny is looking a little on the skinny side. If any Powell River reefers have some let me know and I'll come pick it up. The only thing I can get him to eat is Romaine lettuce and though he eats lots of it he is losing weight.

marie · #7 10-10-2010, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lance

WANTED: Hair algae. (You don't hear that very often).
TORO, my LM Blenny is looking a little on the skinny side. If any Powell River reefers have some let me know and I'll come pick it up. The only thing I can get him to eat is Romaine lettuce and though he eats lots of it he is losing weight.

All my hair algae has been replaced by that red cotton candy algae

Could you not try to trick him by clipping Nori and lettuce together?