RBTA question

danny zubot · #1 07-22-2005, 08:56 PM

My RBTA keeps wandering around the tank. Its won't keep still any more, and twice now it has trampled my digitata. What would cause the anemone to do this? Water perams are good, flow hasn't changed much so there should be no reason for it to wander. The only change is that I rarely feed it anymore, because my clown has begun to do that for me.

Additional: I have added several new corals in the past weeks. Mostly softies and LPS but none are up high where the RBTA lives.

IslandReefer · #2 07-22-2005, 09:14 PM

just my 2 cents worth.
rBTA's (at least mine) tend to move toward flow and light untill they reach the highest point....ie that rock pile. Also they like to have the stem in a crack or hole mostly out of the light with the top in the light.
For almost a year my rBTA stayed where I wanted it, but two days before I left for Calgary (holidays) it went walkabout....go figure....and I changed nothing...thought it might split.
Since rBTA's are not thinking animals they respond to eviromental and basic needs stimuli....ie sooo something made yours and mine move even if we can't figure it out.
I " direct" my rBTA using the logic above, by moving rocks into the places I don't want it to go and clearing a path the right way. I also use a J-cloth (clean,new rolled or folded) to keep it off corals and along the right path.....success about 50% good luck.

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #3 07-22-2005, 09:16 PM

Anemones usually move because of some stress factor. How old is your bulb(s)? Could it be that they're losing intensity or k-factor & so the RBTA is moving to find the lighting it needs? The softies might also be practicing chemical warfare which is why I use ChemiPure to remove possible toxins. Activated carbon will also do the same but for shorter periods of time.

Just some thoughts,

Anthony

danny zubot · #4 07-22-2005, 09:26 PM

Well, my lights are only 2.5 months old. The strange thing is that it will wonder around the top peak of the rock pile and settle back into its original position. I wonder if it feels threatened by the number of new fish I've added in the past week? I have three new anthias (1 male and 2 female), a watchman/pistol combo and a bi-color angel in addition to my old clown and regal tang.

The anemone seems healthy so I guess I shouldn't worry too much. Poor digitata though. If I decide to feed the RBTA do you guys think it will be more content, and stay put?

IslandReefer · #5 07-22-2005, 09:32 PM

your clown should keep other fish away.....I'm with Anthony some sort of stresser, most likely chemical warfare of some kind.....you may want to try new carbon or chemipure...should settle in a few days anyway....hail Mary.......

AJ_77 · #6 07-22-2005, 09:51 PM

Danny, 5 new fish in one week? tsk, tsk...

ammonia spike.

danny zubot · #7 07-22-2005, 10:06 PM

I know I know, I've done a cautionary water change though.

OCDP · #8 07-23-2005, 12:28 AM

hmm , Danny

I have had a lot of BTA's .. all from an original of course.. but I also have an RBTA , which is quite big.

I would say, that the addition of all those new fish did something to the system and is making your rose a little upset. Like islandreefer said, they don't think like animals, they only react to environmental changes. So I am leaning towards some kind of change in water paramaters.

If not that..... (which is most likely the cause)

I know that RBTA's are known wanderers in general.... so I have heard from lots of people..

But mine has found a spot and hasn't moved in as long as I can remember. They DO like rock shapes that have cracks and holes in them so they can suck their foot right into it. As oppossed to a flat surface of the rock..

I hope that all makes sense, and if its a change in water conditions, a few water changes should fix that soon enough. Also, IME BTA/RBTA's are extremely hardy, possibly more hardy than we invision... so don't panic too much.

Feeding him might settle him down some, but if it's water conditions , who knows....

Good luck, keep us posted.

canuckzilla · #9 07-23-2005, 03:11 AM

Mine have been pretty stable except for two times. Both times they settled on a craggy rock with high current and lighting.

- They wandered a bit after they split.

- They wandered again when my lights didn't come on at the usual time due to a power outage. I was suprised at how quickly they reacted to the lighting situation...it was within a few hours.