My RBTA Went swimming again so I need some advice :(

[menace78]

So now for the 2nd time, My RBTA has went swimming and is now extracting himself from the now off hydor k8 he decided to get sucked into. He was over 8" across when opened before this.

I have a ~12" GBTA that I planned on puting in this tank as well as I move from my former tank to my new 125.

I think the flow is an issue that made it walk all over the tank and then go for a swim.
I used to run 2 k4's in the 100g . but with my new direction, I now have a mag12 splitting into 2 1/2" outputs, a mj1200 to get some movement behind some rock and a k8 on 1 side to provide the biggest flow stream in the new system.
The k8 pushes 3250gph across the top and undertows the sand bed and keeps it very clean.
This is a new setup, only 2 months old and I am making the move slow and steady.

So the ? is,
1) should I forget about the anemones and forget about how cool my clowns look hosting them?
2) should I ditch the k8 and find a few smaller pumps that give more flow but less undertow?

I really want a mp40 so I can have both worlds. lol but budget won't alow after buying the new lighting and tank setup.

The tank is 72"x18"x24"
4x 400w Mh 2x 80w T5ho
and I plan on doing 2 islands on each side of the tank. one side ~1/4 of the tank for a few mushrooms/rics/softies and some LPS, and the other side ~1/2 the tank is going to be my area for my new move towards SPS side of things.


any ideas and thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Husker12181]

I have hydor k4's and they worked just fine for my RBTA he grew too about 12inches across until one random day I came home from work and he looked just like the picture you have up there. That is the second one to do that to me. I am done with Anemones I love them but can't take the chance of them nuking my tank.

Sorry to hear you are having the same problem I had.

If you really want to keep BTA's I would recommend moving away from the Hydor open style pump, The less openings for the bta to go through the better.

 

[menace78]

Ya I talked to a fellow reefer today that sounded interested in taking the GBTA off my hands, but he'll have to upgrade lighting 1st. what remains of the RBTA is now in the fuge and seems to be doing well. it moved onto a rock but I don't have good lighting over my fuge since I usually use it for macros witch grows fine under PC lighting. If he recovers, I'm thinking of letting him go as well.
I really want to move to SPS and now that I finally have the setup for it. I will have to do something different with my BTA's.
after buying lighting and the system as well as the sand/rock already, I'm too short on funds for thinking about a new options for flow.
Anyone had any good luck with them in a fuge if I bump the lighting?
It's after my skimmer and they couldn't get to the return pump.
Any thoughts?

 

[Husker12181]

BTAs require strong light if you have the money to put metal halide in the sump then you could buy a pump and provide for flow. What I would be more worried about is that it looks fine now but mine did too until it decided to mess up my water levels. Make sure you are keeping your water pristine because while it is recovering it will release toxins.

 

[menace78]

BTAs require strong light if you have the money to put metal halide in the sump then you could buy a pump and provide for flow. What I would be more worried about is that it looks fine now but mine did too until it decided to mess up my water levels. Make sure you are keeping your water pristine because while it is recovering it will release toxins.

Ty for the heads up Huskers.
This is the second time it has done this in the last 18 months.
I threw in carbon the second I noticed what happened. but in 150g total volume system with good filtration ect. so far it has had no impact to anything else in the tank.
I have a buddies small PC fixture under there for now. and I have kept him under VHO without any issues and very little supplemental feeding for the last 2 years until I started this tank, so I won't be putting a Mh in my stand. lol
I'm going to borrow a T5 from the buddy who wants it if it recovers to put down there for now, so far it's doing well and healing up well.
Flow is not an issue since he's in the fuge section of my sump and gets plenty from the overflows feeding down.

As for toxins. I think you might have had a much smaller system and it was more of a chemistry issue than some kind of anemone toxicity.