RBTA?

[ac7av]

So I picked up a rather large anemone from a local reefer and of course it starts roaming as soon as it gets in the tank. Last night it moved into a place that I can hardly see it let alone get to it. I know this is not a good place for it and it probably the darkest place in the tank. Will this guy move into the light by it self? How long should I wait before I should dismantle the tank if it doesn’t move?

 

[Slate]

It is probably just trying to acclimate to your lighting. My guess is it will continue to move around your tank for a week or two. I wouldn't worry about it yet for sure. They also can stretch up pretty far from their foot. So you may end up seeing it stretch for the light in a few days if it doesn't move.

 

[tat2z_21]

Dude let it sit. It will find the light. The more you move it the more it is going to get stressed out. All you can do is to make sure that the light is there for it and let it find it's way.

 

[ac7av]

I haven’t moved it at all. It’s moving plenty on its own. I will just keep the power heads off at night to prevent any problems and it will be able to move where it wants. It’s already on the move again since the lights have turned off. It was tucked up in such a hole that I almost contemplated its ability to get out of the tank when I couldn’t find in for 10 minutes this morning until I happen to see one tentacle dangling out of a crack in the rocks.

 

[mcoomer]

Yeah, my biggest fear about a nem is powerheads, especially when the animal has just been introduced. Give the thing some time to get acclimated to your tank and lighting and it will settle where it wants. Just keep it out of the powerheads or you'll have a big problem.

Mike

 

[jrgilles]

When mine was acclimating, or healing from powerhead struggles, it goes into the dark for sometimes a week, just peeking out.

I'd just leave it and let it do its thing. I only move the rock its on if it starts wandering too close to some coral that I don't want it to kill.

They are lethal bastards.....

 

[07FocusST]

The worst possible thing you could do is move it. Try introducing a medium flow from a powerhead in its general area. Not directly at it... most RBTA's love a good flow.

 

[ac7av]

Gotcha
I’m just letting it do its thing.
I moved the nem into the tank on the rock it was on. I have not touched it other then that.

 

[ReefLogic]

Just leave it alone.

I have had several anemone's in my experiences so far and one thing I can tell you....they WILL find the place they want to be. Trust me....when he is ready he will move to where he likes it best. You can try and "guide" him by digging small hole in sand directly in front of rock you "want" him to be and hope he decides to stay.

All I am saying is this is what has been my experiences and what I do. Worked well so far....first one I placed like that stayed on that rock for 2 years straight before it decided to move....and it only did that when I changed from an SPS 15k to a Pheonix 14k....guess it didn't like that location anymore.

 

[jaygalindo]

don't turn the power heads off. Once they settle and u turn the power heads on, if it doesn't like the flow(too much or too little) it will start moving again. U just have to keep an eye on them for a week or so. I just introduced a new nem to my tank and i fine myself waking up at night to make sure it hasn't been shred into pieces.

 

[ac7av]

don't turn the power heads off. Once they settle and u turn the power heads on, if it doesn't like the flow(too much or too little) it will start moving again. U just have to keep an eye on them for a week or so. I just introduced a new nem to my tank and i fine myself waking up at night to make sure it hasn't been shred into pieces.

Well I try and turn the power heads off at night just to give the fish a little brake from the water movement and let the night crew get around easer. I don’t know why this sounds good in my head but I don’t have a wave maker timer system and these power heads will not work on one so I just do it manually. I for get to turn them off probably half the time but I was trying to make a point of it with the new nem in the tank. I really didn’t want to wake up to a disaster. I guess Ive just read of too many going threw power heads. So you think it would be best to just leave everything one all the time for now?

 

[jaygalindo]

yeah, the Nem will stay put when happy, any change in parameters, lighting, and or flow will send it on a lap around the tank. My nem stayed out in the open in the spot that i sat it in, since it has moved down under a shelf piece of live rock. It open and pretty happy and is starting to move back to the spot it started in. Check out this youtube series on acclimating an RBTA

 

[jaygalindo]

Damn I had to turn off one of my powerheads just now as my nem decided to relocate to the back wall just underneath the powerhead. I am glad i caught this when i did. He is opened up huge now though. I hope it doesn't decide to make that spot its permanent home has it is behind a LR island and I wanted to show of this GBTA morph.

 

[07FocusST]

Murphy's Law.... RBTA usually follow this law.

 

[jaygalindo]

Well screw Murphy for making up this Law...

 

[ac7av]

That’s what I’m worried about. Makes me wish I had a closed loop instead of power heads. These wide angle power heads don’t have any suctions but the tentacles can still find there way in to the impeller.

 

[NC2WA]

Erik

<Brainstorm idea>:

Can you put some type of foam around the outside so that the RBTA won't get sucked by the powerhead??

 

[ac7av]

Well probably
A couple of rubber bands and a media bag could probable do the trick. It will have to wait till the weekend before I can get something from the pet store.

BTW Ill clean and dry the rock and save it for you. You can have it if you like it. I certainly don’t need any more rock in my tank and flat pieced like that are hard to come by and very useful for all kinds of stuff.

 

[NC2WA]

Erik,

Thank you.

 

[TJL]

Hey Erik, nice score on getting one of Kirks nems. A BIG +1 on advice from jaygalindo for anemones water flow is as important as access to light in making thier decision to to stay put. You can take advantage of this also by blasting or eliminating water flow to an anemone to encourage it to relocate if you don't care for its place in the tank.

Todd