BTA not eating  11/12/06
Hello again,
Thank you very much for your quick response to my last question. I have had a BTA for a number of months now, and I made sure to research it for many weeks before I bought it. After having it for these months I have really wanted to see it split but I have read that most splitting are caused by stress. I do not want to make it stressed just to get it to split. I did more reading about how to trigger splitting and I read that feeding it about 3 times a week will help trigger this.
<Yes, can>
My BTA is host to a clown that I thought was feeding it but over the past 2 weeks I kept watching but he never feed it, I understand that this can happen so I tried feeding it with a turkey baster but it did not respond to the food, I tried again for the next 4 days and there were still no results.
<I'd try larger, single pieces of meaty foods... placing them directly on the tentacles...>
I have been hunting and I can't seem to find anything to do in this situation. He is still fully expanded and seems to be acting very healthy (I don't know how you can be starving and healthy).
<Derive a good deal of their nutrition from photosynthesis, and "fish poop">
Thank you so much for bearing with me, and if you can shed any light on my situation it would be greatly appreciated.
Tom
<I take it you have read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/btafdgfaqs.htm
and the linked files above? Bob Fenner>

Feeding a bleached anemone  10/4/05
Hello,
<Pamela>
We've been fans of your website for almost a year now.  You have been providing us with a ton of practical information and we're eternally grateful.  We also just finished reading your book - The Conscientious Marine Aquarist - one of the best Marine life readings out there.   We hope you can shed some light (pun intended) on our anemone situation.
<Will try>
To start, we have a 260g tank with some rock and artificial ornaments.  
Lighting is provided by a 72” Coralife PC fixture (384W total).  The main lights (10K) are on from 3pm to 12:30am. The actinics stay on 30 minutes
longer (before and after).  The tank is located in naturally well lit room but it does not get a lot of direct sunlight.  It has one overflow with an Iwaki 100 return pump.  We also have one power head, UV filter, in-sump ASM G3 skimmer, etc.   We bought our BTA about 6 months ago along with a hosting
tomato clown.  The clown fish does not seem to feed it, so we feed it chunks of shrimp or squid and have tried krill.  At first, although it didn’t actively grab the food, it did eventually accept and consume it.  About a month ago, it split.
> stress... a lack of useful light energy related>
  The two pieces remain in the same area, and the clown continues to host both of them.  Now, they only rarely accept food.  They must like this location as they have not moved (before or after the split).  
Since they are smaller than the original one, it is harder to feed them because they do not reach out and grab the food with their tentacles.  We are concerned because they seem to be bleaching (one much more than the other) and they both seem to balloon and then shrivel for short periods of
time. (The foot is an orange-red color like it was when we bought it.)   
Lighting is a concern:
<Yes>
The tank is 30” deep and the anemones are located on a rock near the bottom.  Recently we also seem to be having an issue with temperature, up to 82-83 degrees (it used to be stable at 79).
<This shouldn't be too much of a problem... stable enough in your size system>
  The salinity is 1.025 and the pH is stable at 7.9.  (This week, we are going to add 250 pounds of live rock that we have been curing for a month.
<Do add about 50 pounds per week... too much likelihood of trouble with placing all at once>
Hopefully this will raise the pH).  
<Should help... otherwise, do look into a good line (e.g. SeaChem) of buffering compounds to add during regular water changes>
The ammonia is ok-no issue.     By the way, we have another BTA which is hosting a male tomato clown.  It is attached to a rock
higher in the tank.  This clown doesn’t feed it but it is easier to reach so we do.  It doesn’t reach out with its tentacles but it accepts food more
easily.  (Perhaps we are accustomed to watching a Condy eat in another tank-it stretches its tentacles out to grab the food and then it quickly consumes it.)
<Yes... very different animals>
Our questions are:  Should we continue trying to feed the anemone (when it's open) even if it doesn't take the food?
<Yes>
  Does it seem like it needs more light?  
<It, they do>
What do you recommend?
<Adding some Metal Halides directly above them>
We are considering replacing PC with either a 72” Coralife fixture with 3 integrated MH lights, or a 72” T5 setup.
<Mmm, both/either would be an improvement... as stated, if possible/practical, adding MH pendants above the areas where the anemones are... or alternatively, moving them to another, shallower system with much more light...>
Both are very expensive, so we don’t want to make a mistake.  Also, since heat is already an issue-would MH make it worse or is it worth it?
<Likely so, unless you plan and execute some means of alleviating the waste heat (fans, openings in the hood/canopy or even a purposeful chiller>
Should we move the rock with the anemones to a higher location when we add the live rock (or will that stress them more?).
<Best to do just one at a time... I'd leave on the bottom for a month or so after adding the new lighting>
Is the higher temperature causing a problem?
<Mmm, not much, likely>
Should we expect the BTAs to extend their tentacles to grab food more actively instead of just closing in on the food?  
<Under the present conditions, no>
  Please help us-I really don’t want to see the “twins” die.  In the event, an anemone does die in this size tank- will it cause a life threatening problem?
<Likely not... but should be removed/siphoned out if "goes mushy">
Thank you for your time...
Pam & Rob
<And you for sharing. The new LR will help, but I would adjust alkalinity, pH, and definitely add, change out your lighting. Bob Fenner>

BTA And Clams? - 09/25/05
Hi WWW Crew
<<Hello>>
Well here's my questions, when you say you should feed the BTA Anemones what should I feed them and how often.
<<Diced meaty foods (shrimp, clams, etc.)>>
And also could I mix BTA's with other anemones?
<<Nope>>
Also could I keep ant T. clams with anemones in a 60 gallon with 260 watts of pc lighting.
<<I wouldn't...though it has nothing to do with the lighting.>>
Thanks in Advance
<<EricR>>

BTA Clone feeding
Three weeks ago my BTA cloned. The large anemone is doing fine and eats anything I feed it. The large one is now bigger than ever. It's probably close to 10 inches across when inflated. The clone will not eat anything. If I try and feed it it pulls its tentacles away and deflates. It seems to be doing all right though. It is staying on the same rock, and just moving around a little. It seems to spend a lot of its time inflating and deflating. You can sit and watch it fully inflate, and two or three minutes later it will be completely deflated. I have never dealt with an anemone clone before and I am not sure what to expect.  Is there anything I can do to encourage it to feed, or will it just feed when its ready? Thank you.
<Just continue to offer foods as per the other one... a couple of times a week, don't be too concerned if the clone "moves away" to another part of the system. Bob Fenner>

BTA
Good afternoon to all! 
<Good day to you.> 
I have had a BTA in my 30 gal. hex w/LR (been up for 1.5 yrs.) for about 5 weeks now. The anemone roamed almost daily but seemed okay otherwise. I fed it 1 or 2 1/4" pieces of shrimp, soaked in Kent Zoe, once maybe twice a week. I was obviously concerned about the roaming so I tested my water OFTEN and cleaned my Bak Pak weekly. At introduction, I was running my 150 W HQI MH pendant for about 8 hours/day, now I am up to 10+ hours/day (increasing time by 15 min. every 2-3 days). 
I also had a temperature increase (from 79 to 81.5 even w/glass hood off) as spring returned. I have a fan pointing at the surface now so that is no longer a problem.  Next I had an evaporation concern so, taking advise from my LFS, I returned the larger portion of the 1/4" thick glass hood. Also, I top off with buffered RO water and change out 5 gals. every 1.5-2 weeks. 
Inhabitants include Percula clownfish (in tank for 2 weeks now), hermit crab, 4 snails, sand star, and Peppermint shrimp.
For the last 10 days or so, the BTA has been shrinking and seems to have lost all color. I have been feeding (added Mysis and Formula One) it almost daily for a week now. 
<Too much food! Anemones cannot process food that fast. One feeding weekly would be plenty. Don't kill it with kindness.> 
Its pigment is a darker maroon shade now with a few gray spots. It still has no bad odors and the mouth is closed. The anemone stays open often however tentacles are small and not at all fully extended. Is it starving? 
<NO> 
Can I nurse it back? Did putting the glass hood back on two weeks ago deprive the already stressed specimen of necessary light? 
<No> 
Should I spare the tank and just toss it? Thank you for bearing with me. I just wanted to give as much information as possible. I thank everyone for their contributions to WWM as it is a very valuable resource to many. 
<Kim, stop feeding the anemone. Adding all this food daily doesn't help water quality which it does need. Keep a close eye on it, and if it does release from whatever it is attached to, remove it. James (Salty Dog)>

BTA behavior 4/30/04
Evening Bob or Anthony,
<Anthony in your service>
I recently purchased a small BTA from my LFS, its still small maybe 2" in diam. It looks healthy, pinkish tan in color and moved around the aquarium first two days till it found a spot it liked.
I read about target feeding them if they don't seem to be getting enough in the tank so I used a small bulb syringe and gave it a few pieces of Mysis shrimp, it grabbed them greedily and I thought it was pretty neat hehe. so I figured every three days I would offer it some sort of food. I gave it some Mysis again and this time a number of tentacle turned a bright almost fluorescent green when it was feeding.
<neat>
I did some searching and could not find anything mentioned about this?
<agreed>
Is this common? should I be concerned about it?
<no concern at all>
what are your thoughts on target feeding BTA's?
<necessary with finely minced foods on a weekly basis for best long term success (by you or by a hosted clownfish)>
Thanks as always, Drew
<always welcome, my friend. Anthony>

Feeding a Rose
>Exactly what do I feed this beautiful rose anemone? 
>>I don't exactly know what anemone you're referring to. Please search our site on "anemones". This should help you identify the animal you have, as well as how to feed and care for it. At this point I have to advise you to never buy animals whose care you haven't a clue about. Marina
>How do I go about doing so and how often? Do I put the food to its mouth etc...thanks Attiya 

Feeding BTA 9/22/03
Reviewing your website, I haven't yet run across the answer to the following:  In feeding a BTA, say with a turkey baster and Mysis shrimp, where does one squirt this food?  Do you have to aim for the "mouth" or is anywhere towards the tentacles fine?  (Probably a dumb question.)
<not a dumb question at all, mate... a very important distinction. You need to know that feeding with a baster is a bit tricky, and we must be careful not to blast or squirt the animal for fear of inducing a fright response (ceasing feeding). The mouth is not to be fed, but rather the tentacles. Stimulate receptiveness by putting a very small amount of food or thawed pack juice (literally just a quarter or half teaspoon) into the aquarium about 15-30 minutes prior to feeding. Also, be sure to thaw frozen food in the fridge or cold water to retain nutritive quality... but strain and discard this liquid just prior to feeding (scrubbing excess nutrients from pack juice to avoid feeding a nuisance algae bloom in the aquarium). Once thawed, ameliorate the mysids/meats in a slurry of aquarium water and gently squirt this in a stream towards the anemones tentacles>
Oh, I just introduced my BTA about a day or two ago.  He has crawled under a rock where this is little rock and has yet to come back out.  He balled up big time but has expanded back out a fair amount.  Is this most likely the BTA adjusting to the new environment/light, and so on?  
<not uncommon at all... adjustment to the tank/light likely. Best regards, Anthony>

Anemone
Hi. I have a quick question about my new sea anemone. It is a green bubble tip and I've had it for about two weeks. I have been told by some that I don't have to feed it and by some that I should feed it about twice a week.
<I think Eric Borneman said (paraphrasing) that corals are animals, not plants, and therefore need to be fed and I totally agree. What you feed them is the big question.>
Well, I've decided that it can't be good not to feed it, so I bought a raw snapper filet that I cut into little pieces and I've fed it twice with this. Does this sound like a good thing or should I feed it something else and how often should I feed it?
<The fish is ok as long as it is tiny pieces, nothing larger than a quarter inch. I would also vary the diet, too. Try some Mysis shrimp and plankton. Both would be excellent. I would feed it small amounts two to three times per week.>
Any advise would be most welcome.
<There is a lot more information on www.WetWebMedia.com regarding the appropriate care of these creatures.>
Thanks a lot, Laura Stalls
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Satisfying An Anemone's Appetite!
Hi Bob + Crew,
<Scott F. with you today!>
I have read articles and I'm not sure as to the amount of food to give a Bubbletip anemone ( size approx. 3").   I read that food should be 1/4" or less, currently I feed one 1/4" piece of silverside, once a week. Is that enough?
<Well, some species of anemones feed daily in nature, and can ingest an amount of food that makes up a percentage of their body weight! I'd try feeding small quantities of food every other day.>
If not how many 1/4" pieces? I just fed one piece yesterday, should I wait to give more if needed?
<I'd start with two or three pieces, and see if the anemone ingests it all>
I am also thinking of including Mysis shrimp and clams. Once again how much?
<Both of these foods are just fine, IMO. Once again, I'd try small amounts of food several times a week, and see if the anemone appears to be responding well. If the animal will consume more food, then by all means, I'd give it some more!>
Also I would like to get your advice as far as mail ordering livestock, I am very concerned with doing the right thing environmentally and I have always purchased through a store but I have been told mail ordering will eliminate two acclimations. What's the scoop? If so any recommendations (LiveAquaria.com, FFExpress, etc)?
<Well, regardless of where the fish is ordered from, the animals will endure several acclimations, from the collector to the transhipper to the retailer (or e-tailer). The journey from reef to store to tank is a difficult one, and the mortality rate among fishes along the way can be horrific! That's why it pays to buy your animals from a dealer who selects properly collected and handled animals. The places that you mentioned all have good reputations. My favorite etailer for rare marines is Marine Center. The people there select and handle their fishes very well, and make sure that the animals are eating before they are sold. You can't ask for much more than that. In the end, you have to give credit to the fishes themselves. They're tough!>
Thanks for the help. This website along with the book " The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" is great. Looking forward to the new book. Rich
<We all are, too, Rich! Thanks for writing! Feel free to contact us any time! Regards, Scott F>

Visual Guide to Bubble Tip Anemone?
Hi Bob,
<You actually got Steven Pro today. I am part of the WWM crew and taking a turn answering questions this morning.>
I've inherited control of my company's 55 gal marine aquarium which has the following:
2 damsels
banded goby and pistol shrimp pair
maroon clown and bubble tip anemone pair
3 hermit crabs
couple of turbo snails
some live rock and live sand
I've had tanks with just fish in them, but the bubble tip is a mystery to me.
<A mystery to most, so don't feel bad.>
The anemone was a recent addition to the tank (about 1 month ago), and I have no idea what "normal" looks like. His visual appearance changes daily from long thin tentacles to completely splayed out, engorged, almost transparent tentacles. His body also changes color and configuration.
Is there a visual guide to bubble tips? I especially would like to know if he's hungry. Sometimes it seems like he's hungry when his tentacles are engorged, then I feed him some live brine shrimp or frozen Mysis preparation and his tentacles "deflate" after eating. From reading the bubble tip article on this site, I want to make sure that I'm not overfeeding him.
<I would feed him twice weekly with the frozen Mysis shrimp soaked in Selcon and Vita-Chem.>
I do know that the lighting system is definitely not enough for the bubble tip. They've got three fluorescent bulbs (generic, actinic, and 10000K) which add up to only 90 watts. There's only room in the hood for 3 bulbs. What would you suggest? I'm thinking of removing the generic bulb and replacing with some VHO fluorescent. Cost is a factor, as the company is very stingy. I have invested some of my own money for the sake of the health of this tank.
<You are right about the light being inadequate. You will probably have to change all three lamps to three 110 watt VHO's.>
Thanks! I love the site...it's very informative and easy to read for beginners. ---Stella
<When looking around the site, did you see this article, http://www.WetWebMedia.com/bubbletipanemones.htm? This gentleman has had some real success with BTA's and there is much to be learned from his experiences. Good luck. -Steven Pro>

Re: Visual Guide to Bubble Tip Anemone?
Steven, thanks for your quick response. I have read the bubble tip article, and I hope I can reproduce his success. I'm hoping to order the VHO lamps and ballast soon, but is there anything I can do in the meantime to tide the anemone over? Maybe a directional lamp as a light supplement? Thanks! --Stella
<Increasing the feeding should help get the anemone some extra energy. I do not know what you mean by directional lamp, but it probably won't hurt. It may not help much either, though. -Steven Pro>

Feeding a Quadricolor
I recently got a bubble tip anemone (one week ago) and have not observed my maroon clown feeding it.
<Not unusual.>
She has bonded with it in the sense that she's in it all the time, etc. However, I have not seen her give it food. Will she maybe start feeding it eventually?
<Perhaps, perhaps not. Better for you to ensure the health of your animal by direct feedings.>
The anemone has attached itself in a spot in the tank that is very hard for me to reach to feed it. It looks very healthy and is getting good light where it is but I'm just not able to reach it easily without moving rocks, etc. around it. What do I do?
<Feed it. Try using a length of tubing connected to a turkey baster to gently direct thawed, frozen Mysis shrimp or plankton into the tentacles.>
Will it maybe move again to a better spot?
<Not if it is "happy" now.>
Should I wait a few days?
<Maybe a few days, but try to method mentioned above.>
I'm assuming that it is getting food from particles in the water because I've seen waste.
<I would not make that assumption.>
However, I'm concerned because I've read that you recommend feeding it something like shrimp, Formula One, etc. once a week.
<Sometimes more often, two to three times per week.>
Any advice you can give will be much appreciated.
<There is an excellent article, if you have not already seen it, here  http://www.WetWebMedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm>
Also, I have not observed the "bubbles" on it's tips. Is this a bad sign.
<No>
It looks very healthy otherwise.
One more question. . . when I feed it -- how do I do it - how much at one time?
<About one half cube of the frozen shrimp mentioned above.>
Do I just use my fingers and will it open it's mouth to receive it or should I just put it in the tentacles?
<Never use your fingers to feed any stinging celled animal. Bad husbandry.>
Do you have any articles on your website that deal with this?
<Linked above.>
Thanks again!
<You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

Bubble Tip Anemones
Hi Bob & Marc,
I just read your article
(http://www.WetWebMedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm) and found it to be very interesting. I just purchased a BTA about 6 weeks ago. And many of the attributes you mentioned have occurred with mine. It took about 2 weeks for my Percula Clown to move in. I've tried a number of anemones without success. I have a special affinity for carpet anemones, but one after another, they died. 
<indeed... many problems with shipping for these animals before you even have a chance at them>
My biggest success was a pink tip (something...can't recall that Latin name. LOL), which was WHITE when I bought it, but over time turned light brown. I was told that was a good thing. 
<generally a good sign, yes>
It ate and lived, but slowly began to shrink. It took a few months until it disappeared. I think my Coral Banded Shrimp had a hand in that, as he seemed to enjoy clipping off the tentacles, eating them like worms later.
<ouch!>
I've been feeding my BTA some brine shrimp, 
<even enriched brine is a poor food... do consider Mysis shrimp or Pacifica plankton instead>
as well as small slices of uncooked shrimp from the local supermarket deli. 
<very good... remember to finely shred for best efficacy of feeding>
It has shown large growth, as I've fed it about every 3 days or so. 
<yes... very good>
I was kind of hoping to encourage the possibility of a split. 
<be sure to maintain very strong random turbulent water flow... stimulating for anemones>
I have these tiny green anemones that split all the time, so I figured it would be nice to see a "real" one split. 
<Anemonia majano... >
Grin
<agreed for the difference in market value>
Here's my tank:
http://www.sparklingfloorservice.com/maintank.html
I'm open to suggestions of course, but I'd like to avoid any massive (costly) changes. Any suggestions or thoughts would be appreciated. 
<for many animals... HUFA (fatty) rich foods help to condition for spawning. Do consider soaking your anemone's foods in Selcon (or Super Selco). And add the extra current too if necessary>
And thank you again for your article. It was very informative.
Marc Levenson Ft Worth, TX
<best regards, Anthony>

Re: anemones
Well yes my anemone seems to be faring well, because it has all its original coloring. It is an E. quadricolor, but no longer bears the bubbles on its tips (another question). 
<one theory for this lack of bubble tips is a lack of dynamic water movement as it had on the reef>
The water clarity is very good. I have an Ecosystem 60 filter with Caulerpa thriving; I have just changed my fl. actinic bulbs about a month ago, and my MH bulbs are coming up due for a change in about another month. The anemone moves a bit every once in a while but it never moves into the direct light. It has attached to the underside of a rock and the clown seems happy. I do regular water changes to keep everything in check and balanced. Any other advise for me? Should I slowly shoot brine into the anemone with a turkey baster and see what all it takes? 
<never brine, please... animals starve on brine for its extraordinary low nutritional value. Mysis and Pacifica plankton would be better. feed thawed and decanted foods (discard packing juice) with a saltwater slurry to ease shock to invert upon feeding. A slow squirt with a turkey baster from distance is likely fine>
I actively feed them either silversides or a thawed cube of prime reef. 
<the prime reef may be fine (for its shredded size)... the silversides are arguably of little value. The sightless stinging animal will of course sting it and draw it in. But most certainly regurgitate this unnaturally large portion at night with respiration. The "rule" for anemones is nothing lager than 1/4 inch. Chunks of flesh would never sink through a reef to a sessile anemone without any number of other larger sighted animals tracking it first. Its unnatural and anemones are ill adapted to feed upon it. They feed on very fine zooplankton naturally.>
I also have some small salad shrimp from the store I thaw and feed them from time to time. 
<if raw, a good value, but remember to shred it fine or the anemone will hurl it later and effectively starve in time. It sounds like this anemone hasn't been getting a lot of usable sized rich foods. Perhaps we are dealing with some attrition here>
Thanks!! You have been a great help!
<I hope to have been of some service indeed. kindly, Anthony>