Anemone question. Bubble Tip feding issues?

Question

Does anyone have experience with BTAs? Bubble Tip Anemonies are my favorites, so I got one but I didn't know that they should be colored and the one I got is bleached, according to what I read online. According to sites, he's starving to death. I feed phytoplankton daily/bi-daily, and I tried silversides, krill pieces and he did eat the first batch of mysis shrimp, but is tossing everything else out that I give him since. It's been about five days since he had some shrimp. Do you think he's still starving? Can someone please give me some tips? I have had freshwater aquariums for over 30 years and I am an avid aquarist, but am newer to saltwater/reef systems.
My BTA is in a 30 gallon, lots of live rock, live sand, soft corals, mushrooms, and contains 4 clownfsh (2 mated pair who get along) and one Royal Gramma, 2 hermit crabs and a peppermint shrimp and one coral banded shrimp. Skimmer, UV Filter, 2 power heads, 2 bio filters.

The setup in this tank is from an established refuge (not refugium), where calupera, rotifers, copepods, mysis shrimp and invertebrates such as stomatella were breeding and living. The rock was half new, half live. I set it up a month ago. The sand, inverts, everything comes from a living tank, and was incorporated into the larger tank, and the only "new" things are the water (1 month old) and the skimmer.

Answer 1

I've got a bubbletip "rescue" myself last week. One thing you don't mention is your lighting, and that may be important to your anemone's recovery. Since you have other corals, I'd assume you have at least a compact fluorescent or T-5 system.

I just was talking offline with two other forum members about the use of reptile bulbs for marine tanks. Three people I know have tried them, and it seems that anemones and corals seem to perk up under the more intense/UVB lighting. I don't know how far yours is into the bleaching process (and some neon bubbletips are a naturally pale color), but this might be something you can try.

Another suggestion would be to isolate him from your clowns - especially if they are trying to "snuggle" into it. It this behavior causes your anemone to withdraw into itself, it may not feed. Also, peppermint shrimp have a way of stealing food away from slower-feeding anemones and polyps. About all you can do is to continue trying to feed, keep it from being stressed by other tank inhabitants until it's well, and making sure it has top quality water parameters - no ammonia and nitrites, nitrates as low as possible; pH 8.2-8.4; salinity 1.024-1.026; temperature 76-80oF. Also be sure it's out of reach of any other corals (they can sting each other, and some give off toxic chemicals to decrease competition for food and lighting). You can also try carbon in your filter to remove any toxins produced.

Here's a link on anemone care that's a little more in-depth: http://www.carlosreef.com/AnemoneFAQ.pdf


ADDITION: I should also mention the frequency of changing your lighting tubes/bulbs. Even they may not burn out, the amount of usable light produced declines quickly, so it's in the best interests of your photosynthetic organisms to change the tubes/bulbs at least on a yearly basis (if not at 6-9 months). If your tank has been set up longer than this, all of your photosynthetics may be suffering a slow decline.

Answer 2

Assuming your water parameters are in check, and your lighting is sufficient, I wouldn't worry too much. BTAs are about as tough as anemones come. More than likely, he's spitting out the food because he's not hungry. I think you are actually overfeeding your tank a bit. Photosynthetic corals and anemones get most of their nutrients from light.

I would cut back the phyto to no more than 3 times a week. Same with the anemone, I wouldn't feed it more than 2 or 3 times a week. Silversides and krill are both okay, and you can soak them in a good supplement like Selcon to add some extra nutritional value. Make sure the portions you are feeding him are small enough to fit in his mouth.

If the clowns are hosting the anemone, then they will feed it as well. However, if you have Ocellaris or Percula Clowns, then they may not host the BTA, as it is not their natural host. Either way, it shouldn't affect the anemone. The best way to gauge an anemone's health is the check its mouth and foot. The mouth should be tightly closed, and the foot should have no visible signs of tearing. If the BTA is constantly moving around in your tank, then it can't find a spot it likes, and this could also be a sign of trouble.

Regards