New anemone has foot planted in cave but peaks out during the day. Is it still adjusting?

[Sushiboy225]

So at the end of February I purchased a green BTA for my clownfish.

Tank is a year old. Acclimated the green BTA properly and I placed it in the tank. It immediately made its way into my rockwork and placed itself on the ceiling of one of my caves. I knew it would probably do this and let it just acclimate to the new lighting and tank. After about 4 days it appeared to be creeping its oral disc out to the light. Every day now it’ll stick its oral disc out and expand. The clowns have already began to check it out and rub all in it. But once the lighting goes down or to the blue moon lighting it retracts back into the cave not to be seen till the next day. Is it still getting used to the tank and lighting? Will it ever move its foot out from that cave. That would suck cause it appears every time the blue light comes on weather mid day or end of day it’ll slowly retract back, never letting me see its beautiful colors. And the flows don’t get a nice anemone to sleep in!

does anyone else have this where their anemone retracts and hides?

 

[swebb]

I do not have experience with anemones but I do have experiences with corals and fish going to bed and closing up in the late afternoon. I have found that later feedings or a little bit of reefroids can get corals and fish to change their behavior to our benefit. 4 days is also not that long, it might still change places.

 

[Sushiboy225]

I do not have experience with anemones but I do have experiences with corals and fish going to bed and closing up in the late afternoon. I have found that later feedings or a little bit of reefroids can get corals and fish to change their behavior to our benefit. 4 days is also not that long, it might still change places.

Sorry should have made it more clear. It reached out into the light after 4 days. It’s been about 2 weeks. Could it still change places after 2 weeks?

what is reefroids too and how would it help?

 

[afishbestservedcold]

My BTA does a similar thing, sticks himself under the ledge and then reaches the tentacles out to the light. I agree maybe a little feeding but I wouldnt worry, it can definitely move around after two weeks. it also might not like the clowns rubbing on it, how big is it compared to them?

 

[swebb]

I think it could still move. Reefroids is a coral food that I believe your anemone will open up in order to eat. If you feed it in the evening, it might stay open later.

 

[Sushiboy225]

My BTA does a similar thing, sticks himself under the ledge and then reaches the tentacles out to the light. I agree maybe a little feeding but I wouldnt worry, it can definitely move around after two weeks. it also might not like the clowns rubbing on it, how big is it compared to them?

It’s oral disc is about double the to triple the size of the clownfish. The attached photo is with male and female next to it

 

[Sushiboy225]

I think it could still move. Reefroids is a coral food that I believe your anemone will open up in order to eat. If you feed it in the evening, it might stay open later.

Interesting. I’ll look into it, thanks!

 

[MartinM]

For now just give it time and make sure the system doesn’t have any internal pumps or that they’re very well protected.

 

[dmy535]

Normal behavior. What kind of lighting and how long is your photo period? The nem looks a little bleached, but could just be the filter you took that photo under?

 

[FishyDP]

For now just give it time and make sure the system doesn’t have any internal pumps or that they’re very well protected.

I second this. If the anemone is still moving around it could detach and get sucked into powerheads very easily. I would have guards on any powerheads at all times with anemones.

 

[346700984]

My bubble tip does the same thing. Been over a month now. Been hanging upside down in an arc-shaped rock and makes a letter U to face the light when the lights are on.

 

[TriggersAmuck]

Very normal for BTAs to like a nice hiding spot to tuck into but still be able to open up and extend into the light and current. Mine have been in their spots like this for over a year.

 

[Sushiboy225]

For now just give it time and make sure the system doesn’t have any internal pumps or that they’re very well protected.

No internal pump and I have the foam covering on my mp10

 

[Sushiboy225]

Normal behavior. What kind of lighting and how long is your photo period? The nem looks a little bleached, but could just be the filter you took that photo under?

Stock biocube 32 lighting. Photoperiod of about 8 hours full light, 12 with moonlight and the beauty light setting. I’m going to be upgrading to Steve’s LEDs in a couple weeks. The stock lights are pretty bad in bringing out the colors in the corals. In the store under their lights it looked nice and green but under these the blue leds don’t do any of my corals justice. The anemone has a pretty brown look to it when it’s on the day colors

 

[Taylor t]

I had a rbta years ago in a 29 gallon. It did the same thing for a long time. I like to call it a “J” they do with their foot. A “U” would be the same description. They like to plant their foot under a rock for protection and come out to stretch for light. Mine would expand everyday and shrink at night. It was very happy, I saw it’s behavior as normal because it never moved. But it did expand and shrink everyday in a 29 gallon with PC lights. Not very bright light but it was a 14”+ anemone that lived for a long time this way. I ended up giving it away and drained that tank. It was 6” from the lights. Yours shrinking at night, as long as it inflated and looks happy during the day, I’d run with it.