Bill B Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 I got this GBTA recently and am having trouble getting it positioned. That's it currently, shriveld up about 6 inches from the left, 4 inches above the sandbed, which some of its mouth visible. Your mission Jim, if you choose to accept it is to suggest a coarse of action to me. This pm will not self destruct in 15,30,60 or 18000 seconds. I originally stuck him higher,on a flatish area about where the tube is hanging into the water, on the right. It seemed happy at first and inflated. But the next morning it was gone and I had blown into the back, bottom left corner which at that time was about 50% under a ledge above it. It was not happy there and remained deflated. I rearranged the rockwork some, hence a lot of the white rocks showing, and attached him pretty much where he is now except facing the left glass, and not the front like it is now. Viola almost immediately it inflated and was looking good for at least 2 days. Then I noticed sometimes part of it would deflate and occasionally it fully deflate and then fully inflated. I am now surmising that it deflates to make it easier for it to move. However, at you can see, it has now moved about as far as it easily can, Now it seems very unhappy again, although just earlier today it seemed much better. The closeup is just to show it is actually under a small lip, which is about the depth of it's tube, but not tenticles. So I am wondering 1) if I should try to moving at all. It does appear to be fairly well attached right now. When I took it out of the back corner it was drooping badly and was too easily removed. I am concerned it is not going to like the trauma of being removed many more times. Whatever harm may have been done when it was removed from the tank at RCA has doubtless not mended yet - and it was stuck pretty good to the side of a powerhead. 2) If moved, where to. Somehow I suspect, at this point, it is not going to be able to walk, or be blown to it's ideal (albeit perhaps semi-temporary) location. I only see a few possibilities. Top of the back left corner - I would just have to replace the rock that's there right now with another. Move it up on the ledge above where it is now. It is a little hard to judge the depth but there is a nice flattish area there. Any higher and it is going to be in competition with the hammer which is top center (behind the glass streak). It could go on that flattish green rock on the right, although this is where I originally started it, or it could go on those brite white new rocks on the far right. The ebb and flows: That hose does empty fairly close to the green ledge, on the right. It's not a gusher of a flow as that is just a 80-200 gph pump from a gfo reactor I just attached to try to beat back the hair algae. The hose itself could easily be turned in a different angle. Directly to the right of that hose there is at least some agitation of the water as that's where my little Aqua C is flowing back in the tank. The Korolia (1 I think) is currently very close to the glass to encourage flow on the small visible sandbed, although right now it is a little higher than I normally have it. Lastly there is a big 1 1/2-2" return from my HOB refugium on the left powered by a maxijet 1200, which flows pretty much right at the hammer and works well. I only have 1 actinic and 1 10k 39W T5 running. Water quality is not great but I don't think it's terrible for non SPS. Nitrates are 5-10, Phosphates are minimal but present. Obviously there is something less than ideal as I have had quite a problem with hair algae and bryopsis which is receding nicely but obviously still present. This came about mostly from months of very little attention except occasionally dosing some 2 part. Ca 400 +/-, Kh 8ish, Mg 1700 ish (trying to kill the Bryopsis). If necessary I could temporarily move it to my 75. Water is about the same, cept Mg is normal, I have that snot algae trying to gain a foothold there. Much more flow to blow it to unseeable places, stronger halide lights. Sorry, I'm sure most minor interest readers have long since moved to other threads. If anyone followed it to the end thought they might want mucho info to gain the best non-onsite opinion. If you've read this far I thank you for that anyway:) Gracias Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mel in Elgin Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 No matter where you put him he will move until he finds a spot that he likes... In my experience it is usually where you don't want them... I personally would not attempt to move him anymore for fear of stressing him too much. Just let him be and he'll move all around until he finds just the right crevice... Good Luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaarrrggg Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Yeah just leave it to it. It will be fussy until it gets used to the new tank params/lights. Also don't be surprised if you find it looking dreadful soon. They will often deflate for a little while when they are getting used to the water. Scared me when I got my first one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 +1 to the above, you really can't choose where your BTA ends up. Mine actually come out from their rock every morning to bask in the light, the retreat at night. Just make sure that you have a trail of rocks so that he can move amongst your rockwork without having to crawl across the sand. He'll find a place that he's happy eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard L Posted February 6, 2012 Share Posted February 6, 2012 Anemones are the cats of the reef world. It doesn't matter what you want them to do, they will do as they darn well please! It took 2 weeks for my RBTA to pick a spot. I did have some luck coaxing it to move from a really bad location by temporarily shading the light with a piece of cardboard until it moved on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill B Posted February 6, 2012 Author Share Posted February 6, 2012 Thanks for the suggestions folks. It seems my COA s/b to actually put a few more larger rocks to either side of where it is to fill in the holes. My biggest concern was it was shriveling up and moving, but may have no where else to move, given that little ledge right above it. The good news is, it doesn't seem to move real fast and all my corals are movable, although it will be a deal breaker if it want to be by the hammer. Richard, your analogy hit right on target. We have 5 cats! I'll see what happens. Naturally the post script to this, is this morning lights on and it's inflated and looking happy I'll be bac Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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