billyboy2

my recently purchased BTA is releasing what looks like strands of slime with bubbles stuck to it!? it's not comming from the mouth but on the outer edge. My two percula clowns just last night decided they were going to host it as i found them both laying in it still this morning, i am just concerend about it as i noticed when i attempted to feed some silverside it didn't stick to it, or even try to grab it. and now that i am noticing this slimy stuff i am worried it's not going to last long... it look not too bad... its fully inflated, almost all the tenticles are inflated fully, but i notice the mouth looks closed but not tight, it has a pinhole size opening and i have observed the mouth open large enough for my pinky finger to pass through in the past. what can i do? any help appreciated!

water tests; pH 8.4 salinity 1.024, temp 79, ammonia,nitrite,nitrate 0ppm. I am using a coralife CFL lighting in my 30g providing aprox 5 watts/gallon. No skimmer but i do a frequent water changes and test water almost daily. i use 2 aquaclear30 filters and 1 aquaclear powerhead for water current.

sgould

How often have you attempted to feed, and when was the last time it actually took the food? I read a lot about feeding BTAs anywhere from every 3 days to every 7, but everytime I have tried to reduce my feeding schedule to even the 3 day mark, my BTA has nearly died (a starving BTA will lose size and the tentacles will gradually get shorter and shorter until left with only nubs, and counter-intuitively, it will lose its feeding response). I feed mine daily, which it eagerly accepts. I have also had better luck feeding mine krill than silversides, though certainly the majority of posts I have read concerning food do use silversides. I may just be experiencing differences of an individual speciman. A pinhole sized mouth opening is not really a concern. Wide enough for your pinky may or may not be...what was going on when you observed that, and how long did it stay open that much? It would be normal for the mouth to open when deflating or excreting. I have not kept cleaners with my BTA, but have read that it is normal for the shrimp to try and steal food right off the anemone, which may be what they are doing or at least trying to do. I am a little worried about your lighting...compacts are typically not considered intense enough for anemones. What is your daily lighting schedule?

Hypnox

I've found that anemones fair much better if fed every other day. Usually some raw shrimp or a cube of prawn is what I feed. I've been giving it mussle too lately.