Adding anemone in established nano reef

[Becca22]

Point is I need advice moving a bta to a nano after coral has attached.

 

Full story:

I currently have 2 saltwater tanks, one is a 3 year old (abused for the past year) biocube I decided (since having a 4 month old) I can’t keep anymore. It has only been topped off a few times year, the filter changed 4x a year, has been around 88 degrees the past 4 months, and I can’t afford time or money to keep. BUT through all this I’ve had a few fish and a gorgeous rainbow bta survive (the whole reason I agreed to move the tank to a new house AND upstairs at 6 months pregnant.

At her best!

 

My second tank is my reef. It’s over a year old, 12g with a 10g sump. Taken very well care of. Even have white porcelain crabs which would enjoy a bta. I’ve had clowns smother nems before, do porcelain crabs do the same? But again only 12g and a nem? Zoas are on almost every rock. Some zoa colonies I’d be willing to lose for the anemone if it’s possible. It’s has softies, lps and 2 monti frags on the glass.

 

The anemone (still in the biocube there) hasn’t been doing well for months now very suddenly. The lighting maybe was changed because I added an old orbit led that always confused me, maybe when it started getting warmer, and the lack of care I’m sure. 

Anyways, since I’m trying to get rid of this tank and I lovee this anemone is there any hope of adding a bta to a semi-new reef? I’ve acclimated it to my new tank and it is very happy. Have it under a plastic bottle cut in half with small holes for some flow so it can’t move around easily.

 

Has anyone successfully added an anemone to a nano reef after the coral? Any tips on my water bottle cage? It’s hard to get a seal on the bottom so I know it could slip out. Does anyone know if a porcelain crab would smother my nem if he ever gets uncaged? I have an ocellaris clown so I’m not as worried of her trying to host it enough to smother it.

Please any advice is greatly appreciated!

Mat least I have an infant so am awake all times of the night to check the tank xD

[OPtasia]

There's always a risk with RBTA's wandering around in any tank. I've kept several of them and even have one in my current 32g. biocube and it's hosting a tomato clownfish. I did add the BTA to the tank after a few frags had already been mounted on the rock work. The BTA stung the hell out of an already struggling torch coral frag. TBH, that torch coral was never happy with any location I picked out for it even though we have another Euphilya (hammer coral) that's healthy and doing fine.

 

Anyway, whenever you install a BTA in the tank, it's better if you introduce the anemone first to give it time to find a suitable spot where it will be happy. I've seen BTA's stay in one place for a year or more, then all of the sudden they'll move on ya. I've had them get diced up by circulation pumps because of this, too. So, yes it's going to be risky for you to add one to an already established reef tank.