Do I need to target feed my RBTA?

[Zackb911]

I have a fairly good size and healthy RBTA that I picked up. I was wondering if spot feeding them is necessary of if a pair of maroon clowns or the current etc will take care of its food needs. When I feed the tank he doesn't seem to get much or anything and I never see the clowns dropping any food off for it...

 

[starrfish]

My clowns don't feed my RBTAs. I turn off the pumps during feeding. After I get the fish busy (eating), I squirt a big turkey baster full in the RBTAs direction. Each of them always manages do get a chunk of something. This also works for my gonioporas.

 

[Zackb911]

Ahh so I do! Is it daily, bi-weekly, etc? I presume mysis or brine?

 

[deadhermitwalkin]

Zack...I just feed my every third day. I'll drop some home made goo in it, and away it goes to town. I would target feed it....to keep it happy.

 

[Zackb911]

Looks like I need me a turkey baster

 

[Duds]

Looks like I need me a turkey baster

a reefer without a turkey baster

i dont really target feed mine my clowns do a pretty good job of that for me, when i feed the tank and when the clowns get the big chunks they cant handle they give it to the bta
Duds

 

[MikeG]

I have a green BTA that has no clowns that host it, I feed it once every 3-4 weeks and it continues to grow.

 

[Behrmon]

I target feed by putting a small peice of shrimp/fish in the end of a wide "crazy straw" - my gbta pulls it right out of there and I don't have to worry about the current taking the food.

 

[jebar777]

i blow mysis or clams at it and it always grabs all the peices with its tenticles and closes up on them, about every 2-3 weeks.... i dont want it to grow too fast.

 

[Zackb911]

I was under the impression he would grab the food too but he doesn't. He is fairly new to the tank but acting very odd. It will go from full and bubbled up(rarely) to shriveled and sickly looking(as it is right now) I know they can be bizzare, especially when new to the tank but it still has me conerned

Zack

 

[starrfish]

Zack - are his tentacles sticky? If you turn the pumps off and put a piece of mysis or shrimp on them, does the food stick to them? Shriveling up is normal behavior, but not taking food isn't normal. Back to your original question, you can feed them as often as you like - the more you feed, the bigger they get, the more they split.

 

[jroczniak]

I feed mine about 2 times a week with like half a silverside or a chunk of shrimp..I have to place it right on the Anemone though, they dont grab anything from me.

 

[nickyblase]

Here's a really good site on RBTA's. Lots of info.

http://www.freewebs.com/karenssaltwater/index.htm

 

[Jill & Brian]

Hi Zack,

I used to feed it a bunch of mysis out of a turkey baster every 1-2 weeks. I found that it shriveled probably once a week. Looks like it completly deflates, and shrivels up. It also deflated quite a bit when I first got it.

My clowns never hosted in it, so if your maroons are taking to it, it may take a week or so to get used to them.

In the past, i fed it chopped up silversides as well as the mysis.

-Brian