# BTA in a 15g with a clownfish. Any issues??



## NovaRaven (Aug 23, 2013)

I recently banished a clownfish from my 16g display, and it is now in a 15 gallon tank with a simple aquaclear filter with carbon and a sponge. It's lit with a simple LED light, and it has some marco rock, gravel, and some PVC tubing for the clownfish to hang out in.

Question(s): I'm entertaining the idea of having a BTA in there with him. Do you guys see any issues with this? Will that simple aquaclear filter and the live rocks be good enough? With regards to the lighting, I can step up to an old aqua illuminations nano light that I used to have, so do you guys think that the BTA will need it?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!


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## NovaRaven (Aug 23, 2013)

So I'm hoping that because there are no burning replies that this is an ok idea?

Any rebuttle anyone? I'm gonna pull the trigger on a BTA soon


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## deeznutz (Aug 21, 2013)

BTA have been extremely hardy for me. Anything is possible, but water quality and evaporation will be your main issue.

Sump it and use an ATO and that should be half the battle.

HTH

-dan


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## NovaRaven (Aug 23, 2013)

Would regular water changes replace the sump? I dont have enough room at the bottom of the tank for a sump. Regular WCs for me would be no issue though


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

by adding a sump you are adding much needed volume to the tank to help support your livestock. 

The only advice I can give you about any type of anem, especially a BTA, is that they walk. You will put it in one place and it won't like it so it will move all around your tank until it finds a spot it likes. Which will probably be on one of your powerheads or possibly a place you can't reach it. Also they will sting any corals that are close


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## NovaRaven (Aug 23, 2013)

Ya I'm prepared for that in case it happens. I have foam covering the intake to the filter, and I have no other livestock in the 15g right now other than a lone clownfish. The water has been cycled for a long time and I've used water and gravel from my much established display tank.

Any other foreseen problems guys?


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## WiseGuyPhil (Jun 15, 2011)

Never had any issues with BTA in nanos. As per the above, just evaporation and water quality need to be in check. You should be ok to go ahead.


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## NovaRaven (Aug 23, 2013)

Here's another quick question. Should i stick to my simple aquaclear HOB, or step up to a canister filter?

My aquaclear is contributing to my mesh top getting caked on with salt creep due to the splashing it makes. It makes less splashing if the water is high up though. On the other hand, a canister filter allows for more room for media, and wont be contributing to salt creep on my mesh top.

Thoughts?


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## NovaRaven (Aug 23, 2013)

I'm pretty excited to get this tank going with my clownfish.

I've been wanting a BTA for a long time but I didn't want to get it for my nano reef due to fear of the BTA roaming and bulldozing my prized frags. And for those of you that have seen my frags and those frags that I've grown into mini-colonies, it would be devastating!


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## deeznutz (Aug 21, 2013)

You're going to have to do water changes weather you have a sump or not.

The advantages of a sump are pretty self explanatory. No to very little equipment in the tank, a place to top up evaporation. Makes water changes easier as well. Helps with aeration and get rid of the surface scum that accumulates. Just saying, but it's your tank. 

Personally I would never run a tank without a sump, but that's just me.

Why not setup a system for success? The easier it is to maintain the easier it is to care for.

-deez


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## NovaRaven (Aug 23, 2013)

deeznutz said:


> You're going to have to do water changes weather you have a sump or not.
> 
> The advantages of a sump are pretty self explanatory. No to very little equipment in the tank, a place to top up evaporation. Makes water changes easier as well. Helps with aeration and get rid of the surface scum that accumulates. Just saying, but it's your tank.
> 
> ...


Ya I'm a big believer in sumps as well. I have an ~ 8 gallon sump for my 16 gallon display and it works well.

For this tank though, I've already set it up, and I don't want to have to drill a hole for a sump, and I don't want to have to bother with an overflow box with a siphon tube as I've had a bad experience with one. Also, I don't have the space under my stand for a sump, so with all of those in mind, my options are limited.

I went into this thinking to just set up a small tank for ONE maybe TWO clownfish, period! But now, the thought of having a BTA has enticed me a bit, hence why now I'm asking all of these questions.

... It's funny how in this hobby, one thing leads to another. I for one, can attest to that phenomenon. I went from:

1. A 10g guppy tank, then
2. A 10 gallon guppy tank with plastic plants, and then 
3. More exotic FW fish, and then a 20 gallon FW tank with plants, then 
4. Eventually CO2 dosing to keep plants growing and then
5. A 30 gallon FW angelfish tank, and then... you get the point!

Anyway I digress!


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## notclear (Nov 5, 2011)

I started this hobby with one 15G tank and 2 clownfishes. The problem I had was putting the RBTA after and one of the clowns decided to attack the other one for the RBTA. Then I had to setup another 15G tank!

The other issue was the tank was relatively small and when the RBTA wandered it was easier to get caught at the powerhead intake. But I solved this issue by placing those grid plastic sheets from walmart inside the intake tube, so even the RBTA came too

close the damage was limited. By the way, those things usually happened overnight and when you woke up you would find the tank so cloudy that you knew right away what had happened.

Good luck and have you got the RBTA from Big Al's yet?


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## NovaRaven (Aug 23, 2013)

Thanks for the tip! In fact i was thinking about getting another clownfish after I got a BTA, but after your story, im gonna forget a 2nd clownfish.

I checked out the BTA there but I dunno if its worth the $100 price tag. Nice colours but not quite sure of its worth


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