Anemone disappearing

[ginger7286]

I have a large RBTA. Over the past couple of months I have watched it's color fade to a pale pink. Yesterday I discovered it has moved (it had been where it was at since I brought home months ago) and I also noticed the tips are tiny little nubs and not near as long and bulbous as before. HELP!! What is it telling me? What can I do for it? I have tried in the past feeding it silver sides, prime reef, cyclopeze I finally left it alone and let my clowns bring it food. It is currently sitting on the floor of my tank in the back. I am running PC and I recently changed the lights (about 3 weeks ago) it is beautiful and I want to do what I can for it.

 

[garygb]

What are your water parameters? Maybe something is off. Also, do you run polyfilter which will detect and absorb heavy metals. Do you use RO/DI water for changes? How frequently do you do water changes, what percentage, and what brand of salt?

 

[ssavader]

MY RBTA nearly died after I first got it because I did not feed it properly. Try feeding small bits of fresh (marine) fish, scallop, or shrimp that you get from a local food store. You only need to buy one scallop or one shrimp or a small piece of fresh fish. [Are you trying to feed your BT a whole silverside?]. You may have to place the food directly on the BTs mouth as the feeding response may be dulled from "illness". Be pateint, try feeding 2-3x/wk, address all the typical maintenance issues, and hopefully your BT will recover.

 

[ginger7286]

water params: 1.023/31, amm 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 15, cal 400, alk ? somewhere around 4/11 (i don't know this by heart) pH 8.1. I feed 2x daily. I will try to hand feed, thanks for the info it is appreciated.

 

[ginger7286]

seachem salt (reef salt)

 

[livingcorals]

Some say that BTA's can be better at 1.024 or 1.025. Also your lights.....Bulbs might need to be replaced. You did not force feed did you?

Just a thought

 

[ginger7286]

I placed some bits of food near the mouth the other night, it did not act like it wanted to eat. I just replaced the bulbs in early January. The tips have pretty much become flat and it is sitting on the bottom of the tank in the back. Just lying there open. I am slowly boosting the salt. Prior to it looking flat and pale I only fed it once every 2 weeks or so with prime reef and then let the clowns bring it some food. It was beautiful when I bought 4 month ago. PLease help besides small cut up scallop, fish or shrimp any thing suggested for a jump start? Also what do they look like before they split?

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

i dont think PC's over a 125 would be enough light for an anemone...

and when you post 1.024/31 is that representing swings of sg from 1.024 to 1.031? if so that is very bad...

same with alk being 4/11....if it is swinging then that too is very bad...

with good lighting once every two weeks may not have been enough food..he is likely starving and eating himself now..

i feed my carpet about 2 or three times a week...i havent feed him for over a week right now though...as he just split and doesnt seem to have defined mouth's yet..

i have heard that anemones will migrate and split where you cant see them...at least when mine split last week that is what he did and others reported the same thing happening..

 

[livingcorals]

I have in one of my 90 reef setups with PC 's of 384 watts with a Carpet that I had over 1year now. Its doing Very good.
Another setup with 3 BTAs (2 green and 1 rose) That are Doing very well. Except a newer one moved to the backside of a rock but is still full of life and eats.
I think PC's over 125 can work but would depend on placement of the BTA.

Comparing a Carpet to a BTA here.... Carpets need far more light.
With splitting I also heard keeping the temp up some will help also.

 

[uglyamericanV1]

my condy flattens and looks like garbage when she is crapping. she gets deflated, and withdraws her tenticles...then after a couple of hours she squirts white stuff out and then she is all better....

need more stability in the tank though, if those are swinging parameters you need to get a hold on that because it is stressful
oh and try feeding 2X week.....
they dont need that much food, which maybe why she reject it

 

[Jovreefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11719475#post11719475 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ginger7286
4/11 (i don't know this by heart)

Did you just test everything before posting this? this statement does not sound like you did. You could have had a swing in something in your tank & need to test again to make sure your parameters are in check.

& color fading sounds like its not getting enough light.

 

[ginger7286]

My water params are stable. My salinity does not swing. Salt is 1.024, alk is around 4 I do know it by heart. The water is fine I test it every Friday (which is cleaning day).. I will try to feed more often (although I will not force it to eat.) I appreciate the help.