Bleached BTAs?

[Reefing Newbie]

I don't know what I should do, bring my two bleached BTAs back to health or take them out and purchase healthy ones. I did not buy them bleached, they came with the reef setup I got. The previous owner called them Florida nems, but I posted pics on here for ID and people said BTA. There are two of them, they split, I guess many times as the guy took about 5 out before he sold the tank. In 3 weeks a pair of small true percs will be added and I want a BTA to host them but the bleached ones are maybe 1" tops... So I guess I will see what the polls say.

 

[akindbro4u]

first you need to find out why they are bleached.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

I would not be able to tell you as they were bleached before my possession by the previous owner of my 125 gsllon.

 

[Tmoriarty]

If they are not dead I would say nurse them back to health. BTA's are suppose to be the hardiest nem pretty much so they should recover if the conditions are right. Also I know you want to buy true percs and have them associate with your BTA's but that is not there natural host (im trying the same thing as you know) so don't get upset if they do not associate right away.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

I know its not natural but I don't think VHO's will allow for anything more than BTA's or S. Handdoni's... Here are my water perameters to see if anything is wrong or if I should be on the right track.

Temp-79
SG-1.023 working on getting it up(SW top offs)
pH-8.4
Ammo-0ppm
Nitrite-0ppm
Nitrate-5ppm
Phosphate-0ppm
Alk-12dKH
Calc-460ppm

Lights are on from 11am to 7pm(4-160 watt VHOs, 2daylight, 2 Acintics). No spot feeding as of now due to them hiding in rock work. I am feeding PhytoMax every other day for my feather dusters. My lfs also said it should help the bleach BTA's come back. Only fish that are in there are two damsels(trying to catch them) with a pair of True Percs coming in three weeks.

 

[sneeze]

If something is funky with the system, adding another nem could potentially lead to the same results; bleaching. No good. If you try to nurse them back, and in the meantime, the new clowns take to them, they may be more detrimental(smothering the nems). Sounds like being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

[cet98]

where are you located in MN?...

Shot in the dark here, but....
I'll be in Woodbury the weekend of 8/27...If ur close by, I'd be happy to take them off your hands and nurse them if you want to just start over with new ones...

pm me if ur at all interested

 

[Reefing Newbie]

I am not excactly sure as to what caused the nems to bleach as they bleached before I attained both, I think they are clones. My perams have been stable, with the exception of SG(topping off with SW to increase to 1.025) and nitrates coming down from 10ppm. I did have a LTA die on my from being stung by a S. Handdoni(all these nems came with the tank, bad previous owner if you ask me...). Before being stung, the LTA was healthy as could be, sticky with a tightly closed mouth! I may give them to cet98 but will be watching the polls to see how they go.