Bta help!!

[CoralReeferGal]

We got a new GBTA yesterday, after losing our other 2 when the tank crashed about 2 months ago. Long story short to cover that, we added a GBTA and it decided it didn't like its spot 3 days later and went floating around stinging everything. Killed the goniopora, which in turned nuked most of the tank. We did water changes, added chemipure and kept an eye on the tank. All levels are stable and after losing about $800 worth of corals, everything else is looking healthy again (about 3 weeks ago). We waited til this weekend to start adding anything else, and the BTA was the first to come along, since our poor clown looks SO lost without her nem. We picked the healthiest looking one in the tank, decent size, fully inflated and nice bulbs on each tentacle. We had one heck of a time getting it to take foot last night and decided to just leave it alone and hope it would on its own, so we turned off the power heads so it wouldn't get blown around. Today, found it halfway across the tank upside down in the middle of the candycanes, so we moved it; my finace said it felt a lot more jelly like than normal, and its mouth has been open since late last night (was fully closed at the LFS, first thing we check for! Also, the foot was fully in tact with no damage whatsoever, also rechecked that again today, and looks good!) After the lights were out last night, it became very deflated, which had me a bit concerned, but today is fully inflated again, but flat. Here's a few pics, you can see the mouth, one from the side to see how flat to the sand it is, and one from the top; you can see the tentacles are inflated and not shriveled. It also still hasnt taken foot, its in the corner of the tank on the sand bed right now because its about the only place where it doesnt get blown around. We can only turn off 1 power head, the other one comes on intermittently. All water levels are spot on (just had them tested at TFP yesterday) salinity is 1.025 temp 79.1 ph 8.12. Any suggestions for the nem? Should I try feeding him or let it go? Should we leave it where it is, or try to put it more in the rockwork? Does it look sick or just stressed? Thanks in advance for any help...
The sand is getting low in this corner, so the red in the picture is not any kind of worm; its crate under the sand.

 

[CoralReeferGal]

Just for comparison, heres a pic from last night, right after putting it in the tank.

 

[Chronicj7]

When my nems open their mouth for more than a day its usually on its way out. Hope things turn around for you.

 

[CoralReeferGal]

Do you think I should try feeding it? In the past, we have had many that opened their mouths like this when hungry... does it look bad to you from the pics? thanks though, I really hope they turn around too. If the darn clown would leave it alone I think it would have a better chance... She was right in it before my fiance even got his hand out of the tank last night.

 

[CoralReeferGal]

Oh, and also, we have MH for lighting, the tank is 55 gal and has been up and running for 10 years.

 

[CoralReeferGal]

anyone? please??

 

[Matt1351]

I always put bta in the back coner of my tank and let it move on its own. That anemone looks very bleached. Let us know how it gos.



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[ssgtgonzo]

What kind of flow do you have for it? IME that is the way they behave when they are poisoned by their own wastes...i.e. Too long of an acclimation or not enough flow

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[dc]

Well I'd start with a large water change. My friend that owns the petstore always tells people "When in doubt do a water change" It seems to work for me.

I've thought my anemones were sick more than once and then they perked right back up.

 

[sqwat]

do not feed that nem is very bleached put him in shade.who ever sold that to you should be ashamed and not allowed to sell nems anymore.they are very hard to bring back and usually only the highly skilled with many tanks can do it.he need a hospital tank but it is to late to set one up.i dont think he will make it i am sorry to say but you never no with nems so gl.kepp water tight on numbers and low light he will go into the light when he feels ready .i bet he will hide and deteriorate though thats what usually happens.you need to be very stringy when buying nems only buy the best

 

[ajcanale]

he need a hospital tank but it is to late to set one up

A hospital tank would be one of the worsts things to do. No rock/substrate/stability.

Don't feed it, let it settle in. Keep a close eye and if the gaping mouth continues, it might be a goner.

 

[CoralReeferGal]

thanks everyone! I think it is a little bleached; its not as bad as the pictures make it look though; I only have my cell phone for camera, and it doesn't really catch the right colors. It is a metallic green, I think its lighter than it should be, but not as light as these pics made it look. I'm not sure if it looks worse or better today.... it looks like it ballooned out, its not flat anymore, and again, all tentacles are inflated and have bulbs on the ends again. We drip acclimate for an hour, that has always been our procedure, so I wouldn't think it would be from too long of an acclimation? We did do a WC last night as well.. There's 2 power heads for flow, one of which was just about directly on the nem, and since he wouldn't take foot anywhere, he was getting blown around the tank, so we turned off that PH for now until it gets settled. Should we leave it on and just hope the nem doesn't float around again?

Heres a pic from today:

 

[CoralReeferGal]

do not feed that nem is very bleached put him in shade.who ever sold that to you should be ashamed and not allowed to sell nems anymore.they are very hard to bring back and usually only the highly skilled with many tanks can do it.he need a hospital tank but it is to late to set one up.i dont think he will make it i am sorry to say but you never no with nems so gl.kepp water tight on numbers and low light he will go into the light when he feels ready .i bet he will hide and deteriorate though thats what usually happens.you need to be very stringy when buying nems only buy the best

We are pretty stingy on our nems; we thoroughly inspect them before choosing one and make sure we get a healthy one; all tentacles were well inflated and had nice bulbs on the ends, his foot was completely undamaged and it was even hosting a few clowns. Why would a hospital tank be too late? Though I do have to agree that I think it would more stressful to move it with having no rocks or anything in our hospital tank. He hasn't moved at all, so hopefully he won't take off, hide, die and crash our tank!

 

[ajcanale]

lookin pretty healthy in that pic.

 

[CoralReeferGal]

lookin pretty healthy in that pic.

You think? My fiance thought so; he said "it looks healthy, it just looks weird" it's kind of stretched out and the middle looks swollen to me... You think it looks OK though? The mouth is also still open, though not as much as it was yesterday. Thanks for the opinions, everyone!!

 

[rssjsb]

No, it looks better but I wouldn't say it's healthy. Bleaching isn't really about color. The xooanthellae are what make the anemone opaque. When the anemone loses them, it looks clear, which is why I can see your clown through the tentacles. You may be able to bring it back with good water quality and appropriate lighting, but it's still not out of the woods.

 

[CoralReeferGal]

Any suggestions what we can do to help it? Our water quality is right on; I forget the exact numbers offhand, but according to the test kits, they were right what they should be, and we also had the water tested at TFP and they said our water is pristine. We also have MH lighting, so I assume that would be appropriate lighting? What else can we do, or just wait it out?

 

[rssjsb]

The only suggestion I have is that you might want to put layers of window screen or something over the part of the tank where your nem is. You can remove them a little at a time as you see improvement.

It is probably not ready for metal halides yet, which may be why it released and ended up on the bottom of the tank (just be grateful it didn't end up in a powerhead). They don't really like being on the sand and usually only release and float when desperate. Could you move a pice of rock next to it so it can put its foot down? They like to put their feet into holes or crevices. If it moves to the rock, you can move the rock next to the rock pile you want it to be on. As it recovers, it will move up.

 

[sjwitt]

Give it a week or so to get accilimated. I would target feed at least twice a week with mushed up shrimp or scallop. Not too much though. It needs time to regain strength. It's obviously bleached but not beyond hope. Leave it alone for now. Keep an eye on it.

I just picked up the little speckled GBTA from TFP in Lancaster today. Figured I'd get it quick before it stays in their tanks too long. I have 4, large RBTAs and wanted some contrast. The new nemmie was put in high and went behind the rocks and up underneath where all the RBTAs are. It's kind of snuggled up next to and underneath the Roses. So far so good.

 

[sqwat]

I hospital tank is to late to set up and get established right now.you should Allah's gt or hospital t anything b4 u put it into a display and if you had a hospital tank would not be the worst thibg at all u say no rock not stable you're hospital tank better be stable or what's the point u don't put a sick creature in a unstable invirionment and call it a hospital tank. I have a tank perminatly pruning and stable all the time just in case for anemones and u don't add mends to anemones so it stays stable.ok.I just say it still looks very bleached not completely but it is.and most anemone don't come back from that so I say u pick onethat is absolutely perfectnot even the tiny bit of Color loss the clowns will make it worse also if u are in the Nj area I have a perfect rbta clone for u forfree. U just have to pick it up.pm me if interested.