BTA Issues.. sigh

[MammothReefer]

I can't figure this one out. I've never had issues like this with BTA's in the past.


When I first got them I kept them in "cages" in my tank and they were doing great, over time I moved them down into the rock work where they did fine for a while, this past week though the 3 BTAs took a turn for the worse, and are acting very strange. Sorry I don't have a pic, but basically the tentacles are shrinking, they are refusing to eat (they were eating last week), they are not "gaping", or spewing, they seem to open up in the evening but close when the lights are on (at least 2 of the 3), they are however are not moving.

I would say I have "moderate/high" flow in my tank but not a crazy vortex. Enough to keep my sps frags happy, but not bother my LPS. As far as water parameters everything is really stable. Auto Top off, Auto 2 Part, no fluctuation in my ph/alk. Nitrates around 1ppm, phosphates @ .03. I'm using GFO/Carbon. and I do weekly water changes w/IO.

I can't wrap my head around this one, I have a LTA that is doing amazing, sps that is growing, lps that is growing, but these BTAs are just giving me the business.

Thoughts? In my efforts to get them to come around I've tried moving the rock they are on in a few times to different locations. Higher Light, more flow, higher light less flow. lower light less flow...but nada.

I really like this RBTAs not mention they cost me waaay to much money. It would be a huge upset to loose them.

Tanks Parameters/Log
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AiJkwwBTLCi7dG12ZFhsTXBGTUFZellSWTZ3QkhiLVE&hl=en

 

[bradleym]

How big are the water changes? 10%? 20%?

When all else fails do a big water change.

I had a big problem with leaching phosphates in my tank and I couldn't find the source. My phosphates got up above .37 and everything was dying. I did a 25% WC every other day for 3 weeks and everything recovered until I figured out the source(polluted old "miracle mud").

I'm not saying it's your phosphates, or your mud if you use it, but as a "last ditch effort", this should correct any and everything that could be wrong with the water. If this does cause them to recover then at least you will have time to figure it out. The only things this wouldn't address are lighting, temperature, food, and flow. And it sounds like you've already got those within parameters. I wish I coud help more, hopefully someone with more experience will know what's up. Good luck.

 

[greech]

Maybe the LTA is what's bothing them? Might be some warfare going on that you're not seeing.

 

[MammothReefer]

Thanks for the responses. The LTA / BTAs are not near each other can't touch, and I don't believe (I could be wrong) Anemones are partial to chemical war fare. I would think if there was something like that going on my much more delicate acoropras would be showing signs of stress? The same thing goes with water parameters. My phophates are at acceptable levels (.03-.04) according to my hana meter, and nothing else in the tank is showing any signs of stress.

As far as water changes typically 10 gallons a week.

In terms of husbandry.

I feed rods roids (reef?), cyclops, mysis, pellets, and oyster eggs. I was feeding DTs for my clams when they were little but have stopped since they have grown.

As far as anything external bothering the anenomes there is one sexy shrimp that hosts them.

Can it be some sort of pathogen?

I've never had this issue in the past, heck I've had the opposite issue where btas were taking over my older system in almost plague numbers.

 

[2Addicted]

I had some problems with chemical warfare between lta and bta. Not saying thats your problem just saying its something to think about.

 

[steelhead77]

How about just leaving him alone. BTA's are pretty simple creatures and don't need a lot of attention. I have 3 HUGE RBTA's and I feed mine about once a month if I remember. They are thriving as you can see:



The one on the left disappeared about a week or two ago, only to re-appear bigger and badder than ever. Sometimes they do that. Relax and don't sweat it.

 

[2Addicted]

How about just leaving him alone. BTA's are pretty simple creatures and don't need a lot of attention. I have 3 HUGE RBTA's and I feed mine about once a month if I remember. They are thriving as you can see:



The one on the left disappeared about a week or two ago, only to re-appear bigger and badder than ever. Sometimes they do that. Relax and don't sweat it.

Uh.... What are u talking about? I'm pretty sure he was asking for advice. Maybe read the thread?

 

[steelhead77]

Uh.... What are u talking about? I'm pretty sure he was asking for advice. Maybe read the thread?

Uh...I'm talking about the fact that he says he can't wrap his head around whats going on with his nem and I'm pointing out that sometimes they just do things that you can't explain. I'm also pointing out that they do NOT need to be fed regularly by you for them to thrive. It is possible to overfeed a nem as they can get everything they need from the water column. Sometimes they will look bad for a few days and then come back like nothing's wrong.

Too many times in this hobby people tend to make a lot out of nothing and stress over things that they don't need to stress over. Oftentimes if you just keep your hands out of the tank, stop moving rocks around and leave things alone, things will be just fine without any interference or input from you.

That was my advice, sorry you didn't get it.

 

[2Addicted]

If all three of them are being effected at the same time, and are displaying the same symptoms then that would rule out just odd behavior IMO. If he asked for advice and that's what we are trying to give him who are you to tell us to leave him alone?

 

[bradleym]

If all three of them are being effected at the same time, and are displaying the same symptoms then that would rule out just odd behavior IMO. If he asked for advice and that's what we are trying to give him who are you to tell us to leave him alone?

LOL he meant OP should leave the BTA alone. That was his advice.

 

[SNAKEMANVET]

I had a nice rbta for almost a year in my tank,then added a lta on the other end of the tank within about 12 hrs the rbta shriveled up and started gapping.I let the lta stay in for a couple more days to see if things would get better and rbta started to inflate and acting right.Was it chemical warfare I don't know.Hope yours get better.

 

[2Addicted]

LOL he meant OP should leave the BTA alone. That was his advice.

Are you sure? I don't remember the OP providing the gender of any anemone, nor do I recall him asking about a specific anemone. The way I read it is he was telling us to leave the OP alone.

 

[steelhead77]

If you're referring to my posts, what I am advising is to leave the anemone alone. I used the term "him" generically. Of course we don't know what an anemones' gender is. The op says he has a problem with a BTA. He (I assume the op is a "he") also says his LTA is fine. I am saying that oftentimes anemones will look bad and then they come back to normal after a few days. If all params are fine, oftentimes you will do more harm than good by fiddling around in the tank. Many people have BTA's and LTA's in the same tank with no adverse affects. Even 3 nems can act strange at the same time, it is not unheard of.

So 2Addicted, you can unbunch your panties, I meant no disrespect to anyone and was offering what I think is sound advice.

 

[MarineFlake]

"How about just leaving him alone. BTA's are pretty simple creatures and don't need a lot of attention. I have 3 HUGE RBTA's and I feed mine about once a month if I remember" - steelhead77

Mark me down in this column. I had 3 or 4 (Not counting splits) over the course of 2 or 3 years. The sooner keepers learn to assess first, the fewer losses due to the lack of instant gratification. Sometimes nature just has to take her course. (Her being nature, just to clarify...). And, that is my advice.

 

[MammothReefer]

It's all 3 btas are having issues, and still. Lots of carbon in the tank. Weekly water changes. They are all 3 still showing symptoms. LTA is doing great.

As far as leaving them alone. That isn't going to do the trick this time around. I'm not a newbie to keeping BTAs (which is why I'm so perplexed in this situation).
I'm leaning towards flow at this point in time. As the only change between them being in the cages and in the rocks is the amount of flow they were receiving the LTA had been in there long before them, so if It was a chemical issue they would have show signs before relocating from the cages to the rock work.

To give you an idea this was my old setup.. no issues w/btas at all.. I also have Ritteri, and Carpets mixed in.

 

[MammothReefer]

Well, it's been about a week now. (little more), I know it's to short of time to be 100% certain, but after that post on the 1st I caught nems, put them in a small cage that I clipped to the top of my tank. So high light, low flow..and they appear to be coming around. Last nite was the first time I got ALL 3 to accept and eat mysis. They still have stubby tentacles but today are puffed up alot more. Hopefully if they stay on path over the course of the next month they will return to there former glory.