I'm currently running a 50 gals reef tank that's been up and running for about two months now. one of the first things I added once the tank was ready and cycled, was a bubble tip anemone and a single clown fish. For the past month or so everything has been great, but about two weeks ago the anemone moved, shortly after it started looking very deflated. At night it closes up tight and during the day it kind of half opens but never really inflates like it used too. all my other fish and corals seem fine and and all chemical levels are right on. So i'm looking for advice and thoughts. Attached are the best photos i could get cause it moved around to the back of the tank.
Bubble Tip Anemone Issue *help needed*
- Thread starter Rebel792
- Start date
I had a BTA that was doing Ok for several weeks then one day started to look like yours. An arm eventually floated off and he let go of the rock as soon as we touched him -- he died.
I hope yours recovers but mine didn't. Never found out why. All other corals are great (except our huge hermit crab did mess with him one night).
I hope yours recovers but mine didn't. Never found out why. All other corals are great (except our huge hermit crab did mess with him one night).
I'll run a parameters test on everything this evening and post the up-to-date results, what I can tell you off the top of my head is, the Heater is set at 80'F. and holds it there. I do a 5 gal water change every other week, using Instant Ocean Reef Crystals. The water jets are set to change the direction of the water flow every 3 hours.
Speaking of PH swings tho, I do have a quest as to what products are best used to raise and stabilize the waters PH, and is also safe for reef tanks. I'm on Well water, with extremely low PH levels when it comes out of the tap. So i always have to raise the PH before adding it to the tank.
Speaking of PH swings tho, I do have a quest as to what products are best used to raise and stabilize the waters PH, and is also safe for reef tanks. I'm on Well water, with extremely low PH levels when it comes out of the tap. So i always have to raise the PH before adding it to the tank.
Once run through RO/DI the pH should go back to 7 and adding salt will buff it back up. If you are not filtering with RO/DI then your water quality is guaranteed the issue. Often times well water is actually worse than city water that has been treated with a chloramine remover.
lifeoffaith
Member
+1, you need to get on RO/DI if you aren't and a two month old tank shouldn't have an anemone in it anyway. There is too much that can easily fluctuate that early, in particular ammonia levels. Using unfiltered well water is actually just asking for trouble (trust me, I know first hand) for all sorts of reasons. There are lots of metals picked up in well water and that can do alot of damage to corals in particular.
Dkuhlmann
New member
DO NOT add anything to stabilize your PH. IT will Raise your ALK to sky high levels. You really don't need to worry about PH, most of us never test it. As long as your ALK is in line then so will be your Alk. PH is a huge factor in FW tanks but in SW not so much. You can test it every now and then if you wish but remember it changes constantly throughout the day and night.
What is the total gallons of your system? 5 gals isn't a lot of water unless you've got a 20gal tank. If you're doing every other week WC's then I suggest 20%. I've been doing this for a very long time. Sure it's more stable to do a 10% weekly but sometimes that doesn't work out for me. So I'll do a 20% every two weeks. I also use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals and have for a very long time. I like it and will continue using it as long as it keeps my water parameters where they are, I'm happy :thumbsup:
Thank you all for the great advice.
I've been run fresh water with live plants for years but this is my first Reef tank so any advice, is always welcome.
As for my Parameters as of 5 minutes ago:
50 gal tank
Salt: 1.026
Temp: 80
PH 8.3
KH 300ppm
Ammonia 00
Nitrates 20 ppm
Nitrite 00 ppm
Calcium 540 ppm
Also whenever I do a water change I use, a cap of Seachem Prime, and I was using a PH stabilzer but I'll toss out the Stabilizer as per Dkuhlmann's Advice. Should I keep using the Prime or toss it as well?
I've been run fresh water with live plants for years but this is my first Reef tank so any advice, is always welcome.
As for my Parameters as of 5 minutes ago:
50 gal tank
Salt: 1.026
Temp: 80
PH 8.3
KH 300ppm
Ammonia 00
Nitrates 20 ppm
Nitrite 00 ppm
Calcium 540 ppm
Also whenever I do a water change I use, a cap of Seachem Prime, and I was using a PH stabilzer but I'll toss out the Stabilizer as per Dkuhlmann's Advice. Should I keep using the Prime or toss it as well?
