For anyone that has worried is my new bta dying

[top shelf]

Wasnt sure if I should post it under new to hobby or anemones & clownfish but can it can be moved were best suited.

This is for anyone new to bubble tip anemones that got there beautiful new addition home home only for it to shortly ball up shrivel and start expelling waste. You see the post quit often is my new nem dying? I know shortly after I got my green bta it did this and I thought he was a goner so I am guilty to. Now this is the norm and it happens like clockwork every night and it no longer worries me.

The goal of this thread is to put your minds at ease and know it is normal even though at first it can be very stressful to see.

Disclaimer: This applies to a new bubble tip under proper parameters and proper lighting and when all else has been ruled out. If your parameters are off and lighting is not adequate this does not apply.

For anyone wondering my lighting is a maxpect razor 120w with blues maxing at 50% and whites 30% from 12pm-4pm.

The first set of pictures is at 2pm 2hrs into max setting.



This is at 7pm when the lights start to dim.



8pm, the difference is now more dramatic.



8:30pm, he has now completely balled up.


9:30pm, half hr after lights out and he is starting to open already.
(Sorry the pictures suck all my camera phone can pick up is blue)



8am the next day and he is inflated expanded and happy again.


Sorry the post was so long but thank you to all who took the time to look and I hope maybe this helps some of you new bubble tip owners out and can ease some of that tension the first time you see it happen.

 

[CafeReef]

Great and informative post. I have noticed a lot of BTA fear posts these last few days. I cannot wait to get my first BTA but I am waiting til my tank is about 9 months old.

 

[jason2459]

I have one rbta that split and both are always out and full and growing. I have a big gbta that was like above slightly bleached and would constantly retract, ball up, shrivel up, balloon up huge, and do it all over again. I never knew what state it would be in.

I left the gbta alone and just let it do its thing. It still does the same thing several months later but is much darker now. I figure if it's truly unhappy it will detach and move and if I try to force or change anything that could make things worse.

So, I'm not a BTA expert but I would sit back and watch.

Here's the twins and the green grump looking full of color now in its full state. I do feed them a few times a week but probably don't need too.

 

[top shelf]

Great and informative post. I have noticed a lot of BTA fear posts these last few days. I cannot wait to get my first BTA but I am waiting til my tank is about 9 months old.

Thank you, I had noticed that to so I thought I would share my experience in hopes of helping others.

Hes all balled up right now doing his thing as usual.

I do wanna note some experiences will vary depending on feeding habits. I dont direct feed mine so it isn't so bad but with direct feeding it can look worse and more like its on deaths door.

9 months is a good time to wait then you will have a better feel for your tank and its needs plus more stability.

 

[top shelf]

I have one rbta that split and both are always out and full and growing. I have a big gbta that was like above slightly bleached and would constantly retract, ball up, shrivel up, balloon up huge, and do it all over again. I never knew what state it would be in.

I left the gbta alone and just let it do its thing. It still does the same thing several months later but is much darker now. I figure if it's truly unhappy it will detach and move and if I try to force or change anything that could make things worse.

So, I'm not a BTA expert but I would sit back and watch.

Here's the twins and the green grump looking full of color now in its full state. I do feed them a few times a week but probably don't need too.

The colors aren't as bad as pictures show just my camera but I think he's still acclimating from switching over to LEDs from t5's. However my thought is the same if he was that unhappy he would move but since picking this spot the first few days he hasn't moved since so I just leave him be.

 

[PAreefer40]

I had a scare with my BTA. First nem. Put him in my tank2 nights ago. Woke up this morning and he was deflated and excreting a clear/white substance. Not sure if it was waste or symbiotic algae. Few hours later though he was back to normal.

This is how I found him this morning.

 

[PAreefer40]

This was my nem the morning after I added it to my tank.

 

[PAreefer40]

And this is my nem today a few hours after finding it deflated as described above. Sorry for the multiple posts, my iPad won't let me do them all together.

Water parameters
pH 8.0
Ammo 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate high at 10-20
CA 340
dKH 10
Temp 74-75
30 gal tank.

 

[PAreefer40]

here's mine nem this evening now.

 

[amber3k]

They can also look pretty awful if they have eaten something that is too large and they are expelling it.

 

[kmbyrnes]

I have 3 GBTA and an RBTA. They have all caused me concern at one time or another.
Now I am used to their moods.
But I failed with 3 when my tank was too young or my parameters were off.
Save a life ( and yourself some grief ) and wait until your tank is at least 9 months old with stable parameters before adding one to your tank

 

[PAreefer40]

I'm really hoping I didn't make a big mistake. Heres my nem now tonight. Apparently he was like this earlier in the day as well while I was gone. He has also moved from his original spot. But good news is that his foot looks fine. It's stretched way out and full under the rock work. Nothing coming from him. Could he just be getting used to his new home? Or because it's dark now?

 

[PAreefer40]

Apparently I didn't read your first post thoroughly? Lol. I notice now that you said it does this every night. That eases my mind.

 

[Big_Boss_77]

Apparently I didn't read your first post thoroughly? Lol. I notice now that you said it does this every night. That eases my mind.

Yup, every night lol. Sitting here watching my tank as the lights ramp down for the night and my rbta is "closing up shop" so to speak. He'll go back under the rock and then once the lights fully go out the clown he hosts will wedge itself up under there too. Lights come on in the morning and the nem comes out and the dance happens all over again.

 

[PAreefer40]

Yup, every night lol. Sitting here watching my tank as the lights ramp down for the night and my rbta is "closing up shop" so to speak. He'll go back under the rock and then once the lights fully go out the clown he hosts will wedge itself up under there too. Lights come on in the morning and the nem comes out and the dance happens all over again.

Hahah thats awesome!!! Here's mine tonight. But since I took this pic a couple hours ago, he got a little bit bigger just not normal size.

 

[Big_Boss_77]

Once my lights kick to moon lights I'll take a pic and shown you what mine does lol

 

[Big_Boss_77]

Well,the one night I want to show it off it makes a liar out of me and stays out until after I went to bed lol oh well, perhaps another time...

 

[PAreefer40]

Well,the one night I want to show it off it makes a liar out of me and stays out until after I went to bed lol oh well, perhaps another time...

Haha no worries. Thanks though!

 

[PAreefer40]

Well, this is what he looks like this morning.

 

[PAreefer40]

Is this considered his mouth to be open?