mario_07963
New member
My GBTA seems to be dying, it's shrinking and lost all its color and it's not extending its tentacles, like it's melting. is there anything i can do to try and save her?
GBTA Dying.
- Thread starter mario_07963
- Start date
55semireef
Moved On
Correct
55semireef
Moved On
oh..well it does say he has a 16 gallon tank which is obviously to small for any BTA.
55semireef
Moved On
Why...? Unless they havn't updated in a while.
mario_07963
New member
Sorry I'm just responding now, I have a 16G tank, however i'm upgrading to a 30G which is almost done cycling. I have a 175 MH, The parameters are all ok with the expection of a little trace of nitrites which have never been like that. I am working on this right now. The anemone seems to be coming back but, it doesn't look fully stable. it has been on this tank for 8months with no problem.
catdoc
Premium Member
Do you feed the anemone? I very nearly lost one of my roses this summer and it looked exactly the way you described. I had started feeding it differently and it didn't like the new menu. The poor thing got so bad as to be almost completely bleached, no tentacles, and a shrunken remnant before we (findingnemo) and I sorted it out. I've been feeding teeny pieces of silversides several times a week and it's looking much better. Not fully recovered, but coming back stronger now.
mario_07963
New member
Catdoc, I am feeding her some Mysis Shrimp every other day. When she started shrinking she wouldn't take any food. Other reason i'm considering is that the clown is beating her up since it's bigger than the anemone.
catdoc
Premium Member
Mine didn't want to eat either. I'd take a silverside and cut a piece only about 1/4" and set it gently right on the oral disk by the mouth. I couldn't get it to accept mysis when it got that sick, but it would eventually take the silversides. I used a hemostat to get the silverside right where it needed to go, if I used my hand or a feeding syringe, it'd close up before I could get the food in place.
mario_07963
New member
I will definetely try that catdoc. it's worth the try! I had her for almost eight months and now boths of my clowns are hosting it, so I will hate to loose it.
thanks for the advise.
thanks for the advise.
mario_07963
New member
Thanks DANTODD, I Just have to decide if I should leave the clown fish with the anemone in the old tank or separate them from the anemone 'til the new tank is ready.
dantodd
New member
In your case I would be inclined to move the fish to the bigger tank when it is done cycling. This will allow you to reduce the bioload in the 16 which will aid in keeping the water stable. As others have said it is difficult to keep your water stable enough for an anemone ina 16 gallon tank. Reducing the bioload as much as possible will help. This means not only moving your clownfish but any other bioload (corals other fish etc.) as soon as the new tank is ready. Keep up on the same water change schedule and up the anemone feeding a little and your BTA will likely fill almost your entire 16gallon by the time the new tank is mature enough to keep him.
mario_07963
New member
Thanks for the advise Dantodd, my first step will be to go buy some silver sides to continue feeding the anemone towards a full recovery and will move the clowns and my cherub to the new tank, I will leave the anemone by it self for a couple of months.
Somethings that may be causing the anemone trouble:
-the clownfish are definitely NOT helping the situation if they are bigger than the anemone. A common rule is for the anemone to be a few times larger than the clownfish. They will "love" it to death
. I would seperate them ASAP.
-stability of the small tank, newly cycled tank. Anemone's need very stable conditions and should not be added to uncycled tanks and not even newly cycled tanks.
Since its already in there, i'd remove the clowns, and do your best to keep conditions stable.
As for feeding, make sure the pieces of silverside are very small minced pieces, and place on the tentacles, not right on the mouth. Try with very small feedings and make sure the anemone eats them and keeps them in for a little while. They will either: regurgitate the food immediately (too big, or didn't like it) or spit out the remains a few hours later (this is good, just spitting out what it didn't digest).
Good luck!
-the clownfish are definitely NOT helping the situation if they are bigger than the anemone. A common rule is for the anemone to be a few times larger than the clownfish. They will "love" it to death
. I would seperate them ASAP.-stability of the small tank, newly cycled tank. Anemone's need very stable conditions and should not be added to uncycled tanks and not even newly cycled tanks.
Since its already in there, i'd remove the clowns, and do your best to keep conditions stable.
As for feeding, make sure the pieces of silverside are very small minced pieces, and place on the tentacles, not right on the mouth. Try with very small feedings and make sure the anemone eats them and keeps them in for a little while. They will either: regurgitate the food immediately (too big, or didn't like it) or spit out the remains a few hours later (this is good, just spitting out what it didn't digest).
Good luck!
mario_07963
New member
Thanks nickterp, also will the clowns and other fish be ok without any type of light? I have a 175 MH on my current tank and that light will have to stay with the anemone and corals. the fish are going to the new 30g tank.
Anything else that will be in the 30g tank right now? I would have at least some kind of light. At the very least go to home depot and get a clip on light for temporary usage.
Are you setting up liverock and stuff in the new tank? I'd evetually go with at least some kind of flourescent lighting.
Are you setting up liverock and stuff in the new tank? I'd evetually go with at least some kind of flourescent lighting.
