Help with BTA that has shrunk and bleached

[Markerum]

I have a BTA that when I bought 5 months ago bleached out but then recovered after a month. However, recently it shrunk down and lost its rose tips and went back to that bleached stage.water levels are great:
Ammonia: 0
PH: 7.9
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate 0
Calcium 400
Salinity 1.025
I have a 60 gallon tank with 29 gallon refugium. The tank has been established a year. My mushrooms are doing well, polys good, clam good, and fish good.
My hammers are struggling as well and look bleached out. This all occured six weeks ago. I thought my light was not strong enough, power compacts so I am additionally running two HQI 150W for the last two weeks.
I also skim with an Oct NW150
What could be making the hammers and BTA struggle?
please help
Thanks

 

[Markerum]

Forgot:
Temp is between 79-82 in summer
Use RO water and do water changes every two weeks about 18% of total water (85 gallons)
Lights run 12 hours a day

 

[han012]

what kind of lighting do you use?

 

[han012]

o sorry u're running MH.

i have no idea..seems like everythings in line. maybe someone else can give there 2 cents

 

[apu701]

im not expert and having problems with bleaching myself..

maybe its ur ph, shouldn't it be at 8.2? i know the is a range and this falls within it...

big lesson i learned is that when u upgrade lights gradually increase them! i have 5 window screens over my tank now, taking a screen off every week so they dont get light shock...

do u think it could be related to any of those?

also, what is ur alkalinity?

 

[dc]

Are you feeding it well?

 

[Markerum]

I have raised PH to 8.2, but the BTA is shrunk and bleached. The food I feed it just roles off. The tentacles are small and do not stick the food

 

[apu701]

ok. i went throught this and i gave up on it. it looked horrible..

BUT

i still had the screens (very important) over it and i started to drop medium pellets into its mouth. just 2 or 3. it was gaping, not sticking, and refused to come out into the light.. and i did this force feed every 2 days.. and now its still bleached but now able to feed it silversides .25" long. and its got its sticky back.

be careful..dont drop too many into it.. i read that karen's pages and she said she force fed it when one was sick.

i know everyone says dont stuff into its mouth but i got to the point when i knew this thing would die if i didnt. so i figured i try it..

ok i hope this helps a little.

 

[sfarid123]

I would keep temp to a stable 78, also spot feed it with grated shrimp soaked in selcon. Check your ALk, it needs to be 9 -11dkh . And finally make sure your new lights are located at the correct distance above your tank. For example, I just got new T5's and they need to be 8-11" away; too close will bleach ,over heat your tank and stress out your nem .

 

[Toddrtrex]

How did you acclimate it too the new lights?

Did you just add the two MHs, with out either raising the lights, using screening, and or shortening the photo-period.