How to tell if RBTA is dead?

[vertwake]

I purchased an awesome RBTA about a month ago. (My first RBTA.) Put it in the tank and it immediately crawled underneath an overhang and stayed there. For the first week or two it would partially extend its tentacles out towards the light.

After that, it seemed to lose color, shrink drastically, and remains hanging upside down under the rock it crawled under. I'm pretty sure it's a goner.

How can I tell if it's really toast? Would it release after it died, or would it continue hanging there? Also doesn't seem to be melting into jelly or disintegrating, just hanging there all shriveled up. Has been like this for over 2 weeks now.

Thoughts/Suggestions?

 

[brian762]

Have any pics?

 

[vertwake]

Have any pics?

Not really...it's almost impossible to get a picture since it's hanging upside down under an overhang and you can only partially see it...

 

[Kabuto]

Hard to tell. Seems like it still has some color. How long has your tank been setup? What are your readings? What kind of lights on your tank? Have you tried to feed it?

 

[Jamie1210]

it still looks decent ... but y'know what, a lot of people say to leave the BTA alone, it'll come out on its own, but for you, it's been over a week. I say you should manually move it out of the dim area yourself and into some light, then, start feeding it.

 

[vertwake]

Hard to tell. Seems like it still has some color. How long has your tank been setup? What are your readings? What kind of lights on your tank? Have you tried to feed it?

Tank has been setup for right at a year. Running LEDs. PAR is right around 250-280 in that general vicinity if it would actually come out in the light. Haven't tried to feed it yet. Can't hardly get to it to feed it.

Last 2 sets of readings:
10/6/2011
Sg: 1.027
Ph: 7.92
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
P04: .25
Ca: 600
Mg: 1300
Alk: 195

10/11/2011
Sg: 1.027
Ph: 7.91
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
P04: .16
Ca: 600 (This lowers when I dose and raise my Alk)
Mg: 1300
Alk: 148

 

[vertwake]

it still looks decent ... but y'know what, a lot of people say to leave the BTA alone, it'll come out on its own, but for you, it's been over a week. I say you should manually move it out of the dim area yourself and into some light, then, start feeding it.

Hm...ok I may try that tomorrow.

 

[Kabuto]

Water temp? Those are some big Alk swings. Do you have a clam? What are you dosing for alk/Ca? Your Ca is high. You might try to get a more steady dosing going on. I have had alk swings turn coraline algae white, so I doubt a BTA would like it either.

 

[vertwake]

Water temp? Those are some big Alk swings. Do you have a clam? What are you dosing for alk/Ca? Your Ca is high. You might try to get a more steady dosing going on. I have had alk swings turn coraline algae white, so I doubt a BTA would like it either.

Water temp is 77-79. No clams. Dosing BRS Sodium Bicarbonate for Alk. Not dosing anything for Ca...I can't get it to stay down. Water changes only help a little. As soon as my Alk drops it spikes back up again. I try to dose Alk every couple of days. May have to look at getting a liter meter or something else setup to keep it more static.

Coraline growth on the back wall and overflows doesn't seem to have an issue, stays purple...

 

[brian762]

I agree your Ca is high.

 

[bnaef17]

Salinity seems a tad high as well id say. But in the picture, it appears that the nem has some life to it. I would hold off and let it do its thing for a bit longer.

 

[Kabuto]

Check your change water CA. I know some salts made for coral can be about 500 but I haven't seen any that high. I would say either salt or your test might be bad. I keep my sg @ 1.025-1.026. Also calibrate your refactometer. Mine was .003 off usuing a test solution. Could make a difference if yours is reading low.
The only other things you could try is to change the position of any powerheads or flow. That might cause him to move.