Need Advice, Please

[vgibbens]

I'm putting this thread here since I'm mostly having an issue with my clowns and RBTAs. Let me start by saying I've had two RBTAs and an Ocellaris pair for the past 6 years with absolutely no problems. In the past month, I've been having trouble with the female clown eating reluctantly and the male's eaten fine 'til today. Neither clown ate this evening, my purple Firefish is eating fine though. Yesterday evening all anemones, even the few aptasia I have (ok, more than a few) retracted completely for no apparent reason. The RBTAs were inflated today, but the larger one wasn't fully inflated and this evening it's on the move, when it's been in the same place for a long time. The smaller RBTA has stayed put and doesn't look bad tonight. Nothing has changed in the way of water flow or lighting. I was thinking that something may have gotten into the water to irritate the nems, but my mushrooms and Sinularia don't seem to be affected at all. I have two peppermint shrimp that are active and eating and the Scarlet Reef Hermits are fine and active as well. The Trochus snails, however, don't seem to be doing very well. They keep falling and are on they're backs even though I keep tuning them over. I've done a water change, 20%, and added fresh carbon last night and changed it again this evening. Tank parameters below:

30g cube tank
T5 lighting 6 - 18W, 3 - 10,000K and 3 actinic
Nitrate - 1.0ppm (Salifert)
Ammonia 0 (API)
Alk 8DKH (Salifert)
Calcium 520 (Salifert)
SG 1.026
pH 8.2

Any ideas/input would be very appreciated.

 

[pfan151]

No idea what the problem may be, but more water changes can't hurt. If it were my tank I would do a 50% water change every day for 3 days.

 

[vgibbens]

I'm attaching a pic I just took. Normally, the larger one is over on the left side, by the smaller one and much bigger than it is now and much fuller. Sorry, the actinics are on so it's not the greatest. Also, something I forgot to mention is today, the female will not go into either anemone.

 

[jake levi]

Your numbers seem in the ballpark, water changes cant hurt, you didnt give temps but if its close to what it has been then you are still in the ballpark, I am puzzled, did you feed anything differently? Adding a couple more powerheads might move more water around and help to oxidize anything, what kind of water turnover do you have?

I'd lessen feeding for a couple days and check everything with a new test kit.

 

[vgibbens]

temp is 78. I am using an Aquaclear 30 and a Vortech MP10 set on lagoonal at about 70% for water movement.