Need Advice, RBTA looks terrible

[catchandreleas]

I know there have been lots of these posts lately and I hate to add to them.

My RBTA has been in the tank for a month now, it was looking great and growing a bit for the first three weeks, now it moves around almost every night, has turned quite brown and dark, and rarely opens up fully. It opens up at night, the clowns host in it, but even when it is opened up it seems to have very small tentacles and it is just a large flat surface.
Mouth stays shut and tight, it eats when fed, does not spew anything or have anything stringy coming off it.

it is in a 10 gallon with an 18Watt LED, medium/low flow.

Water has zero phosphates, ammonia or nitrites. 10ppm Nitrate, 9.5KH, Ca is 430, PH is 8 (dropped over the last few weeks from 8.3, not sure why)

I wish I could get some better pictures. Nem is about 4-5" when fully inflated.

 

[catchandreleas]

I should also add that my fish and other corals are all doing very well.

 

[fishkeeprian]

Your lighting is no where near powerful enough. They require high power full spectrum lighting. They do not likeep a lot of white.light from my experience. It's turning brown because it's bleaching.

 

[catchandreleas]

Your lighting is no where near powerful enough. They require high power full spectrum lighting. They do not likeep a lot of white.light from my experience. It's turning brown because it's bleaching.

I have a torch, hammerhead, GSP and Candy cane corals. All of which are doing very well and show great colours. The Nem has situated itself under an overhang and has not once climbed for light. I would assume if the issue were a lack of light it would show other signs to suggest that.

However I dont proclaim to be an expert on nems by any stretch of the imagination, just hoping to keep the conversation open to hopefully best diagnose the issue (if any)

 

[NYCBOB]

Your lighting is no where near powerful enough. They require high power full spectrum lighting. They do not likeep a lot of white.light from my experience. It's turning brown because it's bleaching.

turning brown is bleaching?

 

[davocean]

Well I agree your lighting is most likely not enough, and it's a 10g tank, going to be really hard to keep that small of a tank stable enough for one, two you have some other corals in there as well, the torch could actually be an issue maybe, and you should keep in mind that anemome will always be so close to any intakes.
So honestly, that size tank I would not keep an anemone, the torch could be an issue as well towards other corals in that tight of a space.
Also how old is this tank?
I saw in your other post pic it looks pretty fresh, we advise 6 months minimum to obtain stability.

 

[fishkeeprian]

turning brown is bleaching?

Maybe bleaching is the wrong terminology, maybe colour morphing is a better term, due to insufficient light? My red BTA turned brown when in a hospital tank and under basic white spectrum, just speaking from the experience i had.

 

[fishkeeprian]

I have a torch, hammerhead, GSP and Candy cane corals. All of which are doing very well and show great colours. The Nem has situated itself under an overhang and has not once climbed for light. I would assume if the issue were a lack of light it would show other signs to suggest that.

However I dont proclaim to be an expert on nems by any stretch of the imagination, just hoping to keep the conversation open to hopefully best diagnose the issue (if any)

how long have had you had the other corals, becareful with your light speaking out of experience you may find corals eventually start to brown. I had a similar experience when i started out with lack of light experience and not really knowing how important correct lighting was.

 

[catchandreleas]

Well I agree your lighting is most likely not enough, and it's a 10g tank, going to be really hard to keep that small of a tank stable enough for one, two you have some other corals in there as well, the torch could actually be an issue maybe, and you should keep in mind that anemome will always be so close to any intakes.
So honestly, that size tank I would not keep an anemone, the torch could be an issue as well towards other corals in that tight of a space.
Also how old is this tank?
I saw in your other post pic it looks pretty fresh, we advise 6 months minimum to obtain stability.

The tank is around two months old, the rock and some filter media were from an established tank so I assumed that sped things up.
I had seen other people having success in nano's with RBTA which is why i thought it would work, I'd rather not get rid of it.

Is the concern with the intake that the nem will get sucked into it? It hasn't left the rocks since it entered the tank (if that matters)

Is the concern with the torch regarding the anemone or the tank size?

 

[catchandreleas]

how long have had you had the other corals, becareful with your light speaking out of experience you may find corals eventually start to brown. I had a similar experience when i started out with lack of light experience and not really knowing how important correct lighting was.

The tank is only a few months old so none of the corals have been in there longer than a month. They all look really good now, and have been looking continually healthier since being added (with the exception of the nem). However I will keep an eye on them and replace the light if need be.

The light is an 18W Skkye LED from IM. I was under the impression they are a "medium lighting" equivalent over a smaller tank such as mine.

I have been looking to play around with the lighting, this may be a sign to do so. However it sounds like I may also have some other concerns to address as well.

 

[fishkeeprian]

The tank is around two months old, the rock and some filter media were from an established tank so I assumed that sped things up.
I had seen other people having success in nano's with RBTA which is why i thought it would work, I'd rather not get rid of it.

Is the concern with the intake that the nem will get sucked into it? It hasn't left the rocks since it entered the tank (if that matters)

Is the concern with the torch regarding the anemone or the tank size?

Tourch corals have a very intensive sting and can cause damage to other corals, they can release long sweeper tentacles that can end up sting other things.

 

[fishkeeprian]

The tank is only a few months old so none of the corals have been in there longer than a month. They all look really good now, and have been looking continually healthier since being added (with the exception of the nem). However I will keep an eye on them and replace the light if need be.

The light is an 18W Skkye LED from IM. I was under the impression they are a "medium lighting" equivalent over a smaller tank such as mine.

I have been looking to play around with the lighting, this may be a sign to do so. However it sounds like I may also have some other concerns to address as well.

I think the light strength depends entirely on the nem, you will get light hungry ones and you will get ones that are happy to hang around at the bottom, but they make the choice. you need good highlight because they are mainly photosynthetic which means their main food source is the lighting.

 

[fishkeeprian]

The tank is only a few months old so none of the corals have been in there longer than a month. They all look really good now, and have been looking continually healthier since being added (with the exception of the nem). However I will keep an eye on them and replace the light if need be.

The light is an 18W Skkye LED from IM. I was under the impression they are a "medium lighting" equivalent over a smaller tank such as mine.

I have been looking to play around with the lighting, this may be a sign to do so. However it sounds like I may also have some other concerns to address as well.

Even tho BTAS are probably the hardier anemone to have they still require basic stable parameters, any major swings in those factors can cause problems.

 

[catchandreleas]

I think the light strength depends entirely on the nem, you will get light hungry ones and you will get ones that are happy to hang around at the bottom, but they make the choice. you need good highlight because they are mainly photosynthetic which means their main food source is the lighting.

Right. Would it not show signs of trying to reach more light if that were the issue though? It could move 2" right now and be wishing 6" of the light fixture, but instead its being shaded by an overhang.
It originally came from a tank with T5s and now its under LED. Could that be a cause of stress? When i introduced it to the tank i put it at the bottom to acclimate but maybe the change was too much?
Or maybe it is an issue unrelated to lighting?

 

[catchandreleas]

Even tho BTAS are probably the hardier anemone to have they still require basic stable parameters, any major swings in those factors can cause problems.

Thats what Im thinking would make the most sense. Even though my testing week to week is consistent there is something amiss. Any thoughts on what that may be? I know its a small tank so stable parameters are tough to achieve but there has to be a way to get this thing healthier.

I appreciate your guys' input as well. Thanks guys.

 

[catchandreleas]

Maybe its still acclimating? The mouth is always tight and it is firmly fixed to rock all day until it wanders at night, so is that a sign that its still pretty healthy?

 

[davocean]

Acclimation is one thing, that does not include bleaching or loss of color.
The tank is too new, and yes it will be always close to intakes, and I agree w/ the torch having very long sweepers comment, in that size tank could be an issue for nem and other things.

 

[catchandreleas]

Acclimation is one thing, that does not include bleaching or loss of color.
The tank is too new, and yes it will be always close to intakes, and I agree w/ the torch having very long sweepers comment, in that size tank could be an issue for nem and other things.

So given this info, are there any suggestions as an alternative to getting rid of it or crossing my fingers?

 

[davocean]

Well, you may not have that choice if it fails anyway, it needs more than what you are able to give at this time really.
Last ditch I guess, stay on WC's and do what you can to make as stable as possible, if it continues to bleach I suppose squirt mysis, eh, really though it needs an established tank, you may watch it just fade despite your efforts.

 

[fishkeeprian]

So given this info, are there any suggestions as an alternative to getting rid of it or crossing my fingers?

I would seriously do something about your light asap. Even if you water quality is spot on it will not improve in colour under 18 watt lights. You can supplement feed it but it is getting starved of its natural requirement which is light. This is why before you purchase any livestock for your tank you do as much research as possible to makesure you are able to cater for it. I think sometimes people are just under the notion that they are easy for beginners and it will be alright because their hardy. Yes they are hardy it given the right environment. In my experience even then they can throw some headaches your way