Part of my BTA shrunken?

[TDesaulniers]

Ok, so I have three BTAs in my tank and one of them this past week has consistently have part of it's side shrunken in, like the tentacles. The rest of the anemone is fully expanded. Water changes and carbon do not seem to have any effect. There's no surrounding corals that could possibly be irritating it and there is no blast of flow coming from this side. It's really bizarre, I haven't seen anything like. Any ideas?

 

[Rippinfrags]

Do you have any hermit crabs, cleaner shrimp, fire shrimp or anything else in the tank that could have bothered it? When I had my bta, my cleaner shrimp and fire shrimp would both steal food from my bta and occasionally cause it to shrink in/deflate partially. Do you have a picture of it?

 

[TDesaulniers]

Do you have any hermit crabs, cleaner shrimp, fire shrimp or anything else in the tank that could have bothered it? When I had my bta, my cleaner shrimp and fire shrimp would both steal food from my bta and occasionally cause it to shrink in/deflate partially. Do you have a picture of it?

That's the thing, nothing physical is bothering it. I do have plenty of hermit crabs but they don't have access to the anemone really. No cleaner shrimp. I just fed it (sticky and responsive) so when it opens back up I'll attempt to take a picture of what I am referring to.

 

[garygb]

The only time I've ever observed anything like what you're describing is when I've changes to new lightbulbs. I've seen the tentacles nearest the lights or directly under the hot spot of MHs shrink down.

 

[TDesaulniers]

It's not the lights either, in fact, I need to change the bulbs pretty soon on them. It's under T5s. I really have no idea what's the root of the issue. I am going to do another water change right now and see if that helps. It doesn't look life threatening but it has me bothered.

 

[TDesaulniers]

Water change and still no improvement. I don't have a picture yet but it looks like when an anemone stings something and shrivels up and it's pigmentation becomes condensed so you see the color more...just on part of the side though. Anyone?

 

[sjwitt]

Without a picture it's nearly impossible to provide any worthwhile comments.

 

[TDesaulniers]

Without a picture it's nearly impossible to provide any worthwhile comments.

You're correct. Tell me what you guys think. Sorry it isn't a super high quality picture but you get the idea. It's the shriveled up tentacles on the right. Notice how there is no neighboring coral that would agitate it. I only have BTAs in the tank and I run carbon.

 

[sjwitt]

So you have 3 BTAs, right? Are they all the same ... rose or green or are they mixed? Clones or not? What is the proximity of this one to the other two? Any other anemone in the tank?

The reason I ask is because I've read on this forum that someone had rose and green BTAs in the same tank and I think the green one was stunted... when moved to another tank all did better. And obviously if there's another anemone type in the tank you could be having a little 'warfare' going on. My RTBAs (started out as one and split) look like this on the side where they split (fairly recent split)... are you sure this one didn't go into hiding and split.

How long have you had them and how long has that clown been hosted by this anemone? Could be the clown nipping at the tentacles. Is the anemone being fed? Do you see severed tentacles in the tank or are they just retracting?

 

[TDesaulniers]

So you have 3 BTAs, right? Are they all the same ... rose or green or are they mixed? Clones or not? What is the proximity of this one to the other two? Any other anemone in the tank?

Yes three BTAs, one rose, one green and a brownish colored morph. The brownish colored morph is the one shriveling as you saw in the picture posted above. The proximity is probably about 7-8 inches away. No other anemones in the tank.

How long have you had them and how long has that clown been hosted by this anemone? Could be the clown nipping at the tentacles. Is the anemone being fed? Do you see severed tentacles in the tank or are they just retracting?

They have been in the tank for a while now. Probably 8 months but my tank had crashed about 5 months ago and they all almost died. So now they are finally starting to grow again and they have now all regained their zooxanthellae algae. The maroon isn't nipping, never noticed that and the tentacles are now in the tank, they are just retracting like they just had stung something. Any ideas?

 

[TDesaulniers]

Monday bump

 

[Jamie1210]

I had several BTAs living in my tank at one point--all different colors. Gradually, some started doing what you're doing--the shrunken tentacles, except mine started being shrunken on all sides, not just one. Anemones were always fed, and even the shrunken tentacle ones ate. Eventually, however, they became less and less healthy, died out (tentacles became very short, and curly things protruding from the tips), and the only BTAs i had left ended up being from the same clone, which are with me to this day. Unfortunately, every NEW BTA I add ends up doing great for maybe 2 months, then starts shortening tentacles, exactly like yours. The rose clones that currently inhabit the tank must be super powerful or something! haha

Thus, I am convinced that chemical warfare between different BTAs DOES exist, although not necessarily in every case, as evidenced by, say, Mona's tank (reference 27 clownfish in one tank sticky thread above).

Still, though, I'm surprised that there are not more cases of this happening/being reported by fellow reefers on this site.

Perhaps the tank needs to be bigger like hers so that the "chemical warfare" or whatever it is, is more diluted down--mine is only a 60 gal tank.

Anyways, hope this helps.

 

[Rippinfrags]

Check to see if you have any aptasia that is near the side of the bta (look closely they can be very small.) to me it looks to be chemical warfare/being stung by something. Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

[TDesaulniers]

There is no aptasia near that anemone at all.

Jamie, what I am going through sounds exactly like what is happening from you. I was always under the impression that chemical warfare couldn't exist if you only had the same species in the tank. Guess not because chemical warfare is what I believe is going on.

 

[Jamie1210]

yeah, in that case, I'd probably separate them ... maybe take out the sickly one, and put it in another tank--unfortunately, I never tried this, so I don't know if it'll help or not (it probably will though).

same species, but I suspect some BTAs are more robust than others ... just like how some humans fall sick easily, while other ppl just never get sick at all

 

[TDesaulniers]

yeah, in that case, I'd probably separate them ... maybe take out the sickly one, and put it in another tank--unfortunately, I never tried this, so I don't know if it'll help or not (it probably will though).

same species, but I suspect some BTAs are more robust than others ... just like how some humans fall sick easily, while other ppl just never get sick at all

Taking it in to a very trustworthy LFS. They said if it lives for two weeks and does well I get store credit. I would rather save an animal then make a profit.

 

[nehsmit]

Could a blue or red hermit or peppermint or skunk cleaner shrimps be bothering the BTA?

 

[TDesaulniers]

Could a blue or red hermit or peppermint or skunk cleaner shrimps be bothering the BTA?

That's the thing, nothing physical is bothering it. I do have plenty of hermit crabs but they don't have access to the anemone really. No cleaner shrimp. I just fed it (sticky and responsive) so when it opens back up I'll attempt to take a picture of what I am referring to.