Puzzled by GBTA

[Gator Pit]

I purchased a GBTA from an online vendor aboout 3 weeks ago. Looked typical when it arrived, mouth open wide, insides outside etc. Atached fine, started looking better, hid from the light, then started circling the drain. Looked flacid most of the time, still atached, thought it would die. 2 weeks later it's still hanging in. Atached under a ledge out of the light, tenticles are all but gone, still has some "turger", ie: has muscle tone, doesn't eat, but still lives. Water parameters are WNL, I have 3 other BTAs that are normal and healthy within 6" of the green. Any ideas on how to bring this guy back to the living?
I'm sure some of you will need more info, so ask away. Thanks

 

[Slickcg33]

I purchased a GBTA from an online vendor aboout 3 weeks ago. Looked typical when it arrived, mouth open wide, insides outside etc. Atached fine, started looking better, hid from the light, then started circling the drain. Looked flacid most of the time, still atached, thought it would die. 2 weeks later it's still hanging in. Atached under a ledge out of the light, tenticles are all but gone, still has some "turger", ie: has muscle tone, doesn't eat, but still lives. Water parameters are WNL, I have 3 other BTAs that are normal and healthy within 6" of the green. Any ideas on how to bring this guy back to the living?
I'm sure some of you will need more info, so ask away. Thanks

Btas are considered hardy out of the nem species, that is assuming they are established and healthy when things go bad. I had a bta that was in my tank for a year + and it adapted to my tanks nitrates as they slowly went up over the months. It thrived and grew easily in 25 nitrates. I added 2 other nems to the same tank and they eventually perished, they didnt have a chance to slowly adapt with the changes like the original one did. Perhaps something similar is happening with you?
What are your parameters, numbers please? What type of lighting do you have? How big is your tank? What is your filtration like? What is in your tank, current stalk? Give us some info about your tank.....

 

[Gator Pit]

Tank is a 125g used as a frag tank. Skimmer, carbon, high flow. Lights are 2 x 250w halides on 8hr cycle. Fuge w/chaeto. Live rock, a Tang, Royal Gramma, Clown and some snails are only stock. This tank is used as a holding tank/frag tank for another display tank. Nem is positioned 3/4 of the way down the tank under a ledge, but won't expand.
Params:
SG- .025
Temp-79
Alk- 8
phos-0
pH-8.0
trates-0

Weird thing is he has no tenticals to speak of, just nubs. Oral disk is folded/convoluted like he has some "tone", but doesn't seem to be making any progress. Wish I could get a good picture.

 

[Gator Pit]

Let's see if anyone has any ideas after looking at this pic. Looks kind of bleached to me, but I've never had an anemone bleach before, so I don't know. I've had several.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Did you acclimate it to your lights?

From that picture it looks like it has been eating itself for energy.

 

[Gator Pit]

Probably didn't acclimate it as well as I should have. It was on my frag rack on a small rock. It stayed there for a few days, looked quite good, then one day moved through the egg crate and attached to the rock on the under side. Been out of the light ever since.

I'm open for suggestions on bringing this guy back, if that's possible.

 

[garygb]

You said it doesn't eat, I would try regularly with small fresh foods. You may have to hold the food near the mouth and let the anemone take it in, slowly. You could perhaps find another reefer in your area that is having good luck with BTAs and wants a challenge. your params are good. I think perhaps feeding fresh foods like shrimp, squid, silversides might get the anemone back on the right track.

 

[Gator Pit]

I would agree with you on feeding. I have a long tentacle that is a little afflicted also and have been "tube" feeding. Will try this with this one, but it's a little more challenging than the other.

Orion? Todd? Help me, help me. :spin2: