Rbta Help

[tannerd]

Parameters: Tested Weekly

Ammonia:0
Nitrate:0
Phosphate:0
KH:11-12
Calcuim:440-460
Magnesium:1300
Salinity:1.024-1.025

Lighting:

4-56w T5 actinic 12pm-10pm
2-150w Metal Halides 1pm-8pm
4-1w LED moonlights 10pm-3am

35 Gallon Refugium with miricle mud, cheato algea, and some sort of cheap light

Flow:
1-Koralia3 and 1-Koralia4
Dual head lock line coming from mag 12 from the refugium

Tank Residents;
Pair of Maroon Clowns (Lola and Linus) the female is approx. 2.5in and the male is approx. 1-1.5in
Purple Tang (Lucy)
Flame Angel (Rocky)
Yellow and Pink Damsel (Oscar) He is a grouch
Volitan Lion (Herbert)
Fuzzy Dwarf Lion (Leonard)
Astrea Snails
Nasserius Snails
Hermit Crabs
3- Serpent Stars
Derosa Clam
and Many Corals

Feeding RBTA (Rosie)
1-2 times per week; silversides or mysis shrimp
Also, we were told from the seller we should try to feed every other day for two weeks but that hasn't helped. and yes it does eat

We have had four BTAs:
2-died
1-disappeared Today
My Once Beautiful RBTA is still currently in the tank and looks just like the others did after a few weeks. The tenticals are short and nubby and it is brownish in color instead of the vibrant red it once was. we dont understand what the problem is hopefully someone here knows what to do.

Also, it has been attached to a large live rock since i have placed it in the tank about 1.5months ago and it eats everything i feed it
and it acts totally normal except for it looking like crap. Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou...

 

[FTexas]

Tanner,
i notice this is your first post. so welcome to Reef Central! just to help i have some suggestions for next time you post.
before you start posting parameters, let everyne know first what your concern or problem is, or what your exact question is.
i dont have much experience w/ keping anemonies, so i dont have many suggestions except, keep good parameters, and do water changes

 

[Creetin]

BTA's look like crap from time to time its normal. I have learned to expect it. Mine seemed to do it a few times a week for an hour or so.

BY KH i assume you mean DKH???

 

[tannerd]

Yes I do mean DKH

 

[rkelman]

Are the Maroon's beating it up?

 

[tannerd]

they are in it 24/7 i dont know if they are beating it up though how can i tell?

 

[FTexas]

some clowns are just very rough w/ anems. Does anyone know of a specific worm or parasite that can eat or kill an anemone?????

 

[tannerd]

bump

 

[kayaaandjaden]

How's it doing?
Ours has been in the tank for a month and a half, looks bad on occasion, and now looks terrible. Mouth WIDE open and has moved from the rock, to the side of the glass! I am not sure it is going to make it.

 

[Coral Hind]

Do you dose anything like Strontium & Molybdenum? It benefits stony corals but I have noticed when these are dosed it can have negative effects on my anemones. Everytime you do a partial water change you are adding strontium that has been depleted and if you have little no stony corals in your tank it is an unneeded addition.

Are you using phosphate removing media? Anemones and Star polyps, Gorgonians are very sensitive to the aluminum oxide found in some products. Check to make sure the brand you are using does not contain that element.

A large water change normally fixes a lot of tank issues and I recommend you do one of those. I would also stop dosing anything unless it is needed to maintain proper pH for a month to see how the anemones react. How old are your bulbs? What salt mix do you use and have you switched brands lately?

 

[tannerd]

yes i was dosing strontium and molybdenum. no im not using a phosphate removing media. i do a fifteen gallon a week water change and i just started using tropic marin about a month ago i was using instant ocean. i also have a big colony of star polyps and they look good and i have an orange gorgonian and it looks good. Just the RBTA looks bad. well it looks worse now it is still about 8 inches across but has no tenticles just little nubs. the bulbs are about 2 months old. do you think dripping kalkwasser would effect it?

 

[tannerd]

all of my supplements are made by kent and they are iodide, strontium and molybdenum, and tech M Magnesium, and Kalkwasser i didnt see aluminum oxide in any of them and i havent dosed the strontium and molybdenum in a couple of weeks because i am out of it.

 

[tannerd]

another thing what kind of light should i put on my refugium i cant seem to get the cheato to start growing in there?

 

[rkelman]

Are their tests for strontium and molybdenum? I wouldn't be dosing it if you can't test for it.

 

[Coral Hind]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15667943#post15667943 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tannerd
another thing what kind of light should i put on my refugium i cant seem to get the cheato to start growing in there?

A good daylight bulb around 5,500K to 10,000K. I use a 6,500K. They do not need any actinic lighting.

 

[Coral Hind]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15668062#post15668062 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rkelman
Are their tests for strontium and molybdenum? I wouldn't be dosing it if you can't test for it.

Yes, there are test kits and I agree that you should not dose unless you know you need to, Iodine included. I think it is better to spend the money saved from not buying those supplements and just do larger water changes.

 

[patriots81]

how long has it been since the btas have died?

 

[Coral Hind]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15667813#post15667813 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tannerd
i just started using tropic marin about a month ago i was using instant ocean. do you think dripping kalkwasser would effect it?

Stability is very important for anemones. Switching salt all at once believe it or not can be a cause. I have experienced it myself going from IO to BioAssay a few months ago. It helps to make the switch slow using a little of the new and old salt during the transition.

When do you add the kalk? Kalk affects the pH and can raise it very high is dosed too fast or during the highest pH time of the day. It is best dosed slowly and at night when tank pH is normally lower.

 

[tannerd]

my BTAs were looking bad before the salt change two of them died before i changed the salt and before i started using the kalk drip i found the green one and he is looking a little better but the rose still looks terrible. I just dont understand how i can keep all of these corals and not an anomone. is there some type of bristle worm that can harm them?

 

[bues0022]

That's a real puzzle you have. The only thing I can see is IMHO I would stop feeding large foods such as silversides. BTA's expend more energy trying to process these large food items than the energy they get out from digesting them. I'd stick with PE mysis or some other small meaty foods.