RBTA Help

[kmbyrnes]

I have had my RBTA since March of 2014 and it has blossomed since I got Radions last November. It has not looked good the last 3 days after looking awesome over the last 2 months.
It hosts a maroon clown and it ate some scallops last weekend.
The tentacles from about 1 o'clock to about 4 o'clock are shiveled and have lost their color. The rest of the tentacles are deflated looking compared to last weekend. Any ideas on why the color loss and shriveling?

Water params today were a bit out of normal prior to a 25 g water change.
Pre WC:
Temp 82
Salinity 1.027
Calcium 480
Alk 7.5
Mg 1400
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10
Phosphate 2 - has been since I set the tank up 12/2013

 

[mynnox]

Hi
agree, it doesn't look too good.

I would decrease both temp (to aprox. 78) and salinity (to 1.025-25)

Svein

 

[addictedreefer]

Nothing is wrong with that temp and salinity as long as they are stable. I'd me more concerned about the phosphates -- very high. Looks to me like something has been nipping/beating it up. How big is the clown in comparison to the nem? Is it being too rough?

 

[Dkuhlmann]

It looks like something is stinging it. Nothing wrong with your parameters it's only half the nem that's affected, something is stinging it, or has stung it

 

[Bent]

I'd be concerned with the proximity of that hammer coral...

 

[Fishmommy]

I have a nem looking just like that. Nothing near it. I think it is due to high salinity and low alk and not feeding. My salinity and alk look similar to yours.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I'd be concerned with the proximity of that hammer coral...

Yes sir, that is pretty much what I was saying. Those stinging tentacles can reach 6" easy in any direction.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I have a nem looking just like that. Nothing near it. I think it is due to high salinity and low alk and not feeding. My salinity and alk look similar to yours.

Alk at 7.5 not low and sg of 1.027 are not high, both are perfectly acceptable readings. Seawater has Alk of 7.5 and I've personally seen sg of 1.028-1.030 in the gulf of Mexico

 

[Fishmommy]

Ok.....sorry for participating. If you figure it out let me know. Mine doesn't have any corals near it.

 

[Breadman03]

I'd be concerned with the proximity of that hammer coral...

Yep. Look at the middle photo, and the bad area of the BTA and the rock flower (?) are both on the hammer side.

 

[kmbyrnes]

Thanks for all the opinions. I will watch for one more day and then decide which direction to go. I would have thought getting stung would cause the nem to move, but I guess it feels like it has priority after 14 months in the same spot.
But I guess the hammer can be moved without too much stress.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Ok.....sorry for participating. If you figure it out let me know. Mine doesn't have any corals near it.

I said in my reply above that it is either getting stung now or has in the past, for the OP your situation I haven't seen. So was it by something in the past that could have stung it?

 

[Bent]

Thanks for all the opinions. I will watch for one more day and then decide which direction to go. I would have thought getting stung would cause the nem to move, but I guess it feels like it has priority after 14 months in the same spot.
But I guess the hammer can be moved without too much stress.

Check it out at night time and see if the hammers sweepers are nailing it.

My guess would be no, and maybe it just got hit in the past. If it kept getting hit I would imagine the thing would move.

 

[Giovanni]

Why wouldn't the BTA move if it is getting stung?

 

[Bent]

I'd imagine it would if it was happening repeatedly. But if it just got tagged once, it might not.

 

[zooman72]

I'd be concerned with the proximity of that hammer coral...

Yup, if I was a betting man, that is what I would put my money on., although lowering the phosphate levels couldn't hurt either...

 

[ruslanat]

Do you feed your anemone? What and how often?

 

[hotelbravo]

Yup, if I was a betting man, that is what I would put my money on., although lowering the phosphate levels couldn't hurt either...

though i agree that lowering the phosphates wouldnt be a bad idea. i doubt that the phosphates are affecting the BTA much. i have ran my phosphates high for over a year and have 3 thriving anemones.