RBTA questions

[JNye]

my RBTA is bleached, i guess, it is white in center and pink tentacles, it has been this way since i got it. I've had it for 2 months know. i was feeding it every 34 days for the first month to try and get it to color up and start feeling better(silversides, mysis)is this his natural color possibly?
yesterday he split, i think. the "baby" is very small, 1 inch diameter maybe, does this sound like a split or is it wasting away? and slowly dieing? i need some advice here on what to do or is this normal procedure. i have the smaller split in a specimen container in the main tank for observation and so i doesn't get swept away and die on me.

 

[kar93]

every 34 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. You should be doing it every 3 days IMO try everyday if it is bleached. Could be a split in a last attempt to survive. Take it out and smell them, What lighting do you have?

 

[garygb]

Sometimes they split when stressed, sounds like the case here. What are your water parameters. The best thing you can do for an anemone is provide it with very good water quality, good lighting and proper feeding. Pics might be helpful, too.

 

[JNye]

thats 3-4 days, know ay the thing will eat everyday, sometimes spits out the silversides even with every third day, lighting is fine and listed under current tanks

 

[garygb]

Water parameters? pics?

 

[JNye]

water params are fine, i only test alk Ca and Mg anymore and occasionally nitrate but i never have nitrate, phosphate may be slightly elevated but i do not have a hanna photometer so cannot test accurately enough to know for sure, will phosphate affect anemones negatively? all other corals are doing fine. i would consider my water dirty, high in DOC.

 

[JNye]

sorry gary no pics, its color looks exactly like every bleached anemone i've ever seen on here, maybe my system is not right for him?

 

[garygb]

I suppose, if the water parameters are good, obviously you have enough light (assuming those bulbs aren't old), then the next thing to consider would be the combination of animals you are keeping. Maybe another inhabitant(s) is keeping it from thriving.

 

[Timanator]

I have seen a few that looks bleached all the time but are healthy and have a good appetite. There is a LFS that sells them when they split, and babies all looks like that. Might just be a very colorful morph.

 

[JNye]

bulbs are less than 4 months, old tankmates are:yellow tang, purple tang, spotted mandarin, sand sifting goby, engineer goby, jewel damsel, 4 green chromis, 3 pajama cardinals, cleaner shrimp and 2 pep shrimp that i never see.
do you thin my"dirty"water would stress it out? how bout phosphates, carbon or GFO? also i have touched it many times and never feel a sting, my fingers only get slightly warmer like a numbing effect, should it be a stronger sting.? is this a sign of weak anemone? TIA again

 

[garygb]

BTA's don't have a very strong sting. You could test for phosphates and see how those are. Running Polyfilter, or something else for phosphate would indicate if phosphates are high.

 

[JNye]

polyfilter changes color? my phosphate test has terrible resolution. pointless imo. are phosphates a prob for bta's tho. guess i gotta wait it out.

 

[garygb]

phosphates are more of a problem for stony corals (calcifying animals) compared to anemones. Phosphates increase the likelihood of nuisance algae. And yes, Polyfilter changes to brown with organics in the water.