RBTA Splitting?

[nosferatu51]

The last 2 nights my RBTA has been acting weird. It closes up almost completely after the lights go out. During the day it is out and spread out. It hasn't moved since I put it in the tank about a month ago. I was watching it tonight as it closed up and noticed that it's mouth was gaping.....and so was it's other one! At the moment its tentacles are kind of withered looking, and its mouth is wide open. My clown won't really leave it alone either, should I cover it so the clown can't get at it? Is this normal behavior for an anemone that is about to split? It seems to have been happy before these last 2 days.
I feed it mysis every once in a while and I'm sure it probably gets some of the cyclopeeze that the rest of the fish get.

Stats:
75g with 30g sump/fuge
ph: as best I can tell, 8, but I hate those stupid color charts
SG:1.028 (in the process of bringing this down, made a big batch of water that should bring it down to 1.026 when I change it)
Nitrites: 0
Ammonia: 0 (although my test only has a <.25ppm color, I figure the SPS polyps would be closed if there was ammonia)
Nitrates: 5ppm (another reason for the water change)
KH: 8.5
Calcium: 440
Temp: 82F
That's all I can think of.

EDIT: I could think of something else!
2x250 10k bulbs with two 54W T5 actinics

Coincidentally maybe, I have an open brainn (Trachyphilia) that acts almost identically. He is widely spread out and open during the day and at night shrinks up dramatically (no skeleton showing though) while the other one right near him does no do this. The brain has 2 mouths as well.

 

[redvipe2010]

To me it doesn't sound like it's splitting. I'd try getting the salinity to 1.026 by just replacing some SW with RO water. Then I would do the water change.

I also like to keep mine at 80F, not sure but 82 may be just a little high.

IMO, silversides is a better choice for BTA's.

What size tank is this in?

 

[matttaylor]

Did you say it has 2 mouths? If so a split could be coming any time, or you just have a very odd bta.

 

[redvipe2010]

I've never seen or heard of an anemone forming two mouths so that it could split, I could be wrong though. BTA's with two mouths are not unheard of, rare, but it does happen. FindingNemo had one for quite some time with two mouths. I do believe when it did split though, each was only left with one.

Do you have any pics?

 

[nosferatu51]

Only camera I have right now is a webcam and it doesn't take good shots. He DEFINITELY has 2 mouths though, 1 is about half the size of the other. It is a fully formed mouth, not just a hole or anything.
It only acts like this for a couple hours right after the lights go out. For instance right now the lights are out, but he's just tucked himself under the ledge (always does this at night) and is out like nothing's wrong. Clown is fast asleep in it too. I just don't know why he does that (and only the last couple nights) when the lights first go out.
I've got a batch of 20g of salt water that, according to my calculations, should drop the SG down to 1.026 when it's all swapped in. Probably time for a water change anyway.
He seems to have no problem with the vitamin-enriched Hikari mysis and have heard that anything bigger than mysis actually just gets spit out at night (I believe Anthony Calfo said it).
I know the temp is kind of up there, but at the same time I don't have $500 at the moment to spend on a chiller (poor med student). There's a fan that runs and cools the air beneath the light when they are on, but it turns off on the same timer as the actinics. Temp is pretty stable at about 81.5 all day, sometimes peaking at 82.
Is he just acting weird? I've had an anemone die overnight when I first started this hobby so I'm a little paranoid with it. This is my first one since, almost 2 years later and A LOT of learning and studying later too.

 

[redvipe2010]

Try this website. Maybe you can find a pic of one that is similar to what yours looks like, and maybe you can get some help from there. It's a great website, lots of info.


http://www.karensroseanemones.com/coverpowerheads.htm

 

[nosferatu51]

Checked out that site. Mine looks identical to some of the shots of them just doing their usual deflating. The time period and length I guess would kind of go along with this as well. It doesn't have the white stringy things that she describes when they are dying. THe fact that he/she always recovers completely afterwards tells me that it is most likely just that normal routine thing as well.

On another note, this whole 2 mouth thing is interesting and I probably would have never noticed had I not been worried Thanks for helping ease me a bit though.

 

[redvipe2010]

Your welcome! And good luck with your anemone!