RBTA that's most likely dieing/dead

  • Thread starter Thread starter Azial
  • Start date Start date
A

Azial

Well, I am not sure what to do with this guy. My water quality is pretty good, no nitrates, nitrites, amoonia. I have 2 Ocellaris clown who ignore this guy, and he's going down hill very fast.

Here's pic:



The problem:

He was full when I got him froma very nice facility locally. He had been quarantined for 30 days and was attached to a piece of live rock and overall looked very happy. When I got him home he moved around the tank quite a bit and I was hoping the clowns would help him out, but also knew that was in no way certain or even likely. He never really set down and never really became attached. I fed him a couple times and it ate ok. Finally on Monday I noticed it was upside down on the sand similar to what you see here. I figured he was moving but he never did. He is alive because I can see him moving beyond the normal water movement. Well it's thursday, and most of his tenticles are tiny, the oral disc is huge, and the tenticles are maybe a 1/4inc ring around the disc. I tried to flip him over so he could get some light and maybe try to feed... no luck. Once I flip him over, he immediately flips back over.

I don't believe in just junking a sick creature like this, however the hospital tank is still a month or more away so I have to treat in tank.

I tested for Copper.. None
Magnesium is 1170
Ammonia is 0
Nitrite 0
nitrate 0

Ideas? Or at least something to help the guy out?
 
The pic is difficult to really see well, but whay I can see, doesn't look good. I'd place the anemone into a crevice in the rocks where the current won't carry it away. That way, the anemone will be able to attach and right itself, if it's able.

Good luck.

Kevin
 
Updated pics:

After I flipped him over again and placed him about 1/2 up on a rock



Another same pic



Pic 1 on the sand



Pic 2 on Sand



Pic 3



Pic 4



Ok...

So here's what I am looking for. He's in horrible shape and maybe beyond helping but I'll be danged if I don't give him the best chance to live if I can.

Should I keep flipping him over and placing him on rocks? I lowered some of the flow in the tank to help. I placed a bit of uncooked shrimp on his oral disc after i flipped him to see if he would take it.

So I keep taking agressive messures like this and feeding daily until I see death or improvement? I like the little guy and I want to husband him back to health but I am woefully ignorant when it comes to how much I can do without my "measures" becoming part of the problem.

Ideas?
 
Temp: 76.7
Alk: 21.7 dKh (I am aware of this problem and working on it)
PH: 8.4
Lighting: 104 Watt Power Compact
24 Gallon Aquapod w/customization (Eheim Ecco Filter attachment)


Can Alk cause this kind of affect? If so... how to safely reduce Alk? I planned on a 50/50 water change tomorrow since I have a source of pre-mixed Ro/DI water I know for a fact is fantastic.


Had the guy for only 10 days, and the tanks is going on 2.5 months
 
temp is too low, alk is out of this world, how did it get that high? That would be the problem! Get that lowered ASAP!!! Do a large water change fast. Tomorrow may be too late. Any local reefers that can give you some already mixed saltwater?

What is the salinity?
 
Just wanted to note.....thats why it's always good to put your location. Alot of times when things like this happen someone near you stands up to help.

Best of luck. Hope you can save him.
 
I am .5 miles away from Drs. foster and Smith. I have the ability to go in and get their water due to very very close connections. I will start with a 50% water change tonight.
 
Water changes are a good idea. I would do a serries of 5% to 10% changes over a couple of days, and would not be afraid to do a couple in one day. You want to get the alk lower, but not with a big massive water change. Rapid & in your face water changes can cause additional stress. If you are going to raise the temp, do it very gradually or you will add to the stress level also. Same with sg/salinity changes, small slow changes are ok, abrupt changes tend to cause problems. I would not keep flipping it over either.
 
Did a large 40% change tonight based on advice. Did some tests afterword to see what's going on.

ammonia: 0
Nitrite: .25 (I am totally confused on this one)
Nitrate: 0
PH 8.4
Salinite 1.024
Alk: 14 dKh
Calcium 320

My Ca is way low. I want to buffer it, yet keep Alk falling.. ideas? I put the guy on a rock and hopefully he will stay. I plan on waiting a day or so and seeing what Alk is and if it's not moved do a small 10% change and keep that up until I am in the ballpark, but I have a feeling I waited way to long on this guy out of ignorance. Oh well, not much more I can do now.
 
I can only assume it's my fault, I was using a Seachem PH Buffer to get it to 8.3 because I had a horrible PH problem for a long time. I think it's the source.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9658178#post9658178 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by O'Man
Water changes are a good idea. I would do a serries of 5% to 10% changes over a couple of days, and would not be afraid to do a couple in one day. You want to get the alk lower, but not with a big massive water change. Rapid & in your face water changes can cause additional stress. If you are going to raise the temp, do it very gradually or you will add to the stress level also. Same with sg/salinity changes, small slow changes are ok, abrupt changes tend to cause problems. I would not keep flipping it over either.
Click to expand...

I disagree. 5% to 10% will not do much. Alk that high can kill a anemone very fast. The water change would be less stressful than the alk, IMO.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9658314#post9658314 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Azial
I can only assume it's my fault, I was using a Seachem PH Buffer to get it to 8.3 because I had a horrible PH problem for a long time. I think it's the source.
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with the product. You may want to check with the reef chemistry forum before you continue with it.

I use Randys two part. It is pretty inexpensive and works well.
 
Okay...your alk problem is the pH buffer. DO NOT USE IT, throw it away, or at least put it way back on the shelf and only use it for CERTAIN circumstances. Almost all of the commercially prepared buffers contain alk and will dramatically raise your alk way off the scale such as yours.

If you are worried about your calcium, does with liquid calcium, but your calcium is not the issue with your anomone.

Forget about your pH. There are way too many people that get all hooked up on having to have their pH at 8.3 or 8.4; I know, I was one of them and got my tank into a similar mess. Since getting a pH monitor I have found my pH will swing from just below 8, to 8.4 depending on the day, time and temp. I just occaisionally check it but I do not worry about it and since that time my tank has stabalized and is doing pretty good.

I think it is a good idea to do 30-40% water changes at least daily until you can get your alk down. You may want to check your mag level as well. If you are low it will cause your Calcium and alk to be off.

For now, I'd worry about getting your alk down, then once it has started dropping work on getting your calcium back up, but it will rise with the water changes as well.

HTH
 
It died on the overnight, there was no doubt of it's death. The problem? It must have released toxins into the water killing all the fish too. I guess I start over, and lessons learned.

#1. More time is required. I will likely do a very large change in water to save the cleanup crew still in there.

#2. More time is required. I will likely wait 2-3 months before adding fish again. I want to see the live rock in full bloom before I add them back in.

#3. More time is required. I will likely wait another 2-3 additional months after the fish before adding another anemone for the clowns to host.

I'm pretty bumbed out, frankly it sucks having waited 2-3 months to have to wait another 2-3 months before adding fish into the system. I have considered selling off the live rock and coverting to freshwater where I know exactly what I am doing. But I have always wanted a reef tank and I am heartbroken.

Thanks to all who helped me.
 
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