RBTA vs Condi

[SGT_York]

Recent posts have made me wonder.

I have a 120G tank and purchased a healthy RBTA from a fellow reefer. The BTA split when it arrived. Both BTA's wandered and hid themselves under a rock with marginal lighting. I figured they would come out in their own time. That was late spring. Over the summer temps are ~82 degrees, I have mutliple SPS; tricolor, plumb crazy, stylophora, monti's. Some Softies, GSP, zoas, xenia. A Condi, and a crocea clam. MH lighting. The RBTA's never really came out just hiding in the indirect light, they ate just fine but begain to bleach so I have started turning their rock over (sps on top side) so they get some light however they wander back under the rock after a day or so. They are both bleached (beautiful florescent pink) and eat small items slowly. Nitrates near undetectible with salifert high end test, phosphastes <.03 again salifert. PH has tested normal with strip tests don't have a probe.

Also around the same time the xenia stopped growing. it has just remained the same not really shrunk but not grown any SPS/clam are growing fine, remaining softies are doing great.

My three ideas are temp (is which is always at 82 when I check day or night) may be just too high for the BTA. There could be a trace mineral that my tank is missing I use IO reef crystals but don't do as good of water changes as I should. Or chemical warfare, I've only read two instances where a condi/BTA didn't get along, and the Condi lost both times.

Any ideas on what I should do to proceed.
Livestock I have a PBT, foxface, clown not hosting (jerk), two firefish, two BGchromis, diamond goby, dragonet, blue legged hermits, and standard snails cerith, turbo, astrea, nassarius, 2 margaritas. Lighting are two 175 MH 10K's 7 month bulbs 8 hours, with 48" Cree royal blue LED's 10 hrs. Flow is moderate (very little under the rock) with a panworld 200 out of the sump, 8 lockline nozzles that I can point where needed. no powerheads.

I will be doing a 30G water change this weekend. Looking for other ideas that I am missing, or recommending 250MH's, powerheads, or chiller $ only enough for one currently.

Thanks in advance.

 

[SGT_York]

Wow, no thoughts feel free I have thick skin!

 

[SGT_York]

last bump!

 

[bjledbetter]

Condys and bta's normally get along fine. I had a 12+ inch condy and several bta's for a long time, tank crash killed them all. As for your bta's there could be a number of things thats causing them to be stressed. Water quality is probably the main thing. I know you said that your nitrates and Po4 is low but how often do you test and how old ate the test kits, they may be bad. Have you tested for ammonia?(sp?) How old is the thank? If you have had them sense spring they should have adjusted to the lights by now and trying to get as much as they can. Mine try to get as much or more light than my mag. is there a possibility that there is some kind of predator in the tank thats causing them stress? Just throwing out some idea's to see f we can come up with a answer for ya. xenia and nems both like iodine have you tried to add any? btw xenia likes somewhat dirty water so if your water is pretty clean it may not do well in your system.

 

[SGT_York]

Test kits are 4 months old, test twice a month. No changes since the initial cycle (low bioload on a 120) Tank is 15 months, seeded with reefer LS and 50 lbs LR. No ammonia nitrite.

Can't think of any predation, I do have a fire shrimp I left off but that is all I have, I've never witnessed any aggression. Any idea what small critters to look for that may be the culprit? Oh and I have those permanently attached pest snails that release the string to collect detrius, dark marroon swirl with a 1/8" tube coming out the middle, can't find their name yet.

I will certainly test for iodine ASAP wish I had a LFS, hadn't thought about that specifically. I'll also try and find a refractometer, my hydrometer may not be too accurate. I use 3LF kalk stirrer ATO so the salinity is stable.

 

[cichlid nutz]

Unsure about the RBTA but I had the same issue. I am also (hopefully) finishing my fight with a Dino bloom.

The Xenia is probably dormant due to low phosphate. Xenia tends to like their water a little "dirty".

 

[SGT_York]

Something else I noticed, I have a significant amount of coraline growing on my back wall, but hardly an on my Live Rock. Any correlation???

 

[cichlid nutz]

Off the wall observation but......can you check for stray voltage in the tank?
Low current can actually increase coraline growth but could damage other things.
Do you have a grounding rod in your tank?

 

[SGT_York]

no grounding rod,
I did have a heater go bad and leak voltage but it has been out for four months. No other signs of stray voltage since. I'll pull out my multi-meter tonight to make sure.

 

[SGT_York]

very minimal electric current, however a day after the 30G water change my snails started laying eggs again, didn't even notice they had stopped until I saw the eggs again, so I am thinking nutrient deficiencies are the culprit, I'll be doing several large water changes for a few more weeks and post a follow-up.