red carpet stressed?

laffy

New member
Hi All,

My heart pretty much dropped last night because of my red carpet. It was totally opened up and the clowns were playing the usually shake and bake and sucking on it. I did partial 3 gallon water change that had been mixing for almost 12 hours. Salinity was bang on 1.025 because thats where I keep my tank. Temp and everything else was fine. About an hour was the water change the anemone was completely deflated and guts were completely out. The foot had let go of the rock also. I couldn't understand for the life of me what was going on. I reached in the tank to see if it was really dead but I could feel my fingers getting a little numb from the stinging. I put the anemone up against the glass. It was holding itself up there barely. An hour later I noticed the foot had completely grabbed and it was starting to pull its guts back in! This morning the thing was all puffed up and looks better then when I got it?! Here's what I think might be happening:

1) something has gotten into my sealed salt bucket or the salt has lost trace elements? or its gone bad, which I think its pretty hard to believe.
2) the salt didn't totally dissolve over the 12 hour period.

All my parameters reading 0. temp is always 78-79. Its been in my tank for about 3 weeks and moved a little bit the first few days but was always fully opened. Its been taking food without a problem twice a week.

Anybody has any other explanation for this? Your input would be greatly appreciated!
 
Sounds like it didn't like the salt mix, or didn't like the speed with which the water change was made.

As you pointed out, lots of things can go "wrong" or change quickly with a water change - salinity levels, trace elements, pH, alkalinity, temperature, etc. One of my favorite quotes dealing the reefs is "nothing good happens quickly". Sounds like you did most things properly and I can't really comment on your process except to suggest that next time you do you water change more slowly.

How big is your tank by the way? A 3 gallon water change should be nothing in any tank that is large enough for a carpet anemone...
 
Its red sea coral pro salt. I've been trying using up what i've had left from my other system. It takes me over 30 minutes to do a water change. I use 2 aqualifter pumps. So its not like the its huge instant change. Its in a temporary 25 cube gallon right now. My 200 DD is being setup shortly (i can't wait). The anemone is only about 6" across so its just a little guy at this point.

My other tank sprung a leak....hense the temporary 25 cube
 
Ro/di culligan jugs of water...tds was reading 2 ppm! Im gonna switch to tropic marin salts frm now on... Thanks for the advice all!
 
If you are thinking of switching to TM may I add this. When I set up my tank I used TM pro. I got the usual diatoms and red slime that comes with new tanks as expected. When that bucket was gone the LFS only had regular TM so thats what I got. About half way through that bucket everything cleared up since it was around the normal time it would disapear anyway I didn't think much of it at the time.

Once that bucket was gone I got another of the Pro and within three water changes diatoms and redlime again. Curious now I swithced back to the regular TM and about water change number four it cleared up again.So now I am thinking there is no way that the more expensive salt is causing this and I start back with the pro and again about water change number four it was back. So for my tank at least it does not like the Tropic Marin Pro for some reason and causes the outbreaks. It makes absolutely no sense but thats my experience with the two.

All water changes were made with the same RO/DI water with a TDS of 0. Both buckets were mixed the same, had the same salinity, same temp, same volume of water was exchanged etc. Like I said it makes no sense at all but if I do a couple of changes with the Pro it is guaranteed I will have red slime and diatoms again so regular TM for me.
 
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