Say it aint so!!!

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Nic22tc

New member
Ok, so I have had a BTA for about 10 months but he is small and I had just recently bought a maroon clown fish and decided to get an anemone that was big enough for him. (its a RBTA that, when I bought it, was about 7/8 in in diameter and the maroon is about 2 inches...) Well, if was great for a few weeks, but then it got stuck in my pump. It did not have any damage to the foot, just a few tentacles that got misshapen, and he started to move to the other side of the tank. Well, I had covered my nano koralia, but he managed to get a tentacle in there the same day. Finally, my anemone seemed to had finally found a place he liked, but now-he is upside down with his mouth open wide (but now I can't see it because it is in the sand) and his foot exposed under a rock. I smelled him and he does not smell at all, but I am not sure what to do! Is there like anemone care I could give him?!? He was really expensive and my clown fish loved him so I do not want to lose him! My water parameters are all are 0 and my ph is 8.0...a little low but it has been that way ever since I've began the tank I can't get it higher even when I dose. I have a metal halide light (not sure of the wattage but I know its plenty of light for my anemone...) Here's a picture...do you think its dead??? PLEASE say it will recover!! I still just don't understand because everything else is doing so well! Any input would be greatly appreciated! :( :confused:
The pictures are a before and after btw....
P1010112.jpg

P1010114.jpg
 
I wouldn't let it keep it's top side in the sand for too long. I had one do this and it looked like the sand was tearing its tissue away. It died a little while after that. Hopefully yours will recover though! Good luck!
 
Welcome to reef central,
It doesn't look like its dying to me, it looks like its on its mouth. When was the last time you did a water change on your tank? How often do you do a water change? Have you ever fed your bta?
 
I do 10% every week...and I feed it shrimp and it ate at first but about a week after having it, it did not take the food very eagerly which I thought was strange. Should I turn it over or let it turn itself over? I always read to let it do things itself and I dont want to stress it out anymore but I dont want to leave it on its mouth. Any ideas as to why it flips on its mouth? Is that normal?
 
flip him over and plce him in a rock- let him recover. mine got half of it tentacles caugth in a pump intake, it his for a week then it came out and its fine
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12886248#post12886248 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nic22tc
Should I turn it over or let it turn itself over?
Click to expand...

Yes. Turn it over as fast as you can. The anemone "breaths" for lack of a better word, through its tentacles. It will die and start to decompose if left upside down like that. You may need to build a ring of rocks and place him in the middle to keep him from turning over again. You could also try reducing the flow, if it is causing him to tip over.
 
In my opinion, and I'm sure other people agree also.. that SG of 1.022 is too low. Anemones like their SG at 1.025 or 1.026. You can raise the SG by adding salt water to top offs or small water changes daily of 1.026 <this takes a while to raise the SG this way but its a safe method.

How long have you had the hydrometer? Hydrometers are only really accurate for 6 months after that they must be replaced.
 
really? That's good to know about the salinity levels...and good for me because my tank has so much evaporation per day I can barely keep up with the top off! I have had my hydrometer for about that long so I should probably get a new one. I did flip my anemone over and he attached his foot on the rock finally instead of rolling off back onto his mouth so that's good!
 
Do you use RO/DI water? As you've been advised, 1.025 or 1.026 is much more similar to natural seawater. What are your parameters in terms of alk, temp, nitrates, ph, etc.?

I suggest you go to Karen's Rose Anemones and read the faqs at the top of this forum for more information on keeping your anemone?

How long has the tank been set up? What other occupants do you have in the tank?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12886540#post12886540 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nic22tc
! I have had my hydrometer for about that long so I should probably get a new one.
Click to expand...

i agree, your salinity is to low for any inverts and don't waste your money on another hydrometer, get a refractometer they are far more accurate and reliable plus they can be re-calibrated.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12888182#post12888182 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by a4twenty
i agree, your salinity is to low for any inverts and don't waste your money on another hydrometer, get a refractometer they are far more accurate and reliable plus they can be re-calibrated.
Click to expand...

I agree with this and what the others have said. You might cut your photperiod down a bit too... then over the course of a week or two slowly bring it back up. Sometimes they will light shock if your light is more intense than it was used to.

Good Luck
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12890078#post12890078 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by eeorrandy
You might cut your photperiod down a bit too... then over the course of a week or two slowly bring it back up. Sometimes they will light shock if your light is more intense than it was used to.

Good Luck
Click to expand...
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12886130#post12886130 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nic22tc
Ok, so I have had a BTA for about 10 months but he is small and I had just recently bought a maroon clown fish and decided to get an anemone that was big enough for him.
Click to expand...
You have had this anemone long enough so I think it would be piontless to change its photo period.

I agree with what a4twenty said. Get a refractometer they are way more accurate and never have to be replaced. I say six months for a hydrometer but it could be less than that before it starts to read the SG wrong. Plus a hydrometer don't take into account of the temperature of the water. When I was using a hydrometer the thing was reading 1.025 and then I checked it with my refractometer it read 1.020.
 
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