Stringy RBT's....

[cateyes]

My RBT'S have been looking like this for months.....
All water params are great, they are splitting constantly...sitting under LED's, water changes weekly...
I don't mind that they don't bubble up but I'd love them to "fill out".. Got any ideas, suggestions or questions...
Thanks,,, Lisa

 

[cateyes]

Let me throw in a few more pics... This is the two that started it all.. Bubbled like crazy
...

Then they lost their bubbles but the tentacles were very full,plump...

Then they started splitting like crazy and getting stringy...

 

[jmadison]

IME when btas are getting too much flow they sorta get bashed on the rocks and that sorta kinked/gnarly tenticle shape. What is your flow like in the tank?

 

[cateyes]

Thank you but ... flow is Very low in my opinion, they slightly wave under the flow of a Mag 7 through a spray bar...

 

[jmadison]

Hmmm. So they aren't getting thrashed against the live rock. What is your lighting? Has it changed?

 

[ssick92]

They look starved to me. The change from the initial 2 BTAs to the current is a pretty drastic one. I think they keep splitting because they are stressed, not because they are super comfortable.

Are you feeding them regularly? Also what is your lighting?

 

[cateyes]

i feed the tank daily because of the inverts. i feed the nems maybe once a week, squid or shrimp soaked in garlic guard....
yes the lighting has changed but all of this has happened over the course of maybe 2 years....
i'll get the lighting info and post back....
thank you... lisa

how much/often should i be feeding them???

 

[jmadison]

Honestly with proper lighting, there's no need to actually feed the btas. They photosynthesize enough food. Plus they will snag food here and there from the water column regardless of you not "target" feeding them.

 

[cet98]

stop soaking their food in garlic guard.....that is for stimulating the appetite of fish and has no value to your nems. I wonder if it is having a negative affect on them?...

what are your "actual" parameters

I agree with ssick92, they do not look well and the splitting is likely a sign of stress.
nems LIKE flow, just not tons of it directly at them. (except for my two weirdo nems, lol)
if your flow is slow moving, I think you should increase it with a PH (with foam cover) or two...

FWIW, I have two BTAs that live inches from one of my MP10s and haven't moved in over a year...

 

[cateyes]

Honestly with proper lighting, there's no need to actually feed the btas. They photosynthesize enough food. Plus they will snag food here and there from the water column regardless of you not "target" feeding them.

that's kinda what my thoughts were but i thought a weekly feeding wouldn't hurt... on the other hand it hasn't helped...

i'm thinking they either need more flow or different lighting....

 

[cateyes]

stop soaking their food in garlic guard.....that is for stimulating the appetite of fish and has no value to your nems. I wonder if it is having a negative affect on them?...

what are your "actual" parameters

I agree with ssick92, they do not look well and the splitting is likely a sign of stress.
nems LIKE flow, just not tons of it directly at them. (except for my two weirdo nems, lol)
if your flow is slow moving, I think you should increase it with a PH (with foam cover) or two...

FWIW, I have two BTAs that live inches from one of my MP10s and haven't moved in over a year...

i'll stop the garlic guard, i just figured if it was good for the fish it would be good for them also...

as soon as my husband gets home i'll post prams... he took the water sample to the fish store to get it checked and get the "401" (?) ....
i agree they either split because they are happy or because they are stressed... they dont look happy to me...

 

[sparky45]

My rbta's started to change from my t5 to my current led. I've had my Rbta for almost a year and it has split twice. It hasn't split for 5 months now but it looks stringy. I was thinking it was the LED that made them loose there bubbles.

 

[synofreak]

Something is wrong with the water... or too much LED too quick. I just switched to LED in 1 tank, but sold all my BTA's. Cant confirm lighting with them as I never tried...but all my coral and Haddoni are fine. Thats not a flow issue. I've had them thrive in low and very high flow.

Bubble is one thing to lose, not an issue, but looking like that is not good. I've owned over 50 all from 1, and a few RBTA's....never looked like that. Ive seen them get thin when irritated, but never "crinkled". Something is wrong with the water IMO. Run some carbon.

 

[sjwitt]

cet98 ... I have 'crazy' RBTAs too. 4 of them have settled on "Nemmie Hill" next to my MP40 they LOVE being in the current. They are not directly in front of it but they are right to the side and are whipped around when the reef crest comes on. So I guess my four are in the "weirdo" category too.

cateyes ... try improving the circulation around them. Not directly on them but maybe a couple powerheads nearby glancing off the tank sides. I would stop the garlic and not feed for a week or so. Then start slow with small feeding only weekly. See if their appearance changes.

Have they always been under LEDs? Is that the only lighting you have? Do they plump up when the lights go out?

 

[cet98]

cet98 ... I have 'crazy' RBTAs too. 4 of them have settled on "Nemmie Hill" next to my MP40 they LOVE being in the current. They are not directly in front of it but they are right to the side and are whipped around when the reef crest comes on. So I guess my four are in the "weirdo" category too.

just below MP10...at most 2" away :lmao:

 

[sjwitt]

Very Nice!

 

[cateyes]

Something is wrong with the water... or too much LED too quick. I just switched to LED in 1 tank, but sold all my BTA's. Cant confirm lighting with them as I never tried...but all my coral and Haddoni are fine. Thats not a flow issue. I've had them thrive in low and very high flow.

Bubble is one thing to lose, not an issue, but looking like that is not good. I've owned over 50 all from 1, and a few RBTA's....never looked like that. Ive seen them get thin when irritated, but never "crinkled". Something is wrong with the water IMO. Run some carbon.

They've always been under LED's .... I started running carbon a week ago....
They still look the same.....

 

[cateyes]

cet98 ... I have 'crazy' RBTAs too. 4 of them have settled on "Nemmie Hill" next to my MP40 they LOVE being in the current. They are not directly in front of it but they are right to the side and are whipped around when the reef crest comes on. So I guess my four are in the "weirdo" category too.

cateyes ... try improving the circulation around them. Not directly on them but maybe a couple powerheads nearby glancing off the tank sides. I would stop the garlic and not feed for a week or so. Then start slow with small feeding only weekly. See if their appearance changes.

Have they always been under LEDs? Is that the only lighting you have? Do they plump up when the lights go out?

Yes always unde LED's..... When lights are out they might plump up a bit, but are still stringy.....

 

[cateyes]

stop soaking their food in garlic guard.....that is for stimulating the appetite of fish and has no value to your nems. I wonder if it is having a negative affect on them?...

what are your "actual" parameters

I agree with ssick92, they do not look well and the splitting is likely a sign of stress.
nems LIKE flow, just not tons of it directly at them. (except for my two weirdo nems, lol)
if your flow is slow moving, I think you should increase it with a PH (with foam cover) or two...

FWIW, I have two BTAs that live inches from one of my MP10s and haven't moved in over a year...

I'm goin o throw a powerhead in there and see hat happens.... Thanks,,, liss

 

[taylor t]

Something is wrong with the water... QUOTE]

My guess is this too. ^^


What is your salinity? What do you use to check it? What are all your other parameters? With numbers? I've seen this before in a store, and I'm guessing it was because of the water quality, even though I was told it wasn't.

Got a friend you could give one to, and see if one gets better? Different water system to try?