Think anemone might be dead. HELP!!

Jesterman22

New member
Hi I just turned on my tank light and my BTA was sitting in the sand. So I picked it up and put it back on the rock and it would not attach itself. Then after about 10 minutes the current just blew it into the sand again. My other anemone is doing great on the rock. What do you guys think I should do just leave it in the sand. Could it be dead?
 

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ok so I think this BTA is messing with me now. I just went to move it into a hole and it is not attached to a empty snail shell. should I leave it or still move it?
 
What size tank? what lights? what are your water parameters? how long has the tank been setup and how long have you had the RBTA? Has anything else changed recently? bioload, bulbs, feedings, salinity or chemistry swings?

Those questions should get us going to help some more.
 
24g compact lights
tank has been set up for over a year
have had the BTA for 10 months now it split about 5 months ago
not sure on the water parameters i can check tomorrow. nothing else has changed it has been in the same spot for the whole time i have had it. I put it back on a rock but it is just laying on its side attached to a snail shell. Everyting else in the tank is doing fine. I am getting ready to swich everyting into a 28g in the next few days. I just checked the salt and it was at 1.025.do you think it could be ready to die?
 
i suggest to move the anemone where you want it and then shut the powerheads off for 30 min to an hour and allow the anemone to grab hold. Also keep in mind, every time you move it you stress it out.
 
ok so the BTA is sitting in a crack in the rock and its tenticles are moving very little. My water levels are
Nitrate is 0
Nitrite is .1
Ammonia Is between 0.25 and 0.5
Salt is at 1.025
I just did a 2 1/2 gallon water change and will check the levels later tonight to see if the ammonia is better.
 
ok so the BTA is sitting in a crack in the rock and its tenticles are moving very little. My water levels are
Nitrate is 0
Nitrite is .1
Ammonia Is between 0.25 and 0.5
Salt is at 1.025
I just did a 2 1/2 gallon water change and will check the levels later tonight to see if the ammonia is better.

you should have no ammonia at all. 0 period. along with the pc lighting = not the best.

how long have you had it?
 
I am going to test my tank again in just a little bit to see what it is at. I got the BTA last june, an it has doing great except for the past day. I am waiting for a part for my 28g JBJ HQI so then it will have much better lighting.
 
if it has only been one day then you may have nothing to worry about sometimes they expell all the old water and fill back up, could make them look deflated
 
when i got mine from a buddy he said that his almost never bubbles, and mine doesnt either. So I really cant say if it the water temps or something in the water, or just the particular species.
 
I know mine likes to bubble very little after it eats and after i do a major water change and clean the tank.But no big bubbling like i have seen on some.
 
there are many threads on this. no one knows why it bubbles or doesn't and can't be predicted. i had a nem half bubble half not. its a question that can't be answered.
 
yea they will fowl your water parms upbig timewe had one die and couldn't get toit in the tank and it did a number on my water prams
 
Let's try to help him instead of telling the obvious - if it dies take it out.

First off, you said it had split. BTA's seem to split for 2 reasons: They have extra energy and are super happy, or the opposite, they are really stressed and it's a survival mechanism. Given your small tank (likely with fluctuating parameters), ammonia present, and less-than-ideal lights, I'd say it's survival mechanism. BTA's really shouldn't just detach from rocks and spend days floating around. When happy, they'll move a little bit, but usually not much. Letting go an floating is a sign that it's not happy. Not attaching is a sign that it's not finding a place it likes. It is entirely possible to keep BTA's alive and healthy in a small tank with PC's, but your other parameters need to be spot on, fresh bulbs (when did you change them last), the nem should be close to the surface. Even then, PC's usually don't seem to give the nem enough light. It seems BTA's are able to keep an anemone alive, but not thrive.

During your upgrade, what lights are you going to have? I'm assuming you're moving your rocks and sand too, right? If you are, be prepared for another cycle and make sure you monitor it so you can do water changes as necessary to you don't kill your inhabitants with the ammonia spike.
 
It will be the JBJ 28g HQI. So the lighting should be a lot better. I have never change the bulbs yet. Yes I will be moving the rocks and sand and the water. Does a new tank usually cycle when you move all of your old stuff into the tank?
 
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