Bleaching anemone

1MCp · Dec 16, 2016

Hi all,

My tank is a 30g reef tank. This pair of anemone has been with me for the past 2-3 months. My tank has been running for 6 months.

These past few days I noticed one of my bta starting to whiten from the center. But it's eating well about 2-3 times a week every other week. It's bigger than ever and opens up more but the mouth is closed.

In my short experience I think it behaves healthy but looks a bit white.

I am waiting to get a test kit tomorrow but my last test was 3 weeks back ammonia 0 nitrate nitrite 0 Ph 8.2 cal 420 alk 9

I have 3 x T5 lights.

Been feeding it raw shrimp from my local grocery store the small ones.

Any ideas on if this is an illness or should I just watch it for a couple days?

Thank you for any input!

Tahoe61 · Dec 16, 2016

How long are your lights on?

1MCp · Dec 16, 2016

I have low lights from 8am to 10am then full lights up from 10am to 4pm and then low lights again from 4pm to 6pm then off

1MCp · Dec 16, 2016

Tahoe61 said:
How long are your lights on?

Also the other one doesn't seem to be white like this at all I got them from the same tank at the same time.

The one that is whitening though, I did catch it gulping down what looked like a Hermit Crab. Not sure if it was a live one that fell in or something but I was too late to try and grab it.

It just swallowed everything whole even the shell. I have yet to see sign of that specific she'll around the anemone.

Tahoe61 · Dec 16, 2016

Try dropping down to 8 hours instead of 10, what is the specific fixture and bulb type?
You do not need to feed BTA that often unless you want to end up with dinner plate size multiple BTAs.

1MCp · Dec 16, 2016

Tahoe61 said:
Try dropping down to 8 hours instead of 10, what is the specific fixture and bulb type?
You do not need to feed BTA that often unless you want to end up with dinner plate size multiple BTAs.

I was hoping to propagate them! I also don't really know what the light is specifically. Got it from friend he said they were T5's and they should be okay for nems as he used them for his tank with nems in it.

mcarroll · Dec 17, 2016

I doubt three T5 bulbs are over-lighting a 30 gallon tank....but that doesn't excuse them from suspicion!

@1MCp is your tank really 30x12x16H" wide (I saw in another thead), or is it 36"? If it's really 30" wide, that makes it a 25 gallon tank. 36" would make it a standard 30 Long. Just checkin!

If the anemone doesn't have a resident clown (maybe even if he does)...

...and nitrates and phosphate levels are low
...AND light levels are low
...he could be having a stress problem due to light levels dropping too far too fast when he was added to the tank.

How bright was the tank where these anemones came from compared to your tank? (Any chance of getting some lux or PAR readings of both tanks now?)

Was it also T5 light back then? Or was it something different like halide or LED?

How about the water flow then vs now?

Nutrients compared to now?

I'm imagining that since it's a new tank that it's pretty clean....not ideal conditions for a stressing cnidarian.

But I could be wrong....just a hunch.

1MCp · Dec 17, 2016

mcarroll said:
I doubt three T5 bulbs are over-lighting a 30 gallon tank....but that doesn't excuse them from suspicion!

@1MCp is your tank really 30x12x16H" wide (I saw in another thead), or is it 36"? If it's really 30" wide, that makes it a 25 gallon tank. 36" would make it a standard 30 Long. Just checkin!

If the anemone doesn't have a resident clown (maybe even if he does)...

...and nitrates and phosphate levels are low
...AND light levels are low
...he could be having a stress problem due to light levels dropping too far too fast when he was added to the tank.

How bright was the tank where these anemones came from compared to your tank? (Any chance of getting some lux or PAR readings of both tanks now?)

Was it also T5 light back then? Or was it something different like halide or LED?

How about the water flow then vs now?

Nutrients compared to now?

I'm imagining that since it's a new tank that it's pretty clean....not ideal conditions for a stressing cnidarian. But I could be wrong....just a hunch.

Thanks for a detailed feedback. To sum up everything that you've mentioned, it is being hosted.

Also I was told this was a 30g tank but I measured with my ruler and that's the measurement I got. I'm guessing the seller was not aware like me or is a scammer, but it's been too long for me to do anything about it.

In any case the tank the nem came from had much brighter LED lights. I'm not sure exactly how bright but it was for a 120g tank.

As for food, the owner told me he fed once a week maybe with some chunks of shrimp, so I've been feeding it about 4 times more than before. But I slowly upped the food amount by one serving per week basis.

I am going to try reducing the feeding to maybe just once a week and twice biweekly. Again cutting the food down slowly, one serving less per week.

I will also trying to cut the light hours from ten to eight. See if any of the colour comes back. I will be having a proper test kit starting this Tuesday.

Thank you!