Bta shriveling up. Help!

[GSnake]

What's the secret to keeping btas? Should I try keeping it in a basket to start.

I bought a bta recently from another reefer. It did look ok and was about the size of my palm 4-5inches with tentacles extended, speckled, no damage, and in a basket.

Today almost two weeks later it is at the bottom corner of my tank...upside down and shriveled up. He doesn't like frozen scallops so I tried freeze dried brine shrimp today. I did get a tentacle response and he held onto it for a while but didn't eat it .

For the first week he was behind a rock till I moved him to the front this week. He was just getting no light back there ( didn't want to take chances). After detaching himself from the rock I put him on this week. I made a depression in the sand and put him there in the corner. It's a lower flow area...

I'll attach a pic of when I put him in. And one that shows now.
Can Any bta experts chime in ?

Tank params at 0 nitrate phos. pH 8.2. alk 10. Calcium over 520. ( Had lower end of alk recently 8). Using hob, chaeto mini fuge, and air driven skimmer for filters. Rodi water and vibrant sea. Sg at 1.025 using swing arm hydrometer and 1.030 with floating type.

 

[davocean]

well, just a guess but my first thought is are your lights much stronger than what it was under before purchase?

Also it should be on rock, not in sand, and you can't really force it to be where you want, could even tear foot doing that.

I usually let a nem settle before feeding, it actually can stress it.

Actinic shots like what you just posted are too washed out to really see anything, daylight pics are better, guessing the other shots are no light but w/ flash?

 

[Diesel]

First off what test kits you using?
Sendly, your nutrients are to low for a newly nem.
Thirdly, lower end alk at 8 (most reefers are in that range)
How long did it take you to raise it 10?
Cal is in the very high end.
How long you have this tank setup.

 

[GSnake]

dav,
No I dont think the lights are radically stronger than his, they are different brand though.. they are about 250 par at 6 inches from top. i set it up according to a bulk RS video. Yes I am going to give it a rock it can attach to... for options right? I was thinking it would attach to glass bottom. Ya I hear you about the stress and feeding. I have also read that if its in this state you should try to feed it, to save it. it should be eating something apparently, or be able to. I'm sort of on the fence on this one myself.

Actinic shots like what you just posted are too washed out to really see anything, daylight pics are better, guessing the other shots are no light but w/ flash?

it was a flash + actinic.

 

[GSnake]

heya diesel,
im using API test kits, so is my LFS, who confirmed my test results. - . additionally I have salifert for mg. Yes I have been feeding more heavily lately, recommended by an employee at the store too, or maybe my skimmer is too good ... ill test again later this week. i raised it by putting it in my refugium chaeto area , 1~ dkh equivilant cup of mixed alk poured over a few hours. did this twice during the day, and once during the next day to reach 10.

Cal is in the very high end.

Yes! I do not know how this happens again to me. it went very high last time before I did large water change too. alk usually stays in check .. which is the puzzling part to me. maybe just no skeletal growth?
I have been running this tank since january.

 

[Dancingmad]

+ 1 to refrain from feeding
+ 1 to letting to move and find it's spot. Don't attempt to move it. BTAs will wander. They'll release too and inflate the tops to act like Mary Poppins umbrella, hoping the current takes them to a more favorable locale.

Nem proof your pumps and any overflows till it finds its spot so you don't end up with your new buddy taking a sump ride or getting puree'd.

Always recommend a lighting acclimation - they're photosynthetic. Many people wont hesitate to do a week or two week long light acclimation on some $30-$50 frags the size of thumb nails-- Why not give your nem buddy the same courtesy?

Not prepared to comment on nitrate levels - mostly because I live dangerously and rarely test but when I do its between 30-60 (hides from judgement!).

 

[GSnake]

+ 1 to refrain from feeding
+ 1 to letting to move and find it's spot. Don't attempt to move it. BTAs will wander. They'll release too and inflate the tops to act like Mary Poppins umbrella, hoping the current takes them to a more favorable locale.

Nem proof your pumps and any overflows till it finds its spot so you don't end up with your new buddy taking a sump ride or getting puree'd.

Always recommend a lighting acclimation - they're photosynthetic. Many people wont hesitate to do a week or two week long light acclimation on some $30-$50 frags the size of thumb nails-- Why not give your nem buddy the same courtesy?

Not prepared to comment on nitrate levels - mostly because I live dangerously and rarely test but when I do its between 30-60 (hides from judgement!).

O yes the umbrella. I was watching him closely the first day or so.. I just knew he would move. I put him on a rock, relatively mod/high flow area. and watched him right in front of me float up towards the powerhead. I just saw it coming so I quickly saved him from certain demise. don't want something like that to happen again . ;Dead

those are high nitrates! .. well whatever is working right? I run purigen, so my nitrates are likely to stay very low. maybe ill try without it for a week or two .. I am assuming your reef is established and looking good, but lots of people say to keep nitrates on the low side, generally speaking.

 

[AngryOwl]

I have no advice about your nem... but one piece I can give you is please buy a refractometer... the fact you're using 2 different tools and they're at totally different levels is not good. I used a hydrometer with swing arm and it read 1.026... bought a refractometer and it was actually 1.020... huge difference, good luck with your nem!

 

[GSnake]

I have no advice about your nem... but one piece I can give you is please buy a refractometer... the fact you're using 2 different tools and they're at totally different levels is not good. I used a hydrometer with swing arm and it read 1.026... bought a refractometer and it was actually 1.020... huge difference, good luck with your nem!

advice well taken.. i was looking into it earlier today too. might explain why i have like 600+ cal ! while its in the mail.. im going to go and ask lfs tomorrow if they can check SG for me ~~

 

[Dancingmad]

those are high nitrates! .. well whatever is working right? I run purigen, so my nitrates are likely to stay very low. maybe ill try without it for a week or two .. I am assuming your reef is established and looking good, but lots of people say to keep nitrates on the low side, generally speaking.

My main DT is about 10 years old. It's been upgraded 3 times since its conception. I move at a glacial speed w/ anything I do nowadays and I don't knock testing at all - especially for new folks to the hobby. Test, learn, tinker, DIY when you can (if so inclined). Set goals, do tons of research and move sloooowly. Nothing good in this hobby happens overnight.

 

[davocean]

dav,
No I dont think the lights are radically stronger than his, they are different brand though.. they are about 250 par at 6 inches from top. i set it up according to a bulk RS video. Yes I am going to give it a rock it can attach to... for options right? I was thinking it would attach to glass bottom. Ya I hear you about the stress and feeding. I have also read that if its in this state you should try to feed it, to save it. it should be eating something apparently, or be able to. I'm sort of on the fence on this one myself.
it was a flash + actinic.

Light is their main source of energy, they could not be spot fed at all and be fine.
Only when they are bleached do the require feeding, as the lack of zooxanthellae makes them not able to process light into energy.
Sometimes when they don't attach well it's due to damage at foot, just a possibility.

 

[GSnake]

Im doing a water change today . And bought a refractometer as well. I think my swing arm is bogus so I'm going off my floating hydrometer for now. Adjusting from 1.030 to 1.025 ish today. Rodi is still dripping in my bucket. Just patiently waiting for now. Nem didn't improve overnight but I'm hoping he might this night. Also I sort of cornerned him with a rock cause he keeps flipping upside down.
The sandbed pic is current.

 

[GSnake]

That's the end of the bta... But I did buy a new refractometer. I might try again in a few months. It just has seemed like one problem after another. Especially for one new to the hobby.

 

[AngryOwl]

That's the end of the bta... But I did buy a new refractometer. I might try again in a few months. It just has seemed like one problem after another. Especially for one new to the hobby.

Did you use the refractometer yet? I'm curious what it reads. Make sure you calibrate it with the solution it comes with! Sorry about your bta!

 

[GSnake]

Did you use the refractometer yet? I'm curious what it reads. Make sure you calibrate it with the solution it comes with! Sorry about your bta!

Hello. My refractometer shows for 1.028. .. I'm still apparently over my reef target. Just to recap , the floating hydrometer currently shows 1.0245.and the swing arm currently shows 1.0205. It seems like a large difference, approx .01 between the swing arm and what I had last week to what it should be. Maybe that's why the bta didn't do well?

 

[AngryOwl]

Hello. My refractometer shows for 1.028. .. I'm still apparently over my reef target. Just to recap , the floating hydrometer currently shows 1.0245.and the swing arm currently shows 1.0205. It seems like a large difference, approx .01 between the swing arm and what I had last week to what it should be. Maybe that's why the bta didn't do well?

Yea those other tools are all over the place. I can't say it's why the BTA didn't do well but its very possible... You said you adjusted from 1.030 to 1.025 in an earlier post.... so if we adjust your current refractometer reading... that means you were really at 1.031/32 which is pretty dang high. My advice is this... assuming you have an auto top off system... take a plastic cup (or whatever cup you want) and each day take out 1-2 cups of water from your tank and let the ATO fill it back with freshwater. Measure the salinity and do this for however many days it takes to get down to 1.025.