Bubble tip nem problems

[mjw88]

Hi, I had 2 red bubble tip nems, they were one large one about 3 weeks ago. Anyways they were doing fine and seemed to have settled on a spot they each liked. A few days ago I found one closed up right under a rock and Today I woke up to one had suicided himself into my UV filter, water params have been the same and stable for awhile, just did a 30% water change 8 days ago. I run 2 protein skimmers, a fellow reefer I know in the family was thinking my water may actually lack the nutrients, he has a tank that’s been completely taken over by nems and hammer coral/frogspawn and said they prefer dirtier water. Just wondering if the one under the rock is still alive and how long they can potentially stay like that.

 

[Sharkbait19]

The one under the rocks seems like it could be saved. Have you been broadcast feeding the tank at all? I’ve found that nems do often benefit from certain foods such as reef roids.

How is the flow? The flow should be directed towards the nems, though not completely blasting the tentacles. Mine died by not having enough flow, which ultimately led to it not getting any nutrients or other essential elements.

Lastly, what might you water change process be? Even a subtle yet sudden change in salinity can cause detrimental effects to an anemone’s health.

 

[DJF]

can you post your water parameters?

 

[mjw88]

Nh3 0
Phosphates .015
Nitrates .8 ppm
Calcium 400ppm
Alk 175ppm

 

[DJF]

agree that phos and nitrates are a touch low- alk results look suspect. Target alk is between 7-10. If your alk is truly 175 then that is an issue (edit: 175ppm explained as 9.7dkh) How old is the tank? (Nems like a mature tank)

edit: maybe shut down one of the skimmers to raise nutrient levels

 

[tinyfellows]

agree that phos and nitrates are a touch low- alk results look suspect. Target alk is between 7-10. If your alk is truly 175 then that is an issue. How old is the tank? (Nems like a mature tank)

edit: maybe shut down one of the skimmers to raise nutrient levels

Their test kit is in ppm which converts to about 9.7 dkh

 

[DJF]

Their test kit is in ppm which converts to about 9.7 dkh

Got it- thanks for the clarification

 

[mjw88]

Tank is 18 months old, this is a pic from 5 months ago, when it was just 1 large nem, then he split about a month ago and both are in peril

 

[DJF]

Splitting was likely the first sign of stress so maybe think back to then for any changes. Fwiw I recently had nems retract similarly and ended up finally deducing that it was likely lighting or something in the water I removed. Process of elimination were water params (including ammonia)- started running carbon to remove any funk they were dealing with and emitting and then by monitoring I noticed they would start as more open and closed up during the day. The answer to your orig question is they can live retracted for a bit but it is a tell and your right to start sleuthing. I recommend carbon if you aren’t already.

 

[mjw88]

I’m running carbon, they seemed perfectly content up to that point. Even after the split I bet they sat for weeks side by side open about 8-10 hours a day

 

[mjw88]

I’m just curious, is a split always from bad conditions or stress? Cause he was the size of a dinner plate and always swollen with a ton of big plump tentacles then split into 2 hand sized.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I’m just curious, is a split always from bad conditions or stress? Cause he was the size of a dinner plate and always swollen with a ton of big plump tentacles then split into 2 hand sized.

Splitting doesn't mean bad or stressed.

 

[DJF]

I wouldn’t say always but it is a survival mode thing. A split followed by retracting would be suspect. I have a few different types of nems and my chi sunburst is large and has (unfortunately) never split. I know a reefer that does lg water changes to coerce a split. Often when first introduced to a tank they split too

 

[DJF]

Last bit of advice I have is consider Cipro for the nem. I have dosed it in a reef tank with success but if you can dip outside the tank that would be ideal.

 

[karamreef117]

Have you changed lighting at all? if not what is the lighting right now? Also how powerful is the current in the tank. How big of a tank. If water parameters was the thing it would of killed it by now. if its still alive and stressed its something else.

I hope this helps!

 

[mjw88]

Have you changed lighting at all? if not what is the lighting right now? Also how powerful is the current in the tank. How big of a tank. If water parameters was the thing it would of killed it by now. if its still alive and stressed its something else.

I hope this helps!

I have a relatively high flow and as far as lighting I’m not sure what the power is on the lights, it was a bar light that attached to the tank lid, it’s a 50g aio bio cube by aqua scape, the filtration I run is 4 cartridges with x2 ceramic media x 1 sponge, x1 carbon I change out monthly, my refug has Chato and live rock, and a few bristle worms, (I had a bunch of copa pods but they’ve kind of disappeared) I also have 2 protein skimmers and a UV filter. The overflow to the refugi has a coarse sponge for solids o shanked out and now use a coarse green pad with phosphate remover built in My water looks and usually test pretty pristine.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Nitrates at 0 could be starving your nems , I know mine like it Atleast 10-20ppm , I also feed biweekly

 

[aggrofish]

Why are you running 2 skimmers? Your tank looks very lightly stocked. Agree with increasing PO4/NO3. I've had bubble tips literally melt away after splitting with sub par lighting. I've also had nems go to the top of every tank I've had them in for more light.

My current inferno does better in higher nutrients vs lower. PO4 has been as high as .21 and NO3 at 25

 

[mindme]

Yours in the "good" pic looks like it's malnourished or something. Has it always looked like that? I think something was already going on, because I'd be in a panic if my RBTA looked like that tomorrow(not trying to hurt feelings, sorry if I did, just trying to be honest for information purposes).

I can't say for sure what, but I think some dirtier water might help. I'll be happy to tell you all the ways I neglect my anemone tank while watching them thrive.

 

[mindme]

Just to give an example of what I think they should look like:

This is what mine looked like when I bought it, and this is what a healthy anemone looks like IMO. This was the first day I had it, before it settled in on a rock in the middle of the tank.

I didn't feel like cleaning the glass, so here is a top down view of the same anemone(and it's splits), today, 2 years and 4 months later:

I haven't done a water change in 6 months, I don't dose anything. They eat the pellets the clownfish don't catch as their only source of food(which is a decent amount). No idea what the parameters are, I haven't done a test on it in 2 years aside from salinity.

The only filter I run is a single HOB skimmer, no carbon or other filters. As you can see, I just let the algae grow all over and I'll remove it about once a month to export nutrients. It's about 2 weeks into growing right now.