First Anemone! INSIDE OUT

[PaigesReef]

Hi there!

My tank is 7 months old and I just bought my first BTA! He seemed like his tummy was sticking up during drip system and putting him in tank but I had no clue what that meant. After research, I realize that he is either vomiting or turning inside out. Here are photos of him from first entry to the next morning.

Parameters: (with him in there for 24 hours)

Calcium - 500
Kh - 11
Phosphate - 1.0
Nitrate - 0
Ph -8.1
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Temp - 78.6

I’m so lost if he’s a goner or what I should have done differently. Hoping to do better next time!

I have a flowerpot, torch, 2 hammers, and a few mushrooms all thriving for months.

 

[Jekyl]

Zero nitrate and high phosphate are the glaring issues for me. Alk high for no nitrate also. 10, .03 and 8.5 are about where I keep mine.

 

[Lavey29]

Agree with the above. Your phosphate is way high and 0 nitrates means corals are starving. Alk alevated to along with calcium slightly. What is salinity?

 

[Ericksonmap]

Are you dosing? Alk is high so is calcium. On a tank that small your water changes should cover what those corals use?

 

[Oldreefer44]

First, I would verify that your test results are accurate. Test kits vary quite a bit so IMO, it is important to get a baseline from another source. Preferably from an ICP or a trustworthy LFS. I would give your BTA a couple of days as I have seen them recover from worse looking conditions.

 

[PaigesReef]

Agree with the above. Your phosphate is way high and 0 nitrates means corals are starving. Alk alevated to along with calcium slightly. What is salinity?

Salinity is 1.025. Thank you for the response! What is your recommendation on raising nitrate?

 

[PaigesReef]

Are you dosing? Alk is high so is calcium. On a tank that small your water changes should cover what those corals use?

I am not dosing. Water changes have been working so far. My corals are all alive and do just fine but do not grow much.

 

[Jekyl]

Salinity is 1.025. Thank you for the response! What is your recommendation on raising nitrate?

What are you using for export? Some chemipure elite will bring phosphate in check.

 

[PaigesReef]

First, I would verify that your test results are accurate. Test kits vary quite a bit so IMO, it is important to get a baseline from another source. Preferably from an ICP or a trustworthy LFS. I would give your BTA a couple of days as I have seen them recover from worse looking conditions.

thank you! I use the API test kits I bought from LFS. I brought in water sample along with rock and anemone back and they confirmed my water is good but my anemone was just unhealthy and doomed. Owner gave me another RBTA as a replacement and wished me luck.

 

[PaigesReef]

What are you using for export? Some chemipure elite will bring phosphate in check.

I’m not exactly sure what this means or how to answer this question. I’m pretty new to learning the systems and how to be self sufficient as the first 4 months I paid a guy to maintain the tank. I have a 13.5 evo and use the equipment it came with. I took the top off and have a custom lid and bought a nicer light. Filtration system is the one it came with.

 

[Lavey29]

Salinity is 1.025. Thank you for the response! What is your recommendation on raising nitrate?

Bag of chemipure elite for you phosphate. Feed more to bring nitrates up or dose neonitro which is easy to dose daily. That nem was probably in lower alk that's why he's closing up. Check your salt mix to see what alk it mixes at. I would put nem in low light and flow to prevent more shock until it gets used to the tank. It will move if it wants of course.

 

[PaigesReef]

LFS said my first anemone was in healthy and doomed. Here are photos of the replacement!

 

[Lavey29]

LFS said my first anemone was in healthy and doomed. Here are photos of the replacement!

Nems typically need a very stable established tank that's been up for a year or longer. Tanks less then a year still have parameters fluctuations at times which creates stressful environments for certain live stock.

 

[TokenReefer]

Stability is key I think

 

[Miniyork]

A healthy nem should come in heathy in your tank even with messed up parameters. If your tank is unstable the nem will decline over the next few days/weeks.

 

[exnisstech]

LFS said my first anemone was in healthy and doomed. Here are photos of the replacement!

That one is looking good. Hopefully it stays healthy.

 

[PaigesReef]

Nems typically need a very stable established tank that's been up for a year or longer. Tanks less then a year still have parameters fluctuations at times which creates stressful environments for certain live stock.

I have read this before and definitely agree. Even my LPS struggle sometimes. Half have not made it this far in my tank. It’s so hard to be patient for a year to add all the beautiful options!!

 

[Lavey29]

I have read this before and definitely agree. Even my LPS struggle sometimes. Half have not made it this far in my tank. It’s so hard to be patient for a year to add all the beautiful options!!

I took some of the same missteps. But I can honestly say after a year my tank seemed to go through an evolutionary phase and became much more stable and predictable resulting in virtually no casualties now at all.