Gbta color loss

Jenny_rs · Sep 10, 2018

Hello all, so little back story before we start. Tank was set up Oct 2015. Ran strong in a 5g for 1.5 years until I upgraded to a 7g cube, then recently upgraded to an evo 13.5. Recent tests show everything in normal ranges (nh3 and no2 0ppm, no3 +/- 10ppm, ph 8.1, calcium 480, sg 1.026, temp 78.3f) I don't have test kits for magnesium yet but I plan to invest in one soon. My light is an ai prime hd. I added a new nem a few weeks ago (green bta) and she's been doing well until today I noticed she's lost some of her green color. I fed her some reef roids last week which she didn't seem to care for. I also dimmed the lights so give her a chance to adjust. I want to make sure she doesn't lose any more color, does anyone know what the best light setting for anemones are and if I really need to feed? There are no clowns in the tank as I had previous difficulties keeping them alive and am in the middle of my 72 day fishless break.

Amoo · Sep 11, 2018

Can you post your current setting please as well as the actual distance of the nem below the light?

Jenny_rs · Sep 11, 2018

Distance between nem and light is two feet and current setting is sunrise at 2pm with a two hour ramp time and sunset is at 10pm. Most percents of the colors are around 30-40% and I have 4 storms set through the day at 50% probability to give the corals a break.

Amoo · Sep 11, 2018

Is that Cool White or Blue as your highest value?

You might consider trying something like

Both UV and both Blue at 30% Peak
Cool White at 10%-15% Peak
I'd personally run my red/green somewhere at or just below my CW.

2 feet is super close

Jenny_rs · Sep 11, 2018

This is how the setup looks with the lights at peak, that is the blue. Cw is more around 25%

Amoo · Sep 11, 2018

Yeah I can see the BTA is face down in the sand in that picture. I would definitely try the settings I recommended and see if you can get him to color back up.

If the tank looks too blue to your eyes, drop the blues and purples down 5% or so.

Amoo · Sep 11, 2018

forgot to mention there is a sticky about feeding at the top of this forum

Jenny_rs · Sep 11, 2018

That was going to be my next read lol. I will try that starting today and see how it goes, thanks

Jenny_rs · Sep 12, 2018

So I changed my settings and after a few days I came home to this... trying really hard not to freak out here... pretty sure that's zooanthellae I see

Amoo · Sep 12, 2018

It's really hard to see in that picture but does it look like it had a fight with a powerhead?

what changes have you made other then the lights? food etc?

Jenny_rs · Sep 12, 2018

Only the lights. Same schedule, exactly how you suggested. I saw its zooanthellae exposed, I'll try another picture

Jenny_rs · Sep 12, 2018

I think this is a better view

Amoo · Sep 12, 2018

is that coming out of the mouth or the foot or somewhere on the side of the base of the foot.

That is typically what you see when you have a torn foot from what I can see in the picture.

Jenny_rs · Sep 12, 2018

Honestly its hard to tell from where she is, she picked a spot where she could hide her foot inside the rock, I'm pretty sure that's out of her mouth

Amoo · Sep 12, 2018

So you're totally going to hate me for this, but do you have any conceivable way to get that rock out of the tank?

When Nems expell their zoos it's almost like stringy poop and colored. What I'm seeing in this picture looks more like tissue.

Do you have anything like a 5g bucket you could put that rock in, a spare qt tank, something?

If it's trying to die on you, you're going to need to be able to pull it out anyways so it doesn't nuke your whole tank, which is tiny to begin with.

We really need to get some better eyes on that and figure out where it is coming from.

If it is indeed the mouth, I'm afraid not much can be done at this point. Your best bet would be to isolate it and see if it is willing to recover, possibly looking at a cipro treatment if it will even make it. If it's the foot or the side, there is a chance it can heal.

Any chance you have one of those cold cubes still laying around? The cube, some fresh salt water a small heater?

Jenny_rs · Sep 12, 2018

I have a pico 3g a small heater but no pump for it so I'd have to do manual water changes. It looks like the amount that is exposed has reduced in size after reducing the lights down to 15% so I'm going to keep an extremely close eye on her and get the pico set up in the mean time that way I'm ready. Ugh i pray she doesn't die on me

Amoo · Sep 12, 2018

Are you able to run another battery of tests? It's a small tank and maybe something changed drastically from your last batch.

IIRC you don't have a phosphate test, but possibly check Salinity (obvious reasons), Ammonia (crab or some snail died in a corner), Nitrates (same as ammonia)

definitely keep a close eye on it.

Jenny_rs · Sep 12, 2018

Ammonia and nitrite 0ppm, nitrate 10 ppm, sg is 1.027 and ph is 8.1. I have 2 crabs and 2 nassarius snails and one margarita snail everyone is accounted for so far