Normal BTA behavior?

Kieko250 · Mar 2, 2020

Hi just got my first bulb tip anemone on Thursday. It opened up when added to my tank but last night it closed and this morning started looking like this. Is this normal? Tested my water with API test kit.
Phosphate is 1.0
Nitrate is about 5ppm
Ammonia is 0-.25
pH 8.4
Nitrite 0
KH is 10
Calcium is about 400-420
Reefer 250 with 1 yellow tang and 2 clowns
thanks for the help.

AcroNem · Mar 2, 2020

Normally, yes, a new anemone will be a bit stressed for a while. I will say if your phosphate is 1.0ppm to try to get that down, but other than that I would just watch your nem and see if it inflates again soon. If it starts looking "slimy" or like it has something on it in or around the mouth then we'll worry about an infection.

Kieko250 · Mar 2, 2020

Will my cyano problem have anything to do with it?

Waterislife · Mar 2, 2020

Imo it is dying, bta like established tanks, I couldn't keep one forever until my tank got to a certain maturity level and now I keep two mother colonies

Cell · Mar 2, 2020

Doesnt look great in the pic, looks like its mouth is gaping, but give it some time and see which way it goes.

Waterislife · Mar 2, 2020

Cell said:
Doesnt look great in the pic, looks like its mouth is gaping, but give it some time and see which way it goes.

At this point you don't have a lot of choice unless you have a different tank it could be moved to but generally once the mouth is gaping like that is a very bad sign

User1 · Mar 2, 2020

If you can try to take a few pictures, clearer ones, or one that you can enlarge so we can see it better may help. They do like established tanks. It could also be due to lighting differences between the two systems. Not sure if this was via LFS or mail order, but that also comes into play. I think if possible it would be more helpful to us if you can provide a couple more photos focused on the nem.

Hang in there and best of luck. Let us see what we can try and do here.

Kieko250 · Mar 2, 2020

Purchased from AquaSD with a ultra maxi mini carpet. The mouth looks closed now after I turned on the white light to take pics. What color lights should I set to? I have 2 AI Primes. My tank is about 11 months old. Is it possible that it’s senses my yellow tang?

Kieko250 · Mar 2, 2020

Cell · Mar 2, 2020

Looks better in those pics. Just give it time and leave him be.

User1 · Mar 2, 2020

Thank you for the updated pictures. It does look a lot better and also agree, let it be. So wait and watch sort of thing. Regarding the lights can you sort of remember what it was under (type of lighting) and compare to your units?

Kieko250 · Mar 2, 2020

It was mail ordered. Not sure what lights it was originally under.

old salt reefer · Mar 2, 2020

I set my AI primes to 0% red and green, 20% cool white and 100% on the blues, UV and violet. It ramps up for 2 hours to this setting and ramps down for 2 hours with it being on for 11 hours total. Tank is 12 inches deep, prime 8 inches above top of tank(9 inches above water).
BTA is looking a lot better, try feeding him a small amount of "meaty" food. See if it eats?