RBTA keeps detaching

[FiveGallonSea]

Hey everyone. I purchased a RBTA about 3 weeks ago. Put it in my tank and everything was great for the first week. Chose a front and center spot and opened up enormously. From one moment to the next it now keeps detaching from the rock and floating around the tank periodically attaching itself in random locations. I have to keep placing it somewhere at night, turning off the powerhead, and the next morning it's attached.

This has been going on for a week and a half now. I have another anemone that is doing great. Hasn't moved since the day I bought it and actually recently just split! I believe it's a sunburst?

I should also add the RBTA is constantly swollen now too where before it would close up a little for the night.

Parameters- My nitrates have been at 20-30ppm with only a slight change after a water change. I've done it all, but it won't come down and I given up trying because all my coral and fish are happy. I even bought Nopox but I don't want to fix something that's technically not broken.

Salinity- 1.025 constant

Nitrites- 0

Phosphates- undetectable

Ph- 7.8-8

8/24 hour lighting schedule with 2 AI Prime HDs. (not run too high).

Red Sea Reefer 350 with GFO/carbon reactor and Reef Octopus 150INT skimmer. Also run a UV sterilizer.

Any thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[jsker]

What are you feeding?

 

[FiveGallonSea]

I've fed PE Mysis Pellets that it seemed to readily take, but other than that I haven't had much of a chance to feed it because it's been all over the place.

 

[cooltowncorals]

They do need to eat small meaty food be careful with anything large they can choke. The nem splitting means it’s either super healthy or super stressed. Are you holding your water parameters steady rbta will spit sometime if you give them an alk shock. Like your tank alk is 7.0 you water change it goes to 8.5 It could not like the flow it’s recieving as well.

Probably don’t have to worry about too much light with a couple of primes they are fine in low light but live in tons of tanks with high par. When they are moving they are typically not happy.

If you get it to sit at night try giving it some misis shrimp or something and maybe it will stop moving if it thinks there is food to be had in that location.

Run nopox (or similar) cut the GFO is my two cents get your nitrates to the 5-10 ppm way cheaper than GFO. Fish tolerate high nitrates well boat most invertabras don’t like it much above 10.

 

[Amoo]

I don't see nitrates as your problem, I would put my money on 0 phosphates. Hit up the chemistry forum and do a search for balancing nitrates and phosphates. Low PO4 is fine, 0 is not. I'd pull the GFO and let it go for a week and see if you can get detectable PO4

 

[CalebWBrink2000]

I had a similar problem- I chalked it up to a lack of suitable Realestate. The little dude just couldn't find a spot on the exposed rock in my nano that made him happy- the other three anemones found them first I suppose. I eventually had to turn him in, as he'd been moving every night for over two weeks (in comparison, my other nems settled down in the first night).

 

[KrisReef]

I've hung a basket with a rock in it at the top of my tank and waited for the nem to grab hold. I found the grab faster if there is a clown in the basket. Looks ugly, but it beats having them wander into trouble.