Sick anemone

[nickp9054]

I have a rbta that I got some time in early February. Was doing great until about two weeks ago it shut completely. Just opened up again yesterday but some of the tentacles seem to have turned black. They look necrotic. Anyone know what’s going on?

 

[WIReefer]

How old is your tank? Have you had any drastic parameters swings?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Wouldn’t say sick but unhappy
Things that will cause this:
Too much water flow
Inadequate lighting
High nitrates
High phosphate
Getting battered by clowns
Starvation (feed 2x per week)
High salinity

 

[CanuckReefer]

@OrionN ....

 

[Fish Think Pink]

I have a rbta that I got some time in early February. Was doing great until about two weeks ago it shut completely. Just opened up again yesterday but some of the tentacles seem to have turned black. They look necrotic. Anyone know what’s going on?

sending positive healing thoughts your way. Keep us posted.

deferring to others as never had this happen

 

[OrionN]

I agree that the BTA there is stressed, but not infected. concentrate on provide good water and adequate light, with not a lot of current. The anemone is darker becaseu it is shrinking. More zoos in a smaller volume, thus much darker.

 

[lpsouth1978]

We need more info about your system to really help. Anything you can tell us especially - age, size, inhabitants, lighting, and water params (temp, SG, pH, cal, alk, mag, Phos, Nitrate).

Judging by the rocks having some green film algae and NO coralline, I would say the tank is too young for a nem. It is likely still not stable, with params swinging a lot. It is not impossible to be successful with a nem in a young system, but it requires more work and planning, and is not advised, especially for newer reefers.

BTA's do not tolerate Nitrates well and require HIGH lighting and PAR, so good lights are a must.

 

[nickp9054]

Everything parameter wise is normal except nitrates and phosphate. Nitrates 25 ppm and phos .5. I am gonna get some GFO for that. Tank 6 months old. Have a pair of saddleback clowns but they haven’t seemed to touch the BTA. I check salinity and it was very high,1.028 but I fixed. May have been that? It’s under high flow maybe I should try redirecting my pumps a bit.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Everything parameter wise is normal except nitrates and phosphate. Nitrates 25 ppm and phos .5. I am gonna get some GFO for that. Tank 6 months old. Have a pair of saddleback clowns but they haven’t seemed to touch the BTA. I check salinity and it was very high,1.028 but I fixed. May have been that? It’s under high flow maybe I should try redirecting my pumps a bit.

what are you using to check your phosphate? That seems really high.

here is a post to https://www.hannainst.com/hubfs/006...phate-conversion-table--hanna-instruments.pdf

Hanna Instruments Hl736 ULR Phosphorus Checker parts-per-billion (ppb)
Conversion to parts-per-million (ppm) Phosphate
Multiply ppb phosphorus by 3.066 then divide by 1000 to equal ppm phosphate

Phosphate Rx | Melev's Reef

"It doesn't get easier than this! I've been using Phosphate Rx for the past decade for PO4 control, exclusively." - melev

www.melevsreef.com

 

[nickp9054]

I’m using salifert phosphate test kit

 

[nickp9054]

I heard they were a good brand for test kits. Calc and mag test kits I got from them the rest are Red Sea

 

[Fish Think Pink]

I heard they were a good brand for test kits. Calc and mag test kits I got from them the rest are Red Sea

any ideas why your phosphates are so high?

If you can get to root cause and solve there, then you don't have to treat as long with GFO or lanthamum:

Phosphate Rx | Melev's Reef

"It doesn't get easier than this! I've been using Phosphate Rx for the past decade for PO4 control, exclusively." - melev

www.melevsreef.com

 

[lpsouth1978]

Nitrates are high, but not terrible. Phosphates are definitely high and need to be reduced. What lights do you have? Settings?

 

[OrionN]

Everything parameter wise is normal except nitrates and phosphate. Nitrates 25 ppm and phos .5. I am gonna get some GFO for that. Tank 6 months old. Have a pair of saddleback clowns but they haven’t seemed to touch the BTA. I check salinity and it was very high,1.028 but I fixed. May have been that? It’s under high flow maybe I should try redirecting my pumps a bit.

This tell me that your tank is not stable. Changing salinity and high nutrients.
Anemones are somewhat difficult creature to take care of. Good water, stable and good light. BTA does not need a lot of flow. More around LPS type requirement. You eed to learn fast and have a stable tank, then your anemone will do well. Do not change salinity quickly, but adjust itvery slowly over days, especially when you try to increase salinity.