Struggling with nem tank, not sure whats wrong...

[ianryd]

So my plan is to slightly increase feeding to twice a day, remove macro algae biomass by 50%, reduce fuge light time by 50%, keep dosing nitrates slowly and feed reef roids once a week. I'll report back with results!

 

[TriggersAmuck]

My recommendation is to only change one or two things at a time and do so gradually, otherwise you won't know what demonstrated causation.

 

[Cnidoblast]

You should not need to 'dose nitrates' if your feeding is increased

 

[Cnidoblast]

IMHO your plan for the first two weeks should just be to increase feeding and lower the reactor light

 

[ianryd]

Ok heres where I'm at. I removed 1/2 of my chaeto, and reduced my fuge photoperiod from 7 to 4 hours. I also increased feeding. I did dose nitrates the first 2 days, but stopped for now. No huge change yet, but it hasn't even been a full week. I will test this weekend and see where everything is at.

 

[Cnidoblast]

Keep testing at the end of each week until you get your routine dialed in

 

[old salt reefer]

Are you feeding your BTAs?

 

[ianryd]

Are you feeding your BTAs?

I was when they were healthier looking. Krill, raw shrimp, or silversides once a week. I thought feeding them while they were shrunk might stress them out more though so I haven't been directly feeding them lately. They do trap free floating food when I feed the tank though.

 

[Jekyl]

I was when they were healthier looking. Krill, raw shrimp, or silversides once a week. I thought feeding them while they were shrunk might stress them out more though so I haven't been directly feeding them lately. They do trap free floating food when I feed the tank though.

Nems don't need food. They get everything needed from lighting. Feeding will just increase growth. If they're not doing well they won't eat anyway

 

[ianryd]

Nems don't need food. They get everything needed from lighting. Feeding will just increase growth. If they're not doing well they won't eat anyway

Yeah, thats the impression I was under. I am definitely waiting to target feed until they are healthy again.

 

[old salt reefer]

Nems don't need food. They get everything needed from lighting. Feeding will just increase growth. If they're not doing well they won't eat anyway

Then why do they have a mouth? (it's not just to poop out of) To say it will only increase growth in wrong.
Just like coral they only get 90% of what they need from light. Some of the other 10% comes from captured prey.

 

[Jekyl]

Then why do they have a mouth? (it's not just to poop out of) To say it will only increase growth in wrong.
Just like coral they only get 90% of what they need from light. Some of the other 10% comes from captured prey.

Only meant that it can go some time without it. Not that they never do. Even once a month is sufficient though. No need to try and force it if you think there are issues

 

[Mhart032]

Feed some silversides. If the lighting was that big of an issue they would move to the top, if the flow was an issue they would move in general to find the spot they like. 2 things I would really watch. Temp swings and Salinity swings. they hate that the most, other things they are tolerant too. I've had the same Rainbow for a couple of years and I've seen almost everything that can go right or wrong. Mine is about the size of a cantaloupe if I could ever get it to move the foot it would be in another tank.

 

[Mhart032]

The one time I tried to move it I tore the foot. Thought it would die. welp, nope it actually left some tissue behind and grew another one. it was a very small amount of tissue. It's about the size of a golf ball now. Just trying to let you know how hardy nems can be.

 

[ianryd]

The one time I tried to move it I tore the foot. Thought it would die. welp, nope it actually left some tissue behind and grew another one. it was a very small amount of tissue. It's about the size of a golf ball now. Just trying to let you know how hardy nems can be.

Nice! I've had these for about a year now, so I know their hardiness. I've just always had bigger tanks and this 20 gal is so much more touchy. Once I figure out the groove I'll be golden!

 

[Mhart032]

Some will say more p04 more no3 and less and all that, i run full Zeovit with most of the time untraceable no3 and po4 and mine do well. but smaller is much harder, everything is drastic, but your right once you get the grove they will settle in. salinity being the most important and temps being the next is what ive found works. i feed silver sides once a week. i don't feed anything else besides trace elements and aminos for sps. the fish eat TDO Chroma boost and Rods original. I'm sure the nems get a little of that.

 

[Mical]

IMO I see 2 things - #1 temp is too low. Nems like upwards 78-79 degrees. #2 More light - lower your lighting height. I have RBTAs in both my tanks they like lots of light and decent flow. Your prams you posted look ok except for temp - nems are picky and in cooler temps they retract and seem to suffer.
If and when you feed them - shrimp or littleneck clams from local grocery store once a week will be plenty. Many folks here don't feed at all and nems catch leftover fish food. I like to target feed mine on the weekends and I went from 2 to 16+ in 2 years.

 

[jtf74]

Then why do they have a mouth? (it's not just to poop out of) To say it will only increase growth in wrong.
Just like coral they only get 90% of what they need from light. Some of the other 10% comes from captured prey.

Got my nems five years ago from a guy who had a bunch that told me he never fed them and I didn't believe him. I haven't fed them since. The most they might get is a missed drifting mysis shrimp which doesn't hardly happen. My clowns don't seem to feed them that I've ever seen. My maroon clown would feed 2 people so doesn't miss a meal. Went from 4 @ 6" wide at least to maybe 14 or 15 all fairly good sized now. Good light and some nutrients in the water to support their internal algae seems to work for me. Before when I had lost BTA's, I was feeding shrimp chunks etc. Felt like some had trouble digesting. Makes sense really, like reptiles they don't generate heat so it takes longer to breakdown what they eat at 70-80 degrees. So I think they can be overfed though not sure they can be under fed.

 

[jtf74]

The one time I tried to move it I tore the foot. Thought it would die. welp, nope it actually left some tissue behind and grew another one. it was a very small amount of tissue. It's about the size of a golf ball now. Just trying to let you know how hardy nems can be.

What kind is this? BTA?

 

[ianryd]

Weekend update! I increased feeding, removed some chaeto, and cut my fuge photoperiod in half this last week. My nutrients have risen! NO3are at 2.0, and PO4 is a little higher than I would like at 0.23. I also raised my temp to 78. All my other params stayed about the same. Since PO4 was the only high reading I decided to run some GFO rather than do a WC. I'll continue this new approach for another week or 2 and see if there is a difference. One thing that possibly contributed to the uptick in nutrients was that one of my powerheads died during the week-the one that blows the crud off the tank bottom-so there was definitely more build up this week. Nems still look about the same as last week.