Time to cut my loss?

[Wildblue4]

my RBT anemone was doing great for about 6 weeks then my snails decided to have some fun in my Durso overflows and my ATO added a lot of makeup water to the DT and brought my salinity down to 1.024. Since then the BTA has stayed balled up. I have since changed my overflows to Stockman and everything has been steady and great. I brought the salinity back up slowly to 1.026 and everything is great except the BTA. Do I need to get him out? He’s been this way about 3 weeks. He’s under a over hanging rock where he went the first day I put him in and hasn’t moved since.

 

[NY_Caveman]

That does not seem like a huge salinity move to me, but anemones are pretty sensitive as they hold in a lot of seawater. If it was sudden perhaps it was too much. He does not look well at all. Have you tried feeding him? Is he sticky at all?

 

[Wildblue4]

That does not seem like a huge salinity move to me, but anemones are pretty sensitive as they hold in a lot of seawater. If it was sudden perhaps it was too much. He does not look well at all. Have you tried feeding him? Is he sticky at all?

I have not feed it since it has balled up. I tried once but the food didn’t stick. It is really hard to get to in the DT because of where it is located.

 

[jsker]

I could not keep an anomore for the life of my first year back into reefing. Then boom my BTA started growing and I was feed raw shrimp twice a week.

How old is your system?

I have had two tank crash and is of my own down with all the parameter bouncing around and my BTA is still growing

 

[Jeremy K.A.]

I highly doubt it's from salinity fluctuations. Did you change your lighting schedule or brightness etc? Could have gotten bleached from a drastic change in lighting. Try feeding it a little bit, or dose a little amino acids

 

[Wildblue4]

The tank is almost 6 months old. I have been keeping SW aquariums since the late 80’s so I’m pretty good at keeping parameters leveled out. This is just my second anemone I have ever had. I had a green carpet anemone for about 3 years in a 55 gallon tank and it got so big I gave it away to a friend that had a much larger tank. This BTA experience is just testing me. Lol I would feed it if it would take food but not sure it will right now.
I have changed my lighting schedule. I shortened the total time by 1 hour on my LEDs and took 2 hours off my VHOs trying to match a more normal lighting pattern. Plus I turned down my whites to 35 from 45 and my Blues to 55 from 65. The Anemone was already balled up and I thought the lights may have caused it but he is under a shelf and only got light when he was extended around the ledge so I don’t think I bleached him out.

 

[Jeremy K.A.]

The tank is almost 6 months old. I have been keeping SW aquariums since the late 80’s so I’m pretty good at keeping parameters leveled out. This is just my second anemone I have ever had. I had a green carpet anemone for about 3 years in a 55 gallon tank and it got so big I gave it away to a friend that had a much larger tank. This BTA experience is just testing me. Lol I would feed it if it would take food but not sure it will right now.
I have changed my lighting schedule. I shortened the total time by 1 hour on my LEDs and took 2 hours off my VHOs trying to match a more normal lighting pattern. Plus I turned down my whites to 35 from 45 and my Blues to 55 from 65. The Anemone was already balled up and I thought the lights may have caused it but he is under a shelf and only got light when he was extended around the ledge so I don’t think I bleached him out.

Hmm, I'm at a loss then for the moment! Hopefully you'll figure it out or someone else on here can think of something

 

[davocean]

Was it always that light in color?
It's severely bleached.
I would squirt mysis towards it a couple times a week to try to bring it back to natural color and health, no large pieces of food, that takes energy, stresses it when this weak.
I don't give up until it looks like it's about to mush, but if still attached that usually is a good sign.

While light is their main source, it lacks the zooxanthellae it needs to produce light into energy, maybe why it's shifting spots, it wants light, it just can't do much w/ it right now.

 

[Wildblue4]

I’ll try that. I’ve been shooting Reef Chili and Phytoplankton mix to it. When it does come out some it is pink.

 

[Wildblue4]

Well just to update my journey with my RBA. It finally came back out to the light yesterday. Today was the first day it has eaten since April. I feed it a mixture of Reef Chili and Mysis shrimp which it took and closed up immediately on. Now it has came back out. Maybe we are on our way to recovery. He literally got the size of a number two eraser and if it had ever detached I would have taken it out of the tank but the little guy hung on for dear life and is now looking so much better. Glad I choose to be patient with it. Hope he grows and adds to my reef.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Well just to update my journey with my RBA. It finally came back out to the light yesterday. Today was the first day it has eaten since April. I feed it a mixture of Reef Chili and Mysis shrimp which it took and closed up immediately on. Now it has came back out. Maybe we are on our way to recovery. He literally got the size of a number two eraser and if it had ever detached I would have taken it out of the tank but the little guy hung on for dear life and is now looking so much better. Glad I choose to be patient with it. Hope he grows and adds to my reef.

That is great news! It amazes me how marine life so often recovers with patience. Great job.

 

[Wildblue4]

That is great news! It amazes me how marine life so often recovers with patience. Great job.

So true. I’m so hoping he makes it. That will be one of my proudest accomplishment keeping an aquarium.

 

[Wildblue4]

Do you Anemone folks think my RBTA is on the way to recovering? Seems to be getting better and better. He’s eating every other day now. Sorry for the blue lights. That’s what is on

 

[DMG Reef]

He looks so much better than he did a few months ago. Since you're experienced with keeping your parameters in line, he'll probably continue getting better and better. I've had RBTA's retreat under the rock for days, then decide to come back out. They have always regained their color and do fine. I just leave them alone and let them do their thing.

 

[davocean]

It's hard to judge in that hyper blue light, need natural light to spot details

 

[Wildblue4]

It's hard to judge in that hyper blue light, need natural light to spot details

At least he’s eating and gaining his tentacles back.

 

[davocean]

then sounds like you're on track, keep taking pics, preferably in natural light where it's not all washed out blue, and details should be obvious to see in pics as it progresses.

 

[Triggreef]

What takes years to grow in our tanks can be lost in a matter of minutes. And if only damaged it can take weeks months or years to recuperate. Looks like your on the right track. In my experience with nems they can take forever to make a comeback once you really tick them off.

 

[GK3]

As long as it doesn’t let go of the rock, it’s fine. If it lets go and is just free floating. I’d get rid of it.

Did you start your tank with live rock and live sand? How many gallons?

 

[Wildblue4]

As long as it doesn’t let go of the rock, it’s fine. If it lets go and is just free floating. I’d get rid of it.

Did you start your tank with live rock and live sand? How many gallons?

I started with Pukani dry live rock and 3 pieces of live rock from a LFS. I used Arag-Alive reef sand and beach sand from Panama Beach i had for years. It’s a 125 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump.
Yeah the RBTA was under the rock he is on now hanging upside down. There was a hole all the way through the rock and after he started doing better he actually flipped around and came up throug that hole and is now where I can see it everyday. I couldn’t have placed him in my tank in a better spot.