What is my BTA pouting about now!?!?

[SueAndHerZoo]

Back when I was a newbie and had no clue what I was doing I purchased a BTA and threw it in my tank. Within a few months I had many, many anemones and was giving them away. The original one was HUGE - at least 12" across. I never checked water parameter and never fed it. That was years ago and recently I decided I wanted anemones again. Purchased a BTA and acclimated it to one of my tanks. It looked beautiful for about a month and I fed it regularly. I never moved so I assumed it liked the spot I put it in. For the past few weeks, however, it's been shrinking and shriveling up. I can't feed it when it's in this condition so hoped he would just "get over it" and be his beautiful self again. But he's not. He's now staying totally retracted.

I checked parameters just now:
Salinity 1.022
PH: 8.2
Phosphate: .25
Nitrates: .5
Alk: 10.5

Is my tank TOO clean for him???? When I neglected my tanks they seemed to do better.... very frustrating.
Sue

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Salinity is too low.

 

[dannyd_]

I have had success with mine at higher nitrates (10 at the lowest), and unless you changed something else your only difference between before when it was thriving and now is that you probably had a much dirtier tank. Has there been any changes to your system since before this? I was also going to mention your salinity might be on the low side.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Good to know about the salinity. I used to keep my tanks at 1.026 but then when researching what I should keep my seahorse tank at it recommended 1.022 and then I saw that all my tanks should probably be lower than they were. But I can easily raise that and see if it helps. And I guess I'll dirty up the water a bit, which I NEVER in all my years of reefing thought I'd have to do. Guess the cheato in this sump is really doing it's job because the skimmer does a lousy job.
Sue

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Salinity too low, nitrates too low. Anemones like dirty water (5 - 15 ppm), and while fish are fine at anything higher than 1.021, the majority of inverts should have at least 1.023, ideally higher. Most commercial salt mixes are about 1.025, I'd do a 20% WC weekly with 1.025 until you've got higher values.

 

[Spare time]

Dose some aminos to substitute nitrate. The salinity is on the lower side but I don't think it's the issue.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Salinity too low, nitrates too low. Anemones like dirty water (5 - 15 ppm), and while fish are fine at anything higher than 1.021, the majority of inverts should have at least 1.023, ideally higher. Most commercial salt mixes are about 1.025, I'd do a 20% WC weekly with 1.025 until you've got higher values.

Thank you. Today for the first time in the 2 months it's been here, it moved to a new spot. Gotta wonder if he was too close to the lights before?