What's up with my BTA?

[Bowin]

Hello everyone. I've had my BTA since 4/5/14 and a few days after getting it it went into hiding. I let it hide for about a week but then I began to worry it may have been dying without me being able to see it. Being concerned, I turned it's rock over and that seemed to make it unhappy so I turned the rock back over but this time with the nem facing the front where I could visually monitor it. It bubbles some tentacles up during the day but never fully like it did when introduced. Any ideas or suggestions on what's going on or what to do?
Here are the parameters for my almost 11 month old tank: Nitrates=0, PH=8.2, Alk is reading normal, PO4=.02, Salinity is at 1.025, temp is at 77, lights are Evergrow D120 full spectrum LED.

Sorry for the bad photos.

 

[LegitFish]

Lighting may be too bright...

 

[Bowin]

Lighting may be too bright...

I considered that. I'll try dimming the lights a little tomorrow. Thank you for the help and advice because I am really concerned about this.

 

[newjack0000]

also I will add anemones don't like to be moved really. They will do laps around a tank trying to find there sweet spot (perfect flow and light) and when you move them from there comfort zone or "sweet spot" they will react to it as agitated. I also agree that lights may be to bright. Keep an eye out for signs of bleaching.

Is it eating? how big is the tank? Also watch and make sure nothing is agitating it to begin with i.e. fish, other coral like sweeper tentacles, crabs, worms, bugs, ect...

 

[newjack0000]

also want to add I like the colors really beautiful. Be nice for a pic of it fully open when you can fix the problem. If you shoot for dimming lights do a little at a time each day till you see it open fully. When it does turn it back up a notch every other day till it looks agitated again. Then back down one. That would be the "sweet spot"

 

[Bowin]

also I will add anemones don't like to be moved really. They will do laps around a tank trying to find there sweet spot (perfect flow and light) and when you move them from there comfort zone or "sweet spot" they will react to it as agitated. I also agree that lights may be to bright. Keep an eye out for signs of bleaching.

Is it eating? how big is the tank? Also watch and make sure nothing is agitating it to begin with i.e. fish, other coral like sweeper tentacles, crabs, worms, bugs, ect...

Yeah, I didn't want to move him but got worried he may have been dying when after a week I couldn't see him. I tried to resist turning his rock over but panicked at the thought of him nuking my tank. The tank is a 90gal with only a goby, 2 platinums, and 2 firefish. My corals are not near him because I wanted to give him space to settle in. I tried feeding him mysis but don't think he took it. His color is still good and his mouth is not gaping open. I do see pods crawling on him at night but he crabs leave him alone. I'm hoping you guys are right because I don't want to lose him. Maybe I'll dim the lights for a week and even lower his rock in the tank. If he were going to split from stress would he close up like this?

 

[Bowin]

also want to add I like the colors really beautiful. Be nice for a pic of it fully open when you can fix the problem. If you shoot for dimming lights do a little at a time each day till you see it open fully. When it does turn it back up a notch every other day till it looks agitated again. Then back down one. That would be the "sweet spot"

I will definitely post pics if it works out. He's a gift that my wife purchased from a swap. Green with purple tips. This piece of advice has me hopeful. Thank you for it and I'll update our progress.

 

[Bowin]

She was looking a little better today after I dimmed the lights a little. I'm anxious to see what I get tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestions. Fingers crossed.

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

Keep us posted and if you can take some pics tomorrow so we can see.

 

[Bowin]

Keep us posted and if you can take some pics tomorrow so we can see.

The strange thing is that today it looked really bad again. The lights were dimmed as suggested. I was extremely worried because it was closed up and some of the tentacles even looked flat. The first time I've seen that. I had to leave my house for a bit and by the time I made it home my lights had gone off. I was almost afraid to look into the tank. To my surprise it was almost completely open and bubbled up. I'm getting frustrated but not giving up on it like my wife is. I'll post a pic tomorrow regardless of what it decides to do. Maybe even try to feed it some mysis. I'm thinking that I'll dim the lights a little more and see what happens.

This is becoming an emotional rollercoaster.

 

[kutcha]

what are your parameters?

 

[Bowin]

what are your parameters?

Parameters are listed in my original post or is there something I left off that might be helpful?

 

[kutcha]

Parameters are listed in my original post or is there something I left off that might be helpful?

lol see it did you chekc your phos ammon nad nitrites i realive the tank is almost a year old but you never know maybe something died that you didnt see alos how "clean" is your tank cause nems and softies dont like pristine water

 

[Bowin]

lol see it did you chekc your phos ammon nad nitrites i realive the tank is almost a year old but you never know maybe something died that you didnt see alos how "clean" is your tank cause nems and softies dont like pristine water

Now that sounds interesting. I have a very light bioload in my tank and my skimmer is rated for twice the size of my tank. Maybe I'll start running the skimmer less for awhile. does that sound like maybe a good idea?

 

[kutcha]

Now that sounds interesting. I have a very light bioload in my tank and my skimmer is rated for twice the size of my tank. Maybe I'll start running the skimmer less for awhile. does that sound like maybe a good idea?

i know when i had my 75 setup i was running a SRO 1000 and filter floss after teh skimmer and my water was clear but my nem started getting P/Oed and my zoas got P/Oed as well i took the floss out and they seemed happier it is kind of a battle to find the middle ground between what your SPS want and what your softies want

 

[Bowin]

i know when i had my 75 setup i was running a SRO 1000 and filter floss after teh skimmer and my water was clear but my nem started getting P/Oed and my zoas got P/Oed as well i took the floss out and they seemed happier it is kind of a battle to find the middle ground between what your SPS want and what your softies want

Thanks a lot. Most of my zoas are doing great and multiplying except for one small frag. It's definitely worth a try for me.

 

[kutcha]

Thanks a lot. Most of my zoas are doing great and multiplying except for one small frag. It's definitely worth a try for me.

dont go crazy to big of a change will freak the system out small adjustments at a time

 

[Bowin]

dont go crazy to big of a change will freak the system out small adjustments at a time

Ok...I'll be sure to report back

 

[Bowin]

Just a couple of updated photos of my unhappy nem. Not sure what to try. I'm afraid to try changing my skimming because it's taken me this long to become happy with my water quality. Not sure I want to make the change just for one organism in the tank when the rest seem happy. Any other suggestions before I begin to give up on this guy. I really want to succeed with this guy but am at a loss of ideas. If it helps to know, the only things that seems unhappy are a small zoa frag and a finger leather. All of my other zoa colonies and corals are doing well and multiplying.

 

[Bowin]

Quick update on the nem. It bubbled up nicely the other day(with the blues on early in the morning). It ate mysis shrimp yesterday. This morning when I got up it had moved to the top of the rock(before lights came on). Checked back an hour later(after the blues came on) and it's gone into hiding. Encouraged and discouraged at the same time.