RBTA - Problems

[Dobbers]

My bubble tip looks remarkably similar to the another one posted recently, totally deflated and really no sign of tentacles anymore. I've had it for about a week not and for the first few days it looked fine, even got settled it an area I thought it liked, then fssssssppt... like someone let the air out.

Even more interesting...there is a white spotted anemone shrimp hosting it (my clowns down want to have anything to do with it) and to my horror, as I was inspecting the deflation situation, I noticed the shrimp had a piece of pink bubble tip chopped off and in one of his claws, he appeared to be consuming it!!

Am I in trouble with the anemone? I still haven't gotten it to eat either, it seems to love being scrunched between glass and a rock, to my dismay...here is a pic.

 

[Smokey301]

from what I can see of ur liverock ur tank is either really new or you dont have alot of light, post ur water params and setup plz

 

[Dobbers]

from what I can see of ur liverock ur tank is either really new or you dont have alot of light, post ur water params and setup plz

RSM 130 -
50lbs live rock
chemipure elite/purigen
stock skimmer
No bio balls or anything like that, but I do have some intank chaeto setup.
This Live Rock and Sand had been set up in a different tank for 9 months before I did switched it to this tank and did a full water change, and its been going for about 2 months now.

ammonia - 0 ppm
nitrite - 0 ppm
nitate <5 ppm
Calcium 430
Magnesium 1360
I have ordered phosphate and alkalinity refills.
That rock happens to be pretty bare b/c I just recently (like a week and a half ago flipped it in order to improve my aquascaping, but there is already some coraline growing on it.

Right now it looks even worse, its like almost completely closed. I've thought about moving him again, away from the glass and to a spot on the face of my LR that has a perfect crevice away from the walls that he gravitates towards.

 

[Skyreefer]

Leave the anemone alone for a little while. How long did you acclimate the anemone for? What is the salinity, temp and PH of your tank? Anemones should not be disturbed by any shrimp or clownfish for a few weeks while they are adjusting to your tank. If you move it around you are going to stress it. Hopefully it will go into hiding and relax. If so let it be. If it starts falling apart then it's probably dead.

 

[sasquatch]

try taking the chemi pure and purigen out for a week, sometimes that stuff strips out more than is really good

 

[Dobbers]

Leave the anemone alone for a little while. How long did you acclimate the anemone for? What is the salinity, temp and PH of your tank? Anemones should not be disturbed by any shrimp or clownfish for a few weeks while they are adjusting to your tank. If you move it around you are going to stress it. Hopefully it will go into hiding and relax. If so let it be. If it starts falling apart then it's probably dead.

What exactly do you mean by falling apart?

 

[Dobbers]

try taking the chemi pure and purigen out for a week, sometimes that stuff strips out more than is really good

Ok, great, Ill do that, thanks for the tips.

 

[Smokey301]

im not too familiar with RSM tanks, what kind of light setup do they have? Also are you using RO/DI water or tap?

 

[Dobbers]

im not too familiar with RSM tanks, what kind of light setup do they have? Also are you using RO/DI water or tap?

Lighting 2 x 55W T5 Power Compact
Lighting 10,000k 55W
Lighting Actinic 55W
Lighting Blue LED 4

Always RO, not a drop of tap has every made it in. 10-15% water changes every week.

 

[Smokey301]

Hmmm everything sounds pretty good, I would wait it out and stop moving him for a couple days see how things go, it sounds like its should be ok in your system but it could of had something wrong with it from the get go, how long have you had the nem

 

[Dobbers]

Hmmm everything sounds pretty good, I would wait it out and stop moving him for a couple days see how things go, it sounds like its should be ok in your system but it could of had something wrong with it from the get go, how long have you had the nem

Exactly one week today.

 

[Skyreefer]

What exactly do you mean by falling apart?

When anemones are dead or dying you'll see white stringy material coming out of it and the anemone will look like it's disintegrating. It could be acting weird for a little bit while it's acclimating. Then it might close up completely and the next day or two it might look great. When my nem was adjusting to my tank for the first couple of weeks it would close down to approx. 1 inch in size. Now it spreads to about 8 inches across and full. Anemones are weird.

 

[Dobbers]

So the nem is still extremely sad looking, but now its moving by itself, is that at least hopeful news?

 

[Skyreefer]

It's moving to either find a safer/better spot to adjust to the new tank conditions or light. You may find it hiding under a rock or cave for a couple of weeks and then it may reappear. When anemones start moving or floating around the tank it's because they are not happy. So just keep a close eye on it. Good luck.

Edit in: By the way, make sure your powerheads, overflows, strainers etc... are covered in a mesh type material to keep the anemone out of it while it's in search of a new home.

 

[IamELMO]

If it makes you feel better - mine came back from this to get maybe 8" across and split into two big anemone's

 

[Dobbers]

If it makes you feel better - mine came back from this to get maybe 8" across and split into two big anemone's

At least you have tentacles!! Lol, just kidding... but not really, here is a pic I just took about 5 min ago...


I just don't know, I've scoured the web for the last two days now and cannot find a single entry by someone that has a problem like this one. If it wasn't so much money, it might be kinda cool in a novelty sorta way.

 

[cain]

looks like it's going...sry

hopefully, like always, i am wrong.

 

[Dobbers]

Still don't know what to do, the rbta has stopped moving, however, yesterday morning it was shriveled up to very tiny, only to return to the same form as it had been. Then today it has shriveled up to its tiny form again.

Plus, my nitrates are spiking to 40ppm, and a dwarf flame angel died. What is happening?

 

[Dobbers]

Because I know everyone has just been dying (hahaha... I'm so clever) to know about about my rbta, I'd like to report a bit of new. I was able to feed the nem today for the first time since we got it... 1 krill. Better than nothing huh? Not surprisingly it seems like it already has perked up a bit and showing more color.

 

[Smokey301]

eating is a good sign, but stuff in the tank dieing isnt, did you find the cause of the nitrates?