HELP MY BTA"S ARE GOING!!!!

[angnak]

Okay, my tank has been going through a bad algae problem lately, all my mobile inverts are alive (snails, crabs, shrimp) except for the snails those evil crabs have been eating lately. Fish are doing great, still eating swimming fine, not skiddish or anything. I know the nitrates and po4 are a little high, but I have had these BTA's and rock anemone for almost three years. One split a while back (about a year) and was doing great, stayed int the same spot then all of a sudden a couple months back one moved. Then the bigger one split again. The new one never really settled down, but seemed okay. Then both seemed to be doing worse. Never really plumping up to their full size. Noe they are very bad looking. The one that moved was fine for a while also then about the same time started going down hill. The fourth one was fine during all this. Stayed in one spot for about 7 months (new addition) Then about a month ago it moved. it still looks fine but just won't stay still. My rock anenome was great until a couple days ago I came home and everything was closed and I found out the new ph was shocking things. ( here is the post on that ) Now I know you think it is due to this but all except the rock ane. was going down before this and before the ph was added. What is going on?!?!?!?!? My BTA has survived po4 of .25 - .5 on a cople occations in another tank. So I am not convinced it is this and my ntrates have also been a lot higher. I have unplugged all ph's and the only current is from the return pump. This has only been a day with no ph's. What is going on. I have done 2-3 20-30% h2o changes this month trying to beat this algae. Please help they are going fast!!!!
Tank Parms:
alk 2.63meq/L
po4 .003
cal 400
nitrate 2.5
pH 8.41
Sal. 1.023-4
amm < .3

[cheeks69]

The fact that your getting an ammonia reading isn't good, also when you did those large W/C's did you match the SG and temp. exactly to what was in the display ? They don't do well with fluctuations... How old are your lights and what type of lighting are you using ? Nitrate readings are not usually a problem unless real high,I had nitrates running in the 20'sppm in my old tank and mine were fine.

[angnak]

The lights are about a month old. All lights. Yes water was correct. I meant equaling about 20-30%. It is just weird because I have had them so long and nothing else in the tank is acting like this. Even the aptasia I have is back to normal after the shock. but like I said they were heading downhill before the shock and only the bta's. The rock and fourth bta just started acting up. I am also running carbon just in case there is some toxins in the water.

[Frankie]

hows the refugium look? carlarpa in there? still growing well? if you have carlarpa do you trim it back or let it grow out alot? the ammonia reading is not a good sign. You have been here for over a year so its not a new set up right? sometime my anemones move around or do strange things. It might not be anything, just them acting wired to you. could the crabs be bugging them? i dont have crabs in my tank so im not sure if thats a problem or not.Im also wondering how you treat your fresh water before you add the salt. Is it filterd or tap?whats the photo period? sorry to ask somany questions. just trying t see whats wrong. good luck ill keep an eye out for your replys.

[angnak]

my refuge cracked so I am running just a wet/dry sump right now. Skim 24/7, clean out the the collection cup every week. Usually get a lot of foam in there. This tank has been running over a year now with the sump in there since Aug. 04. The moving around is not what I am worried about it is the way they look and I just realized I left out that they are dropping their tentacles but they still plump their foot up and move around. I have had a couple anemones and they all looked this way before they died.(tentacles "falling" lack of a better word, off) This is my 2nd one bought. Third one died. (died in the 80gal) The fourth one is the fourth guy that I was speaking of above and was added just after the refuge broke. I have had the main bta since my 80 gal. Got the bta in april '02. no crabs around them I use RO/DI water and also have a filtration on the house before the RO/DI unit. TDS meter is 0-1 as of last week. photo period is VHO #1 comes on at 9 VHO #2 comes on at 10 MH's come on at 12 and go out at 7 VHO #1 out at 8 VHO #2 out at 10. The < .3 is the lowest my test kit goes. So it could be zero. Amm. has been higher in the 80 gal and 90gal and no ill effects on the bta's. (my water change schedule was not like it should be) I am at a loss. Ask all the questions you want.

[Frankie]

whats the tank temp? i saw that same drooping thing in a reef at the lfs. everything else is doing well but that anemone was drooping just as you say. could the wet/dry be back fireing and be putting nitrates and ammonia back into the tank? there are bioballs in there?

[angnak]

78.3-80.7' There are a few bioballs in there. I took a bunch out before I set it up. I ordered some Macro and LR rubble to turn the sump into a mini fuge and the bioballs are coming out tomorrow.

[Frankie]

oh, and how much do you feed? them tangs are a big bio load. I know, I have 4.

[angnak]

I have only been feeding 1 cube of frozen food every other day due to the algae for about a month and a half now. Sheets of nori every now and then

[Frankie]

sounds good on the food part. are you feeding the anemones too? just take out the balls altogether if you ask me. you dont need them there. try spot feeding them tomorrow or tonight with some thawed frozen brine shrip if thats what you have. use a turkey baster if you have one on hand.(you can go get a new one tomorrow)

[angnak]

I tried feeding them yesterday some shrimp and they would not take it. I usually feed them every other week and this was the week and they won't take the food. I have a turkey baster.

[angnak]

Thanks for all the help.

[Frankie]

no problem. I feel for you, i love my anemones. Well, i feed mine everyday so im not sure if maybe your starving them and they lived this long from scavenging the food from the days you feed your fish. If you can, get some cyclopeeze and try that. maybe the shrimp is to large for them at this point? i hope they pull through for you.

[angnak]

I have clown fish that host in them. I have read that you are not supposed to feed them too frequently. I had been feeding them periodically. My clown fish often feed them as well.

[Frankie]

Ok, I was going to ask you if your clowns were hosting the anemones. well it wont hurt to try that cyclopeeze if you want anyhow. it's not bad if you feed your anemones. If the clowns bring it food and it's full it just wont eat it. But dont feed it everyday. let the clowns help. Try to feed them every third day then. See if that helps. I wish I could see them. It might help me some. Im not the anemone man here, just have had them since the beginning and never had any get sick on me. over 3 years now and mine have cloned also. That tells me somthing about you. If yours cloned then your doing things right. Something new has changed and thats causing your greef. I have a feeling it might be the fuge going since thats all you said thats changed. There are some things your not doing that I would, ( like use natural seawater for the water changes http://www.naturesocean.com/nutri_seawater.htm) but i guess thats asking alot. And people do get by with synthetic water. If I can help any more let me know. good luck to you