Something's bothering my RBTA.

[menace78]

My RBTA was happy as could be. Always extended and now he's opening up but no longer extends and I havn't seen what might be causing it..
It started a few days after adding a few new fish so I'm figuring it might be one of them nipping at it or something.
I added a large foxface rabitfish, 2 pj cardinals, and a blue devil damsil.

Could it be any of these that are causing it?

ty in advance

 

[freetareef]

wow, go big or go home huh? did you add all those fish at once?
when you add a new fish the system goes through a mini cycle. as the nutrients raise from the added bio load, it takes a little bit of time for the bactria to grow to suffienct lvls. to maintain a balance and complete the nitrigen cycle. in this case you added 4 fish i'm assuming, so whats going on is it sounds like a little stress from raised no2 or no3 lvls. test you tank lvls and post them. how long has the rbta been in your system?

 

[menace78]

wow, go big or go home huh? did you add all those fish at once?
when you add a new fish the system goes through a mini cycle. as the nutrients raise from the added bio load, it takes a little bit of time for the bactria to grow to suffienct lvls. to maintain a balance and complete the nitrigen cycle. in this case you added 4 fish i'm assuming, so whats going on is it sounds like a little stress from raised no2 or no3 lvls. test you tank lvls and post them. how long has the rbta been in your system?

Thank you for you're concern but the RBTA was introduced 8 months ago and the 4 new additions were added almost 1 1/2 months ago. there was a very slight spike of nitrite (<1) but i never saw any spike in ammonia ( I tested daily for about a week and use Reefcon to keep track of parameters when testing. but with 170g system it was very light and none of the other fish or corals had any adverse effects. The RBTA started showing signs of stress about 1 week later. The RBTA is the only thing that has shown any sign of stress.

Note other inhabitance:
2 True Perc Clowns, 1 Serpent star, 5 Peppermint shrimp, 3 different mushrooms, large finger leather White pom pom Xenia, Kenya trees, Misc. sponges and other hitchhikers, as well as a clean up crew of all the normal snails .

Parameters as of today are:
PH: 8.2
Temp: 79.1°f
SG: 35ppt
Ammonia: not detectible
Nitrite: not detectible
Nitrate: <5
Cal: 40

I don't think parameters are the problem but if there is something ells i should check that might be causing this let me know and I'll check it.

Any other advice would be appreciated.

 

[freetareef]

your sg is at 35ppt? i believe that is the same as 1.035 on a hydrometor??? i can't remember of the top of my head but if it is that is way high. sea water is at 1.024
also your cal is stated at 40. is this a typo? should be around 450-400. also nems are pretty picky about the lighting... are your mh bulbs aged perhaps? what lighting are you using and how old are the bulbs? how deep is the water over the nem?
also another thing is if your clowns are using it as a host and it is a new development it can irritate them just a little at the very begining.
also is there enough flow in your system for the nem?
and one more thing, they are known to split. does it appear to be splitting?
hope he is alright and sorry for the 101 ?'s just tring ta lend a hand.

 

[freetareef]

i just googled it....35ppt is 1.026sg so thats not it...

 

[Maxx]

What is your Alk/Dkh? Who makes your test kits? What time are you testing your pH? How often are you testing your pH? What kind of lighting are you using? How are you maintaining your calcium and alkalinity levels? Ca reactor, Kalk reactor or two part dosing?

Nick

 

[menace78]

your sg is at 35ppt? i believe that is the same as 1.035 on a hydrometor??? i can't remember of the top of my head but if it is that is way high. sea water is at 1.024
also your cal is stated at 40. is this a typo? should be around 450-400. also nems are pretty picky about the lighting... are your mh bulbs aged perhaps? what lighting are you using and how old are the bulbs? how deep is the water over the nem?
also another thing is if your clowns are using it as a host and it is a new development it can irritate them just a little at the very begining.
also is there enough flow in your system for the nem?
and one more thing, they are known to split. does it appear to be splitting?
hope he is alright and sorry for the 101 ?'s just tring ta lend a hand.

Lighting consists of 8 96w PC (4-10k, 2-act, 2-50/50)
He rests within the rockwork about 2/3 own in the tank and a rough measurement is about 13" deep. bulbs are relatively new oldest is ~4 months old. I also have the timers set to alternate sump to display to help with any PH swings from lighting.
Mooving to MH in the near future when funds allow
Yes that was a typo Calc is at 420.
The clowns have hosted it since it was introdused 8 months ago.
My flow consists of 2 330gph powerheads for keeping the surface mooving well for gas exchange, and an over the top manifold for and additional 1800gph split between 9 nozzles + the sump return.
And he dosn't apear to be splitting.

What is your Alk/Dkh? Who makes your test kits? What time are you testing your pH? How often are you testing your pH? What kind of lighting are you using? How are you maintaining your calcium and alkalinity levels? Ca reactor, Kalk reactor or two part dosing?

Nick

Test kits are API
I test mornings and evenings, no real schedule to it.
Calcium is usualy maintained bu weekly water changes with IO salt but suplamented with A-B two part dosing (IV drip meathod into sump return)

 

[spinoleo]

pc in the long run for anems are not to well dont count the atin the anem cant use that spectrum of light it just makes the colors look better.is the anem also fading in color?

 

[Maxx]

Not testing for Alk? You could be having alk swings.....although you'd be seeing things going wrong with other corals as well....

Nick

 

[g0rFz]

im gonna have to go with lighting is the problem, anemones can look fine and act normal for months while stressed, PC's arent sufficient especially being that 2 are actinics and dont give him real light. so about 580 watts of pc lighting over a 6 footish tank? do you feed him ever? a lot of people dont ever feed and hope he relies on photosynthetic zooxanthellae but that will become depleted over time with bare minimum lights.

so what do you feed him and how often?

 

[Maxx]

Lack of lighting wont make a previously happy anemone start hiding. It will cause the anemone to move around and seek out more lighting. It will also pan for lighting, extending up and reaching for more light. Something else is bothering it.

Nick

 

[menace78]

im gonna have to go with lighting is the problem, anemones can look fine and act normal for months while stressed, PC's arent sufficient especially being that 2 are actinics and dont give him real light. so about 580 watts of pc lighting over a 6 footish tank? do you feed him ever? a lot of people dont ever feed and hope he relies on photosynthetic zooxanthellae but that will become depleted over time with bare minimum lights.

so what do you feed him and how often?

Lack of lighting wont make a previously happy anemone start hiding. It will cause the anemone to move around and seek out more lighting. It will also pan for lighting, extending up and reaching for more light. Something else is bothering it.

Nick

I do feed him fresh scallops occasionally and mostly mysts shrimp, krill and squid.
Feeding for him and my candy cane are once to twice every 2 weeks.

and as i stated above I plan on going to MH but I have seen many very happy RBTA's under PC's witch makes me think there might be something ells going on. and he's not moving around, stretching up, on the top of the rocks, or really hiding. More like just not very happy and not as large and extended as he usually is.

As for color, it hasn't changed much since he settled into the tank.
He's not as bright as i know he could be with the MH, but not bleaching.

So with all this feedback not concerning the specific fish i added, Can I assume that no one has seen a problem with them with anemones?
My largest worry was the foxface because of how much he scavenges for algae among the rocks.

 

[briang]

pc in the long run for anems are not to well dont count the atin the anem cant use that spectrum of light it just makes the colors look better.is the anem also fading in color?

In my 75 gal. I've had my RBTA for over 2 years using 1-4 bulb PC unit that had 2-65 watt 10,000ks and 2-65 watt actinics and a 130 watt unit with again, 1-65 watt 10,000k and one actinic. I never had a problem with my anem. Mine has gone through times when it looked as though something was wrong for a couple days, only to have it looking normal the next day. It didn't do this very often but once every few months I thought to myself that maybe it had a tentacle ache or something.This is Rose after 2 years of being under nothing but my PCs. I have since got rid of the 130 watt PC and added 105 watts of T-5s but only because I got a clam. There has been no visible difference in the rose.But this is JUST PCs I do feed small bits of shrimp mixed with a little cyco-peese and a few drops of phyto-plex and a few drops of Micro-vert. I also make sure to drop a few pellet of fish food in him almost daily. He seems very happy and never tries to move.

 

[packer]

Did you change the flow in your tank? It could have been done by moving or adding a powerhead, changing rockwork or adding a coral to modify the flow in some way. If the flow changed on your RBTA it could have bothered it or upset it and caused it to move.

 

[menace78]

Did you change the flow in your tank? It could have been done by moving or adding a powerhead, changing rockwork or adding a coral to modify the flow in some way. If the flow changed on your RBTA it could have bothered it or upset it and caused it to move.

No flow change, or any additions other than the fish that i added.
And he hasn't moved.. Just isn't opening up fully and looks stressed.
Yesterday for the first time in weeks he got his bubble tips and seemed to be a little better but still not back to normal

 

[spinoleo]

In my 75 gal. I've had my RBTA for over 2 years using 1-4 bulb PC unit that had 2-65 watt 10,000ks and 2-65 watt actinics and a 130 watt unit with again, 1-65 watt 10,000k and one actinic. I never had a problem with my anem. Mine has gone through times when it looked as though something was wrong for a couple days, only to have it looking normal the next day. It didn't do this very often but once every few months I thought to myself that maybe it had a tentacle ache or something.This is Rose after 2 years of being under nothing but my PCs. I have since got rid of the 130 watt PC and added 105 watts of T-5s but only because I got a clam. There has been no visible difference in the rose.But this is JUST PCs I do feed small bits of shrimp mixed with a little cyco-peese and a few drops of phyto-plex and a few drops of Micro-vert. I also make sure to drop a few pellet of fish food in him almost daily. He seems very happy and never tries to move.

I said long term 2 years is not long term and if you can show a pic with the pc on the tank and the anem ?

 

[briang]

I said long term 2 years is not long term and if you can show a pic with the pc on the tank and the anem ?[/

If my Rose doubled it's size from 12 to 24 inches and at that point I had to divide it myself because it took up too much room then sold half and then it grew to 20 inches again in the 2 year period before I traded my 130 watt PC for the 108 watt T-5 because of my clam addition, There is no way that my anem would have gone down hill had I kept Just the PCs. I did have alot of PC watts though. A total of 390 watts for a 75 gal tank. As far as a picture of my PC, I stated that I still have my 260 watt PC but I now Have the 105 watt T-5

Now that I reread your post, Do you really think that I'm lying about my lighting? Give me a break. I try to tell people what has worked for me, not lie to them so they can kill their animals. Show me a pic. of your anem, I'm sure it's not nicer than mine no matter what lights you have.This is the last picture of my tank BEFORE I traded for the T-5 because my clam started to bleach. Like I said, post a pic of your anem.

 

[briang]

I said long term 2 years is not long term and if you can show a pic with the pc on the tank and the anem ?[/

If my Rose doubled it's size from 12 to 24 inches and at that point I had to divide it myself because it took up too much room then sold half and then it grew to 20 inches again in the 2 year period before I traded my 130 watt PC for the 108 watt T-5 because of my clam addition, There is no way that my anem would have gone down hill had I kept Just the PCs. I did have alot of PC watts though. A total of 390 watts for a 75 gal tank. As far as a picture of my PC, I stated that I still have my 260 watt PC but I now Have the 105 watt T-5

Now that I reread your post, Do you really think that I'm lying about my lighting? Give me a break. I try to tell people what has worked for me, not lie to them so they can kill their animals. Show me a pic. of your anem, I'm sure it's not nicer than mine no matter what lights you have.This is the last picture of my tank BEFORE I traded for the T-5 because my clam started to bleach. Like I said, post a pic of your anem.

By the way, That is a single anem.

 

[briang]

I figured I'd post a fairly recent pic. of my tank. I've had the T-5s for about 7 months now and my anem . has divided on it's own, you see 2 of them in this pic.I have to sell one of them due to space. Check out the growth between the above pic. and this one. My monties grow like weeds.

 

[freetareef]

so how is your nem doing? any updates?