Hello everyone,
Long time post watcher, first time posting. This topic is probably already discussed, I just haven’t found it. This is my first saltwater tank.
I have an Aquatop 24gal Reef tank (with RedSea ReefLED 50) that is about 14 months old.
Livestock: pair of 2” clowns, talbot damsel, starry blenny, tuxedo urchin, 2 peppermint shrimp, 8 snails and 15 small hermits(was battling hair algae)
Corals: 2 anemones, a couple zoa frags, 3 mushrooms, green star polyps and a clam.
I have two BTA that were fully inflating every day, one being more stringy, and one normal bubble tip. Fast forward a couple of months and they both are shrunk down, and never open fully. Sometimes they shrink down to hardly anything, open their mouths for about a hour and excrete what looks like hair algae. They are inflating their bodies just not the tentacles. All my other corals have been doing great until I recently upgraded my stock light to the RedSea reefLED 50 (they seemed to like the light for about two weeks). Switched back to stock light and no change. I did the acclimation process for 30 days up to 50% blue and 8% white lighting.
I can only test certain parameters due to lack of testing equipment (I only have the API master kit and the Hanna phosphates testers), so I went to the LFS to get a water test done. They said my water parameters were ideal and they aren’t sure why my anemones aren’t inflating. My LFS has a huge anemone tank and are overly knowledgeable so I trust them, just scratching my head on this one.
I do weekly 15% water changes. I have moderate flow in the tank.
Water parameters:
-78 degrees F
-0 ammonia
-0.09 phosphate
-0.2 nitrate
-0 nitrite
-8.3 PH
-can’t remember what the calcium and alkalinity was but it was good
Is this a lighting issue? Water parameter issue? Do I need to dose something?
Thanks

Long time post watcher, first time posting. This topic is probably already discussed, I just haven’t found it. This is my first saltwater tank.
I have an Aquatop 24gal Reef tank (with RedSea ReefLED 50) that is about 14 months old.
Livestock: pair of 2” clowns, talbot damsel, starry blenny, tuxedo urchin, 2 peppermint shrimp, 8 snails and 15 small hermits(was battling hair algae)
Corals: 2 anemones, a couple zoa frags, 3 mushrooms, green star polyps and a clam.
I have two BTA that were fully inflating every day, one being more stringy, and one normal bubble tip. Fast forward a couple of months and they both are shrunk down, and never open fully. Sometimes they shrink down to hardly anything, open their mouths for about a hour and excrete what looks like hair algae. They are inflating their bodies just not the tentacles. All my other corals have been doing great until I recently upgraded my stock light to the RedSea reefLED 50 (they seemed to like the light for about two weeks). Switched back to stock light and no change. I did the acclimation process for 30 days up to 50% blue and 8% white lighting.
I can only test certain parameters due to lack of testing equipment (I only have the API master kit and the Hanna phosphates testers), so I went to the LFS to get a water test done. They said my water parameters were ideal and they aren’t sure why my anemones aren’t inflating. My LFS has a huge anemone tank and are overly knowledgeable so I trust them, just scratching my head on this one.
I do weekly 15% water changes. I have moderate flow in the tank.
Water parameters:
-78 degrees F
-0 ammonia
-0.09 phosphate
-0.2 nitrate
-0 nitrite
-8.3 PH
-can’t remember what the calcium and alkalinity was but it was good
Is this a lighting issue? Water parameter issue? Do I need to dose something?
Thanks

