Anemone only opens at night

[KVYA]

For a few weeks now my GBTA has only been opening up at night and has been closed all day. My lighting schedule or intensity hasn't changed so what gives?

 

[tmac18]

These creatures are crazy! I have a total of 5 bta's in 3 different tanks. What ive learned is all of mine are different. I just bought a rbta (which is actually bright pink) and its a lil guy. He hid for a week and it made me so nervous. But my other 4 are so easy going. But they have clowns helping them. Im intrested to see what someone says cause none of mine open at night and close during lights on hours. The only bta i have that opens up at night are the ones my clowns pick to sleep in that night. Wonder if your nem used to host a clown? What kind of lights do you have?

 

[KVYA]

These creatures are crazy! I have a total of 5 bta's in 3 different tanks. What ive learned is all of mine are different. I just bought a rbta (which is actually bright pink) and its a lil guy. He hid for a week and it made me so nervous. But my other 4 are so easy going. But they have clowns helping them. Im intrested to see what someone says cause none of mine open at night and close during lights on hours. The only bta i have that opens up at night are the ones my clowns pick to sleep in that night. Wonder if your nem used to host a clown? What kind of lights do you have?

i have LED's on it. The Chinese black box kind. It's weird though cause nothing has changed in terms of lighting.

 

[tmac18]

Oh, im sorry i thought this was a new bta. Did it used to come out good during the light cycle? I miss read. Sorry

 

[KVYA]

Oh, im sorry i thought this was a new bta. Did it used to come out good during the light cycle? I miss read. Sorry

Yea. I've had it for like 8 months and it opened up a lot during the day. It's only these past 3-4 weeks it hasn't been opening during the day

 

[tmac18]

Man, i dont know. Im sorry. Alls i know is that when my big rainbow bta wanted to split, it moved (which was weird cause it was in the same place for months) to a dark cave and split into 3. But that only took days. Im definitely subscribing to your thread cause id like to see what more people say. Do you add any trace elements and stopped? Just trying to figure it out.

 

[KVYA]

Man, i dont know. Im sorry. Alls i know is that when my big rainbow bta wanted to split, it moved (which was weird cause it was in the same place for months) to a dark cave and split into 3. But that only took days. Im definitely subscribing to your thread cause id like to see what more people say. Do you add any trace elements and stopped? Just trying to figure it out.

I've started dosing trace elements. So I guess that might be the cause. But the reason for it, I have no clue

 

[tmac18]

Have u been feeding it?

 

[KVYA]

Have u been feeding it?

Haven't really been able to cause it's always closed during the day

 

[tmac18]

It almost has to be a light thing. But nothings changed!!!!!! Im looking online too btw.

 

[Dancingmad]

Hard to know absolutely sure why they do anything. Mine will occasionally "sleep in" some days, but will eventually open up fully. I'll give a couple of suggestions/consideration, and some questions that may help other members weigh in.

Suggestions/comments:
-Check the salt creep on your light fixture - that can lesson the intensity without touching a timer/setting.

-If its a night/day thing it might be worth checking your PH every day at roughly the same times, once at night, and once during the "day" schedule. If nothing else, it'll give you an idea how much your tank PH is swingin' between night and day cycles.

-They could just be acting weird. They do that.

Questions:

-Please list parameters you have the ability to test for

-Trace Elements? What? How much? Why?

 

[KVYA]

Hard to know absolutely sure why they do anything. Mine will occasionally "sleep in" some days, but will eventually open up fully. I'll give a couple of suggestions/consideration, and some questions that may help other members weigh in.

Suggestions/comments:
-Check the salt creep on your light fixture - that can lesson the intensity without touching a timer/setting.

-If its a night/day thing it might be worth checking your PH every day at roughly the same times, once at night, and once during the "day" schedule. If nothing else, it'll give you an idea how much your tank PH is swingin' between night and day cycles.

-They could just be acting weird. They do that.

Questions:

-Please list parameters you have the ability to test for

-Trace Elements? What? How much? Why?

No salt creep.
pH goes from 8.2 during the day to 8 at night.
Phosphate and nitrate are undetectable. (Using salifert for phosphate so it's hard to see the color. Red Sea for nitrate).

4ml of Brightwell Aquatics Replenish. Wanted to try it out

 

[tmac18]

Dang, im just checking in on this post. All great advice from dancingmad. Is it still doing it?

 

[KVYA]

Dang, im just checking in on this post. All great advice from dancingmad. Is it still doing it?

Yea. It's starting to just inflate a little bit now during the day which is progress. I haven't done anything different though

 

[KVYA]

Update: after being in the tank for 6 months and not moving, it finally moved. I woke up this morning to find that it had moved a few inches from where it used to be. Now that I've come back home, the anemone is now hanging upside down is a dark cave with little lighting. Will my nem be okay?

 

[Dancingmad]

Sometimes nem's like to hang out - maybe drop some pictures when/if he makes himself visible. I had 2-4 that would hang out under a shelf rock and swing themselves upright to catch some light beams burning the day. Can you see the mouth? Usually if they're not happy it'll be gaping. Any sign of bleaching? I assume the foot is fine because its got a grip. I just went through a transfer and several of my BTAs went deep into the rock hiding out - once my parameters got right again they came out.

One last bit I'll drop, and assume it may only apply to my nems, but mine do not like too much "White / Full Spectrum" light. It makes them super grouchy if I blast 'em with too much of the MH; maybe give 'er a little less of the full spectrum and keep the blue light normal schedule. I only recommend this as purely 'in my experience' type deal, and not knowing what other corals you may have in the tank (Super ultra mambo tango jujitsu anecdotal / incomplete info disclaimer!!!111one).

Nems are crazy creatures. Do keep us posted though, and if I didn't mention it - pics! :)

 

[Travis Stewart]

I feel like this is a light issue. If it's open I at night you would think your water is fine. The only thing we can determine is the fact that it's happier when your lights are off. I would try and decrease intensity if possible for a couple days

 

[Travis Stewart]

Mine is open almost every night and is open everyday

 

[KVYA]

I feel like this is a light issue. If it's open I at night you would think your water is fine. The only thing we can determine is the fact that it's happier when your lights are off. I would try and decrease intensity if possible for a couple days

I have decreased my intensity because I've been acclimating some frags. My lighting used to run at 90% blues and 70% whites and right now they are at 70% blues and 50% whites

 

[Travis Stewart]

I run my whites at 20% max