BTA help

[InspectorGadget]

Hey everyone! I have a small BTA that I have had for about a month. The past two days he has been looking a little funny. Scrunched up with little tentacle extension. Should I worry? What could the cause be?

 

[Zack K]

Okay. First off a few questions:
How old is the tank?
What is your Water parameters?
What light do you have?
How big is the tank?

-Zack

 

[InspectorGadget]

Okay. First off a few questions:
How old is the tank?
What is your Water parameters?
What light do you have?
How big is the tank?

-Zack

This is a new tank with live rock that was transferred from the old tank. 20 gallon total volume.
2ppm nitrate
.08ppm phosphate
10.0 KH
420 Ca
1320 Ma
Kessil A160NW at 100%

 

[Zack K]

Okay so with this being such a new tank, I have no doubt in my mind that your parameters fluctuate a good bit through the day. This is why most others recommend you wait for at least 6 months for your tank to “mature” before adding an Anemone. I understand you moved the rock over, which is great! You have a good bacteria population then. But the reason people say 6 months or so is because the longer a tank runs, the more the Chemistry of the water “tables out” you see little swings through the day instead of large ones. Creating more of a stable tank.

You are definitely on the right track to keep an Anemone in the future. But unfortunately right now it’s looking like an uphill battle. Just watch your parameters closely and make sure their is no big swings. Anemones like stability. And maybe turn your light down just a bit. Kessils can be a beast of their own sometimes.

-Zack, who is sending all the luck your way.

 

[InspectorGadget]

Okay so with this being such a new tank, I have no doubt in my mind that your parameters fluctuate a good bit through the day. This is why most others recommend you wait for at least 6 months for your tank to “mature” before adding an Anemone. I understand you moved the rock over, which is great! You have a good bacteria population then. But the reason people say 6 months or so is because the longer a tank runs, the more the Chemistry of the water “tables out” you see little swings through the day instead of large ones. Creating more of a stable tank.

You are definitely on the right track to keep an Anemone in the future. But unfortunately right now it’s looking like an uphill battle. Just watch your parameters closely and make sure their is no big swings. Anemones like stability. And maybe turn your light down just a bit. Kessils can be a beast of their own sometimes.

-Zack, who is sending all the luck your way.

Great info. I really appreciate it. Going to fight this one hard.

 

[chizerbunoi]

Is there a reason why your wave maker is pointed right at the anemone in the first picture? I would move it off the anemone and then let the anemone move on it’s own without forcing it ( if you were trying via the power head ).

 

[InspectorGadget]

Is there a reason why your wave maker is pointed right at the anemone in the first picture? I would move it off the anemone and then let the anemone move on it’s own without forcing it ( if you were trying via the power head ).

It’s not on. I turned it off since first placing him in the tank. He moved and floated several times until finally settling in. I plan to wrap it in foam before moving it and turning it back on just incase he decides he wants to take flight again.

 

[Zack K]

It’s not on. I turned it off since first placing him in the tank. He moved and floated several times until finally settling in. I plan to wrap it in foam before moving it and turning it back on just incase he decides he wants to take flight again.

Great idea. It looks like you have done at least some homework [emoji6]
-Zack

 

[InspectorGadget]

Great idea. It looks like you have done at least some homework [emoji6]
-Zack

I try. I learned from my first mistake 10 years ago when a LFS sold me a baby panther grouper for my first 29 gallon tank . I took it back months later when it was 6” long.