BTA just enveloped himself

[animuldoc]

Hi and thank you for any input. I’ve had my tank for about 5 1/2 weeks. My LFS told me immediately to put a cleanup crew in there which I have done and they are doing OK. My trochus snails have started to get some algae on them and the hermit crabs aren’t eating it… Anyway, it’s 120 gallon tank. I have two cleaner shrimp eight trochus snails, and started with 10 hermit crabs. I can’t always find them so I’m not for sure how many are in there. But I got a bubble tipped anenome two weeks ago. He’s been pretty happily staying in one place. Pulls his tentacles in at night when the lights are off, but fully out and blossomed during the day. I’ve dropped food near him every other day, which his little tentacles seem to move toward his mouth. But today i fed him (new food. Not brine shrimp but some melted in his tank water of a portion of a cube from “Aquarium Foods Pro Variety Mix”. and he just closed up and it scared me like it was poisonous or something.

 

[Bryce M.]

Well nems will close when scared, how long has it been like this?
Honestly putting a nem in a three week old tank is not a good idea. Parameters might be shifting around still and it might still be too "clean" for it

 

[Sleeping Giant]

they close up if they have food in there, that they don't want to fly away. if it's been awhile it's possibly pooping too. 5 weeks is really early to be adding a nem, but who knows it might turn into a beautiful beast.

 

[exnisstech]

I agree with the above about the tank being pretty young for a nem but time will tell. Nems don't really need fed and feeding often is definatly not needed and may be unhealthy for them as they have to process the food. I haven't fed my nems in years and they are thriving.

The most important thing besides stable tank parameters is light. What do you have for light over it? They need a considerable amount amount. Mine thrive under 200 - 250 par

 

[Jekyl]

For a new reefer and a brand new tank the best thing you can do is return the anemone. There are exceptions to the rule but 99% of the time the anemone will not make it. I suggest waiting until closer to a year old before getting nems.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi and thank you for any input. I’ve had my tank for about 5 1/2 weeks. My LFS told me immediately to put a cleanup crew in there which I have done and they are doing OK. My trochus snails have started to get some algae on them and the hermit crabs aren’t eating it… Anyway, it’s 120 gallon tank. I have two cleaner shrimp eight trochus snails, and started with 10 hermit crabs. I can’t always find them so I’m not for sure how many are in there. But I got a bubble tipped anenome two weeks ago. He’s been pretty happily staying in one place. Pulls his tentacles in at night when the lights are off, but fully out and blossomed during the day. I’ve dropped food near him every other day, which his little tentacles seem to move toward his mouth. But today i fed him (new food. Not brine shrimp but some melted in his tank water of a portion of a cube from “Aquarium Foods Pro Variety Mix”. and he just closed up and it scared me like it was poisonous or something.

Tank is very new for a nem and they do not tolerate changes in water quality which occurs often in newer tanks but will also do this when fed and also when there is Insufficient lighting causing them to expel their zooxanthellae which is their color and energy source

 

[animuldoc]

Thank you I have two AI hydra 32 hd lights. Sunrise is at eight in the morning. Sunset is at three in the afternoon for now. Low whites, very low, green and red. Lots of blue’s.
I did watch the BRS series on the hobby before buying my 120 gal tank. , my local fish store convinced me that with the right bacteria and checking the water regularly and having a cleanup crew in there and the right amount of sand and rock that I could even be adding fish yet. I am not, and as I read these forums, I feel guilty that I have anything alive in there. But the anenome seemed to be doing really really well and actually after 45 minutes he opened right up again. I appreciate your knowledge and experience. I’m actually a veterinarian for dogs and cats and have great respect for all living things and I’m really trying to not hurt or make anybody miserable in this little world in my living room.

I even told them I wasn’t in a hurry, and was happy to be patient. The two owners of the shop have been in the business for 27 years and set up tanks all over Los Angeles. Am I putting my faith in the wrong place?

 

[animuldoc]

Well nems will close when scared, how long has it been like this?
Honestly putting a nem in a three week old tank is not a good idea. Parameters might be shifting around still and it might still be too "clean" for it

He was only like that for about 45 minutes. I freaked out when I saw it and posted this. It’s 5 1/2 weeks but I understand that still pretty young. I explained below that my LFS convinced me it was not too early as long as I did things the way they told me to. I’m not gonna put anything else alive in there until I feel it’s more mature.

 

[animuldoc]

Tank is very new for a nem and they do not tolerate changes in water quality which occurs often in newer tanks but will also do this when fed and also when there is Insufficient lighting causing them to expel their zooxanthellae which is their color and energy source

I haven’t measured my PAR yet. I have no corals. I left the tank as it was set up by the owners of the shop who are guys have been in the business for decades and set up some pretty swanky tanks and maintain them all around town. I am maintaining it on my own, but I’m checking the water very frequently and bringing it into them to check it (to compare to what i get with red sea test kit and ammonia and nitrogen strips) and it’s been pretty darn stable. When my nitrates creep up, I dump in bacteria. I did do one water change, 2 weeks ago when there was trace ammonia. but they told me I shouldn’t do that yet.

 

[animuldoc]

they close up if they have food in there, that they don't want to fly away. if it's been awhile it's possibly pooping too. 5 weeks is really early to be adding a nem, but who knows it might turn into a beautiful beast.

Thank you. Really every other day except for maybe the first couple days when I had him and he was a little small and in more of a crevice he’s been big and gorgeous.

 

[animuldoc]

Now

 

[DarkReefer]

Looks good ! Keep an eye on the levels in your water and try keep them as stable as possible and avoid swings in nutrients and you'll be fine.
Yes it's early especially for a new tank/reefer but it can and has been done.

It'll also move around to find it's happy place so don't worry if it starts travelling around. May want to limit adding other corals for a month or two until it settles in (and even then it may decide to move house again at any time).

 

[animuldoc]

Looks good ! Keep an eye on the levels in your water and try keep them as stable as possible and avoid swings in nutrients and you'll be fine.
Yes it's early especially for a new tank/reefer but it can and has been done.

It'll also move around to find it's happy place so don't worry if it starts travelling around. May want to limit adding other corals for a month or two until it settles in (and even then it may decide to move house again at any time).

Thank you I really don’t think I want to add anything else that’s alive until things are stable. But for that reason I’m feeding my inverts a little bit daily because I do feel like there’s nothing for them to eat because there’s no fish pooping in there or leaving trails of food. But I’m not feeding them a lot. Like a half a cube to maybe a whole little tiny cube of brine shrimp or miasis (?) shrimp or some other yumminess

 

[Bryce M.]

He was only like that for about 45 minutes. I freaked out when I saw it and posted this. It’s 5 1/2 weeks but I understand that still pretty young. I explained below that my LFS convinced me it was not too early as long as I did things the way they told me to. I’m not gonna put anything else alive in there until I feel it’s more mature.

Well that's not too long, I think another poster was right about it just holding food.
And hey we all make mistakes. We all learn from them, best thing IMO is to keep it and watch it.
I would not return it, that's a lot of stress to put onto it in so little time.

My opinion it was too early and now you know, now go forward and care for it as best as you can.

 

[Bryce M.]

And like Darkreefer said it will move!
(That's what I love about nems they will find the best place for them)

 

[animuldoc]

Well that's not too long, I think another poster was right about it just holding food.
And hey we all make mistakes. We all learn from them, best thing IMO is to keep it and watch it.
I would not return it, that's a lot of stress to put onto it in so little time.

My opinion it was too early and now you know, now go forward and care for it as best as you can.

Thank you. He really seems happy in the spot he has picked. I had just never seen him do that Turning inside out thing before!!

 

[Bryce M.]

Thank you. He really seems happy in the spot he has picked. I just never seen him do that Turning inside out thing before!!

I'm personally thinking it's the food theory now which is normal. Age of the tank worried me a little but I don't think it's the case

 

[animuldoc]

I'm personally thinking it's the food theory now which is normal. Age of the tank worried me a little but I don't think it's the case

Phew!!

 

[Dbichler]

I haven’t measured my PAR yet. I have no corals. I left the tank as it was set up by the owners of the shop who are guys have been in the business for decades and set up some pretty swanky tanks and maintain them all around town. I am maintaining it on my own, but I’m checking the water very frequently and bringing it into them to check it (to compare to what i get with red sea test kit and ammonia and nitrogen strips) and it’s been pretty darn stable. When my nitrates creep up, I dump in bacteria. I did do one water change, 2 weeks ago when there was trace ammonia. but they told me I shouldn’t do that yet.

They told you not to do that but told you an anemone this early in a tank was ok. How have they been in business 27 years. Your best bet is to return the anemone. Not trying to be rude but most anemones in new tanks don’t make it much longer than a couple months and go downhill fast.

 

[Jekyl]

They told you not to do that but told you an anemone this early in a tank was ok. How have they been in business 27 years. Your best bet is to return the anemone. Not trying to be rude but most anemones in new tanks don’t make it much longer than a couple months and go downhill fast.

Agreed, unless you started with established rock and not dry.