Bta seems to be browning

Pauliex77x · Jul 10, 2021

I've had my nem for about a year now. It actually attached to the first spot I put it on and hasn't moved. Lately I noticed its lost some of its color. Turning brown not white. I've also noticed it hasn't been opening for as long as it used to. Last night it wouldn't take the shrimp I went to feed it but did end up eating this morning. These are the results of the full battery of tests i did this morning.

I run an AI prime HD with BRS ab+ settings along with 2 ati Blue plus t5 that run for 6 hours mid day over my lagoon 25. Lights are about 12" off the water surface.

I don't do many water changes anymore so along with alk and calcium i dose trace elements every 4 days or so.

The only new addition to the tank is a peppermint shrimp to deal with the aiptasia problem I had but I haven't seen the shrimp near the nem. Any ideas on what could be going on?

P-Dub · Jul 10, 2021

It would help with a before and current condition photo and a whole tank shot...

Pauliex77x · Jul 10, 2021

First picture is from April

Next two I just took.

P-Dub · Jul 10, 2021

Well, looks very much the same to me, particularly with the color shift in the photos. It looks good and healthy whatever color it is, so, there is that.

Pauliex77x · Jul 10, 2021

It honestly seems happier this afternoon after feeding it this morning. Maybe I'll feed it smaller portions more frequently for the next few weeks. I was feeding it once a week a decent sized cut of shrimp.

P-Dub · Jul 10, 2021

Pauliex77x said:
It honestly seems happier this afternoon after feeding it this morning. Maybe I'll feed it smaller portions more frequently for the next few weeks. I was feeding it once a week a decent sized cut of shrimp.

I have never fed my GBTA. Started out as a small single nem a year ago and now has become three large, killing my SPS's, nusiance.

Axem_Black · Jul 10, 2021

Do you keep your nitrates at 1 for a reason? I have a feeling it could be nutrient related

Pauliex77x · Jul 10, 2021

Honestly no. Today is the first time I've tested for them in a while. I plan on getting them back up a bit higher. I used vibrant for a few months to treat a bad bubble algae outbreak and did a big water change after it was all gone. I don't feed fish much and haven't fed the corals in about 6 months.

Uncle99 · Jul 10, 2021

I might increase nitrate into the 5-15ppm range with a corresponding phosphate of say 0.07-.1ppm.
You are running at tad low on MG at 1280, I’d bump that and maintain 1360-1400ppm.

Pauliex77x · Jul 10, 2021

Magnesium already mixed up and getting ready for the doser. And I guess I'll start feeding some reef roids and coralaminos again to bring up the nutrients a bit. Thanks

Uncle99 · Jul 10, 2021

Pauliex77x said:
Magnesium already mixed up and getting ready for the doser. And I guess I'll start feeding some reef roids and coralaminos again to bring up the nutrients a bit. Thanks

I just dose mine up when she needs it, but sure feeding more should result in the same but down the road.

Never fed this one in 2 years now, except for a monthly squirt of Mysis and whatever he can catch.

While he’ll spit if you feed to much and to often but this process is added stress.

Axem_Black · Jul 10, 2021

I agree with everything @Uncle99 has said. Anemones like nitrates and use nutrients in the water column to grow and feed. I'd say try to get your nutrients up and see how your tank responds. Good luck!

ClownWrangler · Jul 11, 2021

Phosphates are a bit low. It's phosphorus compounds that make corals and anemones fluoresce. They need to get phosphorus from somewhere. People often talk about nitrates of phosphates being too high, but its just as bad if they are too low. Brown is healthy either way. It means its not bleached, which is good.

Pauliex77x · Jul 11, 2021

I actually just noticed the galaxea frag in front of it was sending out it's sweepers. I moved it to the other side of the rock. Also working on getting phosphates and nitrates up a bit. We'll see how it goes but it's definitely happy today.

ClownWrangler · Jul 11, 2021

Pauliex77x said:
I actually just noticed the galaxea frag in front of it was sending out it's sweepers. I moved it to the other side of the rock. Also working on getting phosphates and nitrates up a bit. We'll see how it goes but it's definitely happy today.

You will get different opinions on this, but be careful not to over do it. Its easy to overshoot. Some consider 0.1 phosphates the upper end and 0.05 ideal. Now that I think about it they aren't terribly low, but as others said, the nitrates are.

ClownWrangler · Jul 11, 2021

It could be that nothing is wrong at all. I received a neon green LTA over a year ago that was bleached when I got it, but it's still alive. If I were able to somehow restore the zooxanthellae, it would turn it brown and the green would be hardly noticeable, but it would be healthier. It could be that the green is still there, just over powered by the excess zooxanthellae and less noticeable.

Pauliex77x · Jul 25, 2021

So tonight I came home after feeding it this morning and it looks a bit deflated. And my peppermint shrimp seems to be hanging around and on it some.

ClownWrangler · Jul 25, 2021

Pauliex77x said:
So tonight I came home after feeding it this morning and it looks a bit deflated. And my peppermint shrimp seems to be hanging around and on it some.

There are so many factors with these things that its hard to draw conclusions. If your water parameters are good, the lighting is good and you have good flow, it may have some sort of bacterial infection or is being effected by another Anemone in the water column. Also, like previously mentioned, brown coloration is healthy in an anemone, but if it once had pigment in the skin and it went away, there is something wrong. You never mentioned what color it was before. The pictures are not very telling. The green coloration is actually alot like pigment in our skin. it is there to protect the zooxanthellae from excessive sun exposure. Your nem could need a "tan" so to speak. Do you have a PAR meter?

Pauliex77x · Jul 25, 2021

Ive been trying to rent a par meter. I've had the nem with no issues since last September. Im not so much worried about the browning at the moment as I am about it being deflated like it is. The mouth isn't gaping open but it also isnt closed like normal. This time of day is usually when it closes up for a while before the T5's turn off and the prime starts it's ramp down. Water parameters have been pretty stable.

ClownWrangler · Jul 25, 2021

Pauliex77x said:
Ive been trying to rent a par meter. I've had the nem with no issues since last September. Im not so much worried about the browning at the moment as I am about it being deflated like it is. The mouth isn't gaping open but it also isnt closed like normal. This time of day is usually when it closes up for a while before the T5's turn off and the prime starts it's ramp down. Water parameters have been pretty stable.

I'm glad you mentioned the other nem. I had issues with multiple types of BTAs in one tank. I lost a black widow and Seattle sunburst, but all 5 RBTAs survived. I later tried again with a black widow and sunburst from the same source, but separately in 10 gallon tanks and they are all doing extremely well. I would try setting up a small tank and moving one of the nems to it along with a live rock if possible. Give it a month or so and see if there is a change.