Bubble Tip Deflating

[drbecker10]

About a month ago i picked up a rbta. He looked great at the store and had the typical look of a stressed nem for a few days in the DT. For about a week it was constantly moving, but never left and area of rock about 4 inches around. He finally settled on a spot under a rock ledge and has been acting strange ever since. Daily he deflates to a point where I'm sure he's dead, then looks fine a few hours later. He was taking mysis for the first couple weeks but now refuses to eat. Despite this, im seeing a lot of "vomiting". Im only concerned because this has been going on a while andhe never blows up to his original size. Tank parameters are all within normal range. I'll try to post some pictures later

 

[themcnertney]

Please list your water parameters. Picture would help. What kind of lighting and how long has it been established?

 

[nervousmonkey]

does he hang upside down like an empty sack? That's usually not a good sign, but he can be brought back. Try feeding different foods, like small pieces of krill that are cut up so he can easily eat and digest them.
What is he vomiting up if he isn't eating. Also a sign of sickness but not to the point of death. Most of the time feeding will really help anemones, he may not have liked the mysis. Have you tried other foods? Mine loves krill from San Francisco Bay's foods, but he will eat other things as well. Mine was like yours for a long time, and I literally had to use tongs and cut up the krill into small pieces, then feed directly into his mouth, which isn't easy for an anemone hanging upside down. It worked though and he perked up.
One more thing, I have found that direct flow on any anemone I had really bothered them to the point of closing up...

 

[drbecker10]

Calcium 400 mg/mL
Nitrates 0 ppm
Phosphates < 0.25 ppm
dKH 8
Temperature 79 F
Specific gravity 1.024

 

[drbecker10]

Lighting is Reefbreeders LED. Tank has been running about 6 months

 

[nervousmonkey]

That last picture he looks like he is OK. Was he eating in the other two pictures?
Also, 6 month old tank is too new IMO. That is literally purely monkey evidence, but that's my experience, and sometimes anemones just don't work out.
What is the model of the reefbreeders light? How much have you turned it up? I use reefbreeders and a 8 bulb T5, and I have to keep that reefbreeder light at super low levels, otherwise they burn stuff. Those lights are awesome lights! Logan really did a great job, especially the Photon v2..

 

[drbecker10]

The third picture is how he looks about 25% of the time. I have a discontinued model, think it was called value fixture. Its set at 100 about 18 inches off the tank. 40 gal breeder. My other coral (all softies) are doing great, so i wouldnt have questioned the light. But nems are weird.

I have heard many different views on when to add certain corals and inverts that i would be interest to discuss, but thats for another forum

 

[Frosty Latte]

Hello. How often are you feeding the nem? When nems get small with open mouths, they are trying to expel the "bad stuff" inside of them and get "good stuff" to replace. Bad stuff can be too much food, bacterial infection, or even poor water. Good stuff is usually just new, clean water. The fact that the nem is doing that multiple times a day indicates the nem is really trying to clean itself out often. I wouldn't worry about the light as that is not the issue. If lighting were the issue, the nem would start to turn white/clear and not have an open mouth that often. Your nem is fine with the light, but there is something it is trying to expel.

You can go to my thread where I just recently saved my nem from a bacterial infection. Yours doesn't look bacterial to me, but sometimes that takes time to develop. To me, looks like water or too much food is the problem. Where does your fresh water come from?

 

[drbecker10]

I had been feeding about once a week, but had not tried for a while. Last night he turned down a small piece of krill. I use RO/DI with reef crystals. I do have a diamond goby that is always kicking up sand. Would that be something that bothers the nem? If so, i assume he would just move.

I appreciate all the help. You guys are great.

 

[Frosty Latte]

I had been feeding about once a week, but had not tried for a while. Last night he turned down a small piece of krill. I use RO/DI with reef crystals. I do have a diamond goby that is always kicking up sand. Would that be something that bothers the nem? If so, i assume he would just move.

I appreciate all the help. You guys are great.

Once a week is not enough to make the nem look like that. Is your bag of salt orange or purple?

 

[Frosty Latte]

Are you using one of these?

I would switch to the purple container and I bet your nem will be fine. I tried the orange once for a while and my nems HATED it. Switched back to purple and they went back to normal. I think there is something in the orange that bothers them for some reason. Not sure what it is as I had great parameters too for both types of salt.

 

[drbecker10]

Orange box of salt. The good stuff [emoji41]

Update on the nem: he decided to move into a cave and looks much better. I suppose moving around is a sign of good health, but if we was unhappy, why did he stay put?