Dead BTA....help

[Gaines69]

had a green BTA for just a few days. He was alive yesterday. Woke up this morning and he’s dead and dissolving. Shrimp and brittle starfish we eating him. I removed what was left and am going to do a water change and add a ammonia reducing pad and a bag of pyrogens is just a few minutes. Lfs recommended a 75% water change but I’m afraid that’s a little too much but I’m not sure. I have two clowns, three peppermint shrim, Coral banded shrimp and a goby/pistol shrimp pair. My tank is a 30 gal cube with a 75 gal hob bio wheel filter.

 

[savetheocean]

Was it still attached to the rock? How do you know it was dead? Pictures?

Run carbon. Is everything fine ATM?

 

[Gaines69]

It was hiding under a small cave where it moved when I first put him in. He was alive last night tentacles were up. This morning I had to move a rock and he was falling apart. The shrimp and brittle star were eating him. There was just small slimy pieces that I removed with a net.

 

[savetheocean]

It was hiding under a small cave where it moved when I first put him in. He was alive last night tentacles were up. This morning I had to move a rock and he was falling apart. The shrimp and brittle star were eating him. There was just small slimy pieces that I removed with a net.

Run carbon and do a water change. Watch the livestock.

 

[Gaines69]

How much of a water change should I do

 

[savetheocean]

I would do 50% if you can. You can do another wc in a day or two.

 

[Gaines69]

I would do 50% if you can. You can do another wc in a day or two.

I did about 10% water change. I’ll do another big one in a couple of days. Everyone is acting normal. Even my big feather duster is open. I did add a bag of Purigen and will add a bag of activated carbon tomorrow morning. Ammonia was a little high before the water change. Between .25 and .50. I will test again in a little bit.

 

[Gaines69]

Also. How long would it take before my other fish show signs of trouble? When do I know that I am out of the woods? I just lost my favorite fish Kermit( a mandarin) and now my new BTA. Not sure I could take loosing my other babies. ;(

 

[savetheocean]

Also. How long would it take before my other fish show signs of trouble? When do I know that I am out of the woods? I just lost my favorite fish Kermit( a mandarin) and now my new BTA. Not sure I could take loosing my other babies. ;(

Sorry for your losses..

If it was really bad, I bet you would have already seen it.

 

[Gaines69]

Sorry for your losses..

If it was really bad, I bet you would have already seen it.

I hope your right. As of right now everyone is still acting normally. Even my feather duster is open all the way. I’m hoping that by having a 75 gal filter on a 30 gal tank will help keep my babies healthy. I really wanted to move from a FOWLER tank to some simple corals but now I’m gun shy. I didn’t even loose a fish when I had to move my tank after Harvey. I have decided no more new babies until I’m back in a home to where I can have my tank with me. Guess I’ll put the fake anemone back in the tank. My female use to host it all the time. :)

 

[laverda]

I don’t think a bio wheel filter is up to the job your expecting of it. A mandarin usually will starve to death in a tank as small as yours. You really need to provide a lot more information to determine what happened. An anemone is 90% water, so I would not expect it dying to spike your ammonia levels. What was your ammonia level before the anemone died? What are your other parameters? How long has the tank been set up? Ammonia is toxic to fish and corals.

 

[Gaines69]

I know why my mandarin died. I purchased a fish that I didn’t realize was a pod eater. He was a much faster and more aggressive eater and he ate all my pods. My tank has been up and cycled for over a year and I have had Kermit for over 8 months. Also my manderian ate frozen but that food is no longer available. ( nutramar ova). I was feeding frozen fish eggs, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, cyclops, and copepods but he refused to eat that food. He was fat and healthy until I purchased that fish who has since been rehomed. Before I put the anemone in my ammonia was 0 which it has been at for over 8 months. I also put live copepods in my tank all the time. I have only lost these two guys since I have set up my tank. It has all live rock and live sand. My babies are fed a variety of frozen and flakes food. I have a total of three fish in my tank now. Before it was 4. I have never had an issue with my filter. It is a 75 gal filter on a 30 gal aquarium so I don’t understand why it would all of a sudden be an issue. Anemone was acting funny from the moment I put him in and I read several articles etc that said to leave him be for a few days. That’s what I did then this morning he was dead. I have talked to several people at lfs as well as read several threads on the forum as well as on other forums along with articles that all say a dead animal in your tank will more than likely cause an ammonia spike. All of my other fish, my feather duster, and my shrimp are acting normal. Keeping a close eye and planning on a second water change Monday. Adding extra carbon to go along with the bag of Purigen I added this afternoon.

 

[savetheocean]

What color was the anemone?

 

[Gaines69]

Green. Kinda a dull light green. He had nice bubbles. I put him on a rock and he crawled down and went into a cave and stayed there.

Ammonia is down to 2.5. Just added a bag of carbon to my filter. Will check again in the morning.

 

[savetheocean]

Green. Kinda a dull light green. He had nice bubbles. I put him on a rock and he crawled down and went into a cave and stayed there.

Ammonia is down to 2.5. Just added a bag of carbon to my filter. Will check again in the morning.

2.5 Ammonia? What was it before? Thats a lot..

 

[Gaines69]

It was zero right before I added the anemone. I did a 10% water change earlier today and will do another one Monday after work. It has been at zero for months. My manderian died because of my mistake of getting another pod eater that cleaned out my pod population. My tank is at a friends until my son and I find a new place to live so I didn’t notice right away that he was loosing weight. I know I messed up big time purchasing a fish without researching it first. Won’t be making that mistake again. My fish as well as my inverts etc are acting completely normal. Eating, swimming around etc. I did add extra bag of carbon as well as a bag of Purigen which said it worked on tanks up to 100 gallons. My tank is not over stocked and my sand bed is clean. No algae growth except coralline algae which is growing well. My cuc does a great job and keeping everything clean. I took a video of my tank but I am unable to upload.

 

[savetheocean]

It was zero right before I added the anemone. I did a 10% water change earlier today and will do another one Monday after work. It has been at zero for months. My manderian died because of my mistake of getting another pod eater that cleaned out my pod population. My tank is at a friends until my son and I find a new place to live so I didn’t notice right away that he was loosing weight. I know I messed up big time purchasing a fish without researching it first. Won’t be making that mistake again. My fish as well as my inverts etc are acting completely normal. Eating, swimming around etc. I did add extra bag of carbon as well as a bag of Purigen which said it worked on tanks up to 100 gallons. My tank is not over stocked and my sand bed is clean. No algae growth except coralline algae which is growing well. My cuc does a great job and keeping everything clean. I took a video of my tank but I am unable to upload.

Its okay, the reef hobby is all about learning and making mistakes. Just do those water changes!

 

[Gaines69]

Its okay, the reef hobby is all about learning and making mistakes. Just do those water changes!

Here’s a picture of the tank this morning. Everyone is doing good and acting completely normal. Even my feather duster is open all the way. ( bottom right corner of the tank).