Green BTA not eating

[Thraciandrummer]

Well now the anemone is not only behind a rock but completely closed up. I am not sure what the problem is. He was fine for weeks then just decided to move to a very low flow/light area and close up. Any ideas as to what the issue could be?

 

[twilliard]

Sounds like he might be a little stressed. I have noticed through the years that they will move and hide while they settle down. I had a rainbow that did the same thing now he is doing just fine.
as long as he stays open then he should be ok.

 

[Thraciandrummer]

Well since that post, he has remained in the same spot, but opened up fully until the lights when out for the night in the tank. When I woke up this morning he was in the same spot closed up completely again. He seems to close up when the lights are off and open up when the lights come on and the fish start to swim around. Is this normal behavior? I worry now that I wont be able to feed it like I was starting to do. He is in a tough spot to get long tweezers with food to.

 

[twilliard]

Ya my anemones close up at night sometimes. They always come out as soon as the light starts to ramp up.
just their normal process

 

[Thraciandrummer]

Good to know. Weird little creatures these things are. Anyway, I guess he's healthy, just didn't like where he was originally. Unfortunately for me, I now have a $35 awesome anemone that no one will see because he's behind a large rock.

 

[twilliard]

When he is all happy again he will come out to search for the light and flow.
Keep a close eye on it though if you are able to cause if he parishes they make a huge mess of the water!

 

[Thraciandrummer]

Yes I have been reading about the mess they can make of the water if they die. I am going on vacation in like a month, so I am hoping it gives me some kind of sign as to its future before then. The last thing I need is this this to die and crash my tank while I am on vacation. I check my water parameters each week and yesterday just happened to be the day I have scheduled to test the water. I suspected him moving could maybe be a sign of a water quality change. Everything was normal though, Ammonia 0, Nitrites 0, Nitrates 0, PH 8.2, phosphates .25, temp steady at 78. I have recently started running a BRS dual carbon and GFO reactor so I am hoping the Phosphates will be down to zero very soon. Water quality isn't the issue it seems. I have two Hydor Koralia powerheads, that I think do a great job, along with my two return lines, to move water around, and I have an Orbit Marine Current USA LED light that is on from 1pm to 11pm each day. If lighting or flow is an issue I can try to remedy that, but I think I have the right lighting and equipment for a BTA.

 

[twilliard]

Did you add the reactor after you put the anemone in?
oh I missed one thing. What's your ALK at?

 

[Thraciandrummer]

Yes. I added the reactors to the sump this past weekend. Why do you think the reactors affected the anemone in some way? Not sure how that would affect it.

 

[twilliard]

Stripped water will stress it also

 

[Thraciandrummer]

So you're saying running carbon and GFO has stripped the water of things the anemone needs to survive? Should I stop running the reactor or stop running either the carbon or GFO?

 

[twilliard]

On no not saying to quit running it (I would get flamed) if I did lol
Anemones believe it or not are just as sensitive as say SPS corals they just show it a lot faster.
also not saying they like dirty water.
there is a balance between water parameters and lighting that anemones like.

 

[twilliard]

Here is one of mine under a ton of lighting in my SPS tank.
the tank is fed 5 times a day

 

[malira]

It's not that the water is "stripped" or running cleaner, it probably the change. Give it time to adapt. Consistent water parameters is always the key. Changes should be slow. Remember,"Nothing good ever happens fast in a saltwater aquarium. "

 

[Thraciandrummer]

You know maybe he got stressed because I did do a 15% water change (about 20 gallons) the day after I started running the carbon and GFO. The combination of the water change and the carbon and GFO probably stressed it out. So sounds like the general consensus is to just leave it be and watch it to make sure it isn't actually dying. Again, he moved yesterday and was fully opened up the whole time the lights were on (though hiding behind a rock), but closes up or shrinks when the lights go out. BTW Twilliard, that's a beautiful nem!

 

[malira]

When I added a nem to my 10g IM it did the same thing for a several days. Opening up is a good sign.

 

[Thraciandrummer]

Ok good to know. This nem was put in my tank a little over a month ago, and almost immediately found a rock and planted itself there wide open. Stayed there till just yesterday. Honestly this is the first time it's even started to explore the tank.

 

[Thraciandrummer]

So today I decided to move the rock the nem was hiding behind because the nem was getting no flow and it was basically in darkness constantly. Also he was closing up more and more. As soon as I moved the rock he opened up a bit and I tried to feed him. Took the picture attached. He is holding a freeze dried krill I gave him but he won't eat it. Does this nem look unhealthy?

 

[4FordFamily]

I currently have 11 rbta, and I have not fed them in over 5 years. Literally.

They split all the time and some are enormous.

 

[malira]

A healthy nem does not need to be fed. If a stressed nem is fed and it doesn't have the energy/ability to digest the food, it will rot in its stomach.