Issues with Anemones

[dannyd_]

Hello everyone. I have been recently having issues with my GBTA, I have had it for coming up on a year and a half and it had been shrinking up recently for the past month. I had an issue with an alk spike recently, but it is back under control. I recently got a rock flower anemone and it is behaving the exact same way (closed up with puffy mouth). Besides the alk spike the only changes I made was fritz salt, which I switched to from Red Sea in October 4th, however I switched back as the tank responded poorly to it two water changes later (two weeks) . All other coral and inhabitants look great except these two. Also if it has any significance my clam hasn’t been opening up as much recently. Tank is coming up on two and a half years old.
Salinity: 1.025
Alkalinity: 8.23
Calcium: 440
Magnesium: 1440
Nitrate: 15

Before

Past month ish

October 19th

Today

 

[dannyd_]

bump

 

[dannyd_]

Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[dannyd_]

one more try, anemones not looking good

 

[dannyd_]

Please somebody I have been testing like there is no tomorrow and can't figure it out

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

@encrustingacro? @kevgib67?

 

[kevgib67]

Sorry, my 18 years of reefing I have never had anemones. I don’t have any knowledge. @Anemone_Fanatic ?

 

[kevgib67]

@jda ?

 

[kevgib67]

Hopefully soon these experts will chime in.

 

[dannyd_]

Yes hopefully, thank you

 

[encrustingacro]

@encrustingacro? @kevgib67?

Sorry; not very knowledgeable with anemones

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

@encrustingacro @kevgib67 my bad, anyone know a R2R nem expert?

 

[kevgib67]

@encrustingacro @kevgib67 my bad, anyone know a R2R nem expert?

I think I have it covered, just waiting for them to chime in. I wish I could be more help.

 

[kevgib67]

Yes hopefully, thank you

Wow, I just went through your build thread. Are you an engineer student? I’m really impressed.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello everyone. I have been recently having issues with my GBTA, I have had it for coming up on a year and a half and it had been shrinking up recently for the past month. I had an issue with an alk spike recently, but it is back under control. I recently got a rock flower anemone and it is behaving the exact same way (closed up with puffy mouth). Besides the alk spike the only changes I made was fritz salt, which I switched to from Red Sea in October 4th, however I switched back as the tank responded poorly to it two water changes later (two weeks) . All other coral and inhabitants look great except these two. Also if it has any significance my clam hasn’t been opening up as much recently. Tank is coming up on two and a half years old.
Salinity: 1.025
Alkalinity: 8.23
Calcium: 440
Magnesium: 1440
Nitrate: 15

Before

Past month ish

October 19th

Today

While alk and other parameters such as low salinity, high temp and elevated phosphate can affect them, often it is a change in light and water flow.
When an anemone shrinks, its frequently due to too little light interrupting the creation of zooxanthellae which is their energy and color source. Too much flow and they hide as well as by too much light.
Starvation is another effect. Feed them 2-3X a week with chopped krill and some mysis

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Wow, I just went through your build thread. Are you an engineer student? I’m really impressed.

Wow you're right! @dannyd_ That tank is amazing, you should sell them. I would definitely buy one!

 

[dannyd_]

While alk and other parameters such as low salinity, high temp and elevated phosphate can affect them, often it is a change in light and water flow.
When an anemone shrinks, its frequently due to too little light interrupting the creation of zooxanthellae which is their energy and color source. Too much flow and they hide as well as by too much light.
Starvation is another effect. Feed them 2-3X a week with chopped krill and some mysis

I will note that I had a significant light change, about a year ago I switched to a radion g5, but it had been doing well for a better part of those 8 months. I did also change my flow recently, not the strength but just the powerheads location. Even then I wouldn't say that it is getting blown to pieces at all. The rock flower is in a place of lower flow, and it is still struggling. As for feeding, I can feed going forward, but I hadn't been feeding (maybe once a month max) and it was doing well for the first year and a half, even splitting once. Not quite sure where to go, I am close to throwing in the towel and giving them away.

 

[dannyd_]

Wow you're right! @dannyd_ That tank is amazing, you should sell them. I would definitely buy one!

Also thank you, very flattered. I need to update that thread, as many things have changed. I am actually not even currently using that setup, as it became difficult to transfer it around (had to bring it back during vacations from college). But I still have it, if you truly would like to buy it. I feel it would be difficult to compete with companies developing AIOs, but a dream of mine would be to somehow be involved in the saltwater aquarium industry and I wish this was a plausible way.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Also thank you, very flattered. I need to update that thread, as many things have changed. I am actually not even currently using that setup, as it became difficult to transfer it around (had to bring it back during vacations from college). But I still have it, if you truly would like to buy it. I feel it would be difficult to compete with companies developing AIOs, but a dream of mine would be to somehow be involved in the saltwater aquarium industry and I wish this was a plausible way.

Wish you best of luck with that! Though curious, what setup are you running now?

 

[dannyd_]

Right now I currently have a ten gallon ada60f with aquaclear ten and radion g5. A drastic change, but it is easier to transport.