RBTA trouble...

[allboutthe305]

Finally got my hands on a RBTA I liked from my LFS. Been fine for the first two days now his insides are going in and out over and over. He's still bubbles up every once in a while but not continuous. I tried to feed it to see what would happen he sucked back in and a few minutes later came back out. And now it's just a repeat.

Here's my tank and parameters:
55 gallon, 2-Kessil A160WE, 2-54w T5HO ATI coral plus and blue plus, 1100gph main pump, 850gph power head, reef octopus 110SSS skimmer. (T5 Lights on around hours 5 hours a day, Kessils 8 hours 65% max)

Salinity 1.025
Temp 78
Ph 8.0
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Calcium 450
Alk 10
Mag 1380
Phosphates 0.16

If I forgot anything let me know.

 

[mochaclownlover]

He appears to be bleached. Did the foot have any cuts/damage when you got him?

 

[allboutthe305]

Not that I saw any. I did notice he was a bit pink to be a rose but I still got it anyway [emoji53].

Anyway to bring the color back?

 

[mochaclownlover]

Just try to keep him in a well lit area and feed him regularly. What kind of flow do you have for your tank? He might want more flow.

 

[allboutthe305]

1100gph main pump and 800gph power head.

He moved during the night to a area with barely any light and barely any flow.

 

[Wiz]

I think flow is very important. Jmo

 

[WetWhistle]

When Anemone are bleached flow is very important. As they need to actively feed to make up for the reduced Zooxanthellae. I like to soak the food I am feeding them with something like AminOmega to give them the extra nutrition they need at this time. Make sure if you are feeding them shrimp that it is cut into little pieces as they tend to regurgitate larger pieces in my experience when bleached. Keep in mind every time it regurgitates it uses up needed energy.

Your nutrients are to low at 0 as well. Your reef inhabitants need a little for metabolic processes. When Anemone eat they don't only get food from the Zooxanthellae or from active feeding. They also get some nutrition from passive feeding like nutrient uptake\ absorption. At times like this I like to take my turkey baster and blow on some rocks to stir up a little detritus into the water every day. Detritus is nutrient packed and easily eaten and absorbed through the tissue. I would do something soon as when they gape or expend the insides like that a lot it is not in a good state.

 

[mochaclownlover]

Any updates?

 

[ngvu1]

How old is the tank? Nems in general are not doing well in new tanks. Your nem looks OK to me actually. It might be adjusting to your tank. People do not normally feed new nems for a week at least. They cannot digest as they are still adapting. The most I would feed new nems after a week is mysis. On the side note, nems are very tough. People cut a nem in multiple pieces and the manage to grow back the missing parts. If your water is good, it will come back in no time. Just leave it alone and continue observing it.

 

[allboutthe305]

Sorry was at work. I've been trying to feed him small mysis shrimp, baby frozen krill, he won't eat nothing.

I haven't found a way to get my nutrients up. I even feed a whole cube to them and nothing gets left behind.

My tank is a year and half. He's the only new thing in 4 months.

He just doesn't look healthy or right at any way. I'll post a picture now.

 

[allboutthe305]

That's what his current condition looks like [emoji20]

 

[ngvu1]

looks OK to me. It just has not been able to find a rock to mount on yet but it will. These guy walks everywhere until...
When the mouth is open and the tentacles are deflating,,, then you should be worried.

 

[allboutthe305]

 

[allboutthe305]

It moved from a pile of rocks to nothing on its own. Seems like it's going down hill pretty fast. Just not sure when to remove it before it destroy my tank

 

[allboutthe305]

It's almost like it's trying to turn itself inside out or something because now his guts are on the bottom of him. And his mouth is shut...

I'm completely lost.

Can anyone help me out?

 

[jayjigga]

It moved from a pile of rocks to nothing on its own. Seems like it's going down hill pretty fast. Just not sure when to remove it before it destroy my tank

Unless it's a HUGE nem, I think you'll be able to remove it when it's time. Most established systems around your sized tank can handle a small nem going south. What else in the tank that might not enjoy the extra waste? As far as the nem itself, does it have a good foot hold or is it just loosely wandering the sand? Make sure you give it a nice crevice for the foot and leave the pumps off long enough for it to attach.

 

[allboutthe305]

It's not that large. But not small. So I guess medium size.

It's kinda loose barely holding. I had the pumps off the first day and it attached right away then it walked last night to where it is now and now it's grabbing and letting go back and fourth.

But is it normal for that stuff to becoming out of the bottom of it?

 

[jayjigga]

Definitely not "normal" but not always the beginning of the end. It might still be getting used to your light and/or water params, so it might still pull through. I would definitely try to get it some rock to attach to. A large, btw, to me is 8-12+ inches, small being anything from 0-3". I lost an rbta about 6" closed up to a gyre over Labor day weekend and no one flinched, but my filtration is on the heavy side.

 

[ngvu1]

Did the foot get damage when you removed it from the previous environment? Anyway, try not to let it face down. I would put it some where it can recover.

 

[allboutthe305]

Okay cool thanks jayjigga.

There was no damage that I saw anywhere on it.

Woke up this morning and it's crawling up another one of my rocks completely open with its mouth closed. So hopefully that's a good sign and he recovers.