Starving anemone

[Brew12]

My BTA is starving. It's tentacles are down to nubs. It has never eaten either the raw shrimp or fish I have tried feeding it and it spends most of its time curled up. It has moved all over my 120g tank and never stayed in one place for more than 3 days. I have had it for a little over a month.

Does my tank just have too much lighting? Do some nems just never accept being fed? I've had tiny pieces of raw fish stick to its tentacles for hours and it just won't eat them. Now, I'm not sure if he could eat if he wanted to.

Any ideas?

 

[Desmond]

I also have a nem that is pretty much the same. Seems to be moving around 1 area of the tank. I am going to soak some shrimp in garlic to see if I have any joy. Just remember that can survive on light only and some don't feed at all they just let them grab food when feeding fish. Give it some time to see if it finds a happy place. They watch it is not too close to a pump

 

[Aretes]

What kind of lighting do you have?

 

[Brew12]

What kind of lighting do you have?

Home made LED. I've had it in running at fairly low intensities most of the time I have had him since he went and hid in caves so much and I have been acclimating corals.

 

[cromag27]

Possibly not enough light. the zooxanthellae algae need light to produce a food source for the nem.

 

[Frosty Latte]

Photo please

 

[Brew12]

Possibly not enough light. the zooxanthellae algae need light to produce a food source for the nem.

I won't say it isn't possible, but he has spent the entire time in the tank either hiding in a cave or curled up tight. He's actually the reason I haven't turned my lights up higher. Maybe that was a bad call on my part.

 

[Brew12]

Photo please

Can't really get a good picture of him. He just won't come out into the open.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Need a lux meter brew?

I think you need another 100 par or more for the nem.

 

[Brew12]

Need a lux meter brew?

I think you need another 100 par or more for the nem.

I do need a lux meter but I really don't think that is the problem in this case. I just keep forgetting to order one. My SPS corals (other than the 2 I killed with an alk spike) are all doing great.

He never could find somewhere in the tank he liked. Kept hiding in caves and staying closed up. Because of this he was very hard to keep an eye on or hand feed. I tried the first week or two but even though the shrimp would stick to his tentacles, he never would eat it. I was hoping he was finding enough to eat from all the bugs in my DT but when he came out in the open again he was in very rough shape.

Makes me sad and I don't expect him to be alive when I get home. He's gotten so small I doubt he can crash the tank when he goes. He was still stuck to the rock this morning so couldn't get him out to put in a QT. Won't get another one until I upgrade my lights to something with a wider lighting spectrum and a meter to test it with.

 

[Joey waid]

I'm betting more light too. More light may give it some place to move to where it's more content.??

 

[john.m.cole3]

I have 2 BTAs and both do not respond well when fed, especially the small nub of shrimp. They wrap around it and eat it, but look kind of crappy afterwards. The tentacles get short and nubby and the mouth area swells up pretty big. Not good looking. I haven't target fed in moths and they are both doing good now. Good luck!!!
+

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Another thought besides light.

Ph.

It's often said a nem needs a mature tank.
Yes you ph test says good.
But.

If you put aragonite into salt water it will dissolve and affect the ph. Over time as it's coated with mulm and corraline and bacteria this buffer of ph is lessened.
As our tests only sample the overall ph to include all variables and not specific areas in the tank closest to ionic discharge I offer this.
It is mad because the ph of the surface of rock is to wrong and is burning it.

So.

Put it in a dish.

Sounds crazy but I had dry rock issues some time ago and this was also noted in freshwater forums killing snails.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Fwiw I've seen coral growing in the most gosh awful light you an imagine. But it was bright enough.

 

[Brew12]

Another thought besides light.

Ph.

It's often said a nem needs a mature tank.
Yes you ph test says good.
But.

If you put aragonite into salt water it will dissolve and affect the ph. Over time as it's coated with mulm and corraline and bacteria this buffer of ph is lessened.
As our tests only sample the overall ph to include all variables and not specific areas in the tank closest to ionic discharge I offer this.
It is mad because the ph of the surface of rock is to wrong and is burning it.

So.

Put it in a dish.

Sounds crazy but I had dry rock issues some time ago and this was also noted in freshwater forums killing snails.

Unfortunately, it didn't make it. I am going to wait a few month before I try another one. Never thought about the pH of the rock being different than the water but it makes sense.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Unfortunately, it didn't make it. I am going to wait a few month before I try another one. Never thought about the pH of the rock being different than the water but it makes sense.

Dang sorry man.
I learned the hard way too.
Everyone everyone said yea you can put dry sand right in.
Nope.

#scienceissilly.

 

[ngvu1]

if the nems need more light you will see them stretching towards the light. In your case, I would check the water condition. This, It's tentacles are down to nubs, is the sign of water not stable to keep nems...