What’s up with my bubble tip anemone?

[TaylorLee]

I recently got a BTA from my LFS big box store. I bought it about 2 weeks ago for a time line scale.

First few minutes it anchored it self securely towards a cave entrance my blue hippo frequented. They both were annoying each other to a point where the tang caught ice and the anemone as closed most of the time.

I moved the anemone with what I felt like was extra good care but now I’m not so sure.

When I moved the BTA it at first secured itself to the rock like when I first put it in. Looked good and healthy opening up and like it’s spot. This all happened in about 3-4 days time

About 2 days after moving anemone my pair of clownfish started to peck at it for a solid half a day and then proceeded to host it! I was so excited they took to it so soon. I’m thinking too soon for the anemone?(the Time in new spot is going on a week with no wandering) just a couple days ago the top part of BTAs foot released from the rock. It was a small portion so I didn’t think much of it. Now only a small part of the bottom of the foot is anchored on rock.

It still extends and opens up a little bit but tbh idk what’s normal and healthy with this anemone. I can’t tell if the foot is damaged and the foot is the only thing facing towards the light.

Do I have too much light on the tank? I can adjust it and I did adjust it up 25% over the 2 weeks the BTA been in my tank. For troubleshooting purposes I’m going to adjust my lights back to the original setting when I bought it just in case it is too much light for it.

Could my clowns have killed my BTA? Will it be able to recover? Should I just not mess with anything(outside of the light adjustment) and see what happens? I’ve never had an anemone before and was told it’s as easy as taking care of a fish. I’m feeling like that might’ve been a sales pitch at this point.

Pictures to show its current state. Color it was sold to me as is Green BTA

 

[ajremington68]

Pics?

 

[Jekyl]

Pics, tank age, what lighting and parameters please.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I recently got a BTA from my LFS big box store. I bought it about 2 weeks ago for a time line scale.

First few minutes it anchored it self securely towards a cave entrance my blue hippo frequented. They both were annoying each other to a point where the tang caught ice and the anemone as closed most of the time.

I moved the anemone with what I felt like was extra good care but now I’m not so sure.

When I moved the BTA it at first secured itself to the rock like when I first put it in. Looked good and healthy opening up and like it’s spot. This all happened in about 3-4 days time

About 2 days after moving anemone my pair of clownfish started to peck at it for a solid half a day and then proceeded to host it! I was so excited they took to it so soon. I’m thinking too soon for the anemone?(the Time in new spot is going on a week with no wandering) just a couple days ago the top part of BTAs foot released from the rock. It was a small portion so I didn’t think much of it. Now only a small part of the bottom of the foot is anchored on rock.

It still extends and opens up a little bit but tbh idk what’s normal and healthy with this anemone. I can’t tell if the foot is damaged and the foot is the only thing facing towards the light.

Do I have too much light on the tank? I can adjust it and I did adjust it up 25% over the 2 weeks the BTA been in my tank. For troubleshooting purposes I’m going to adjust my lights back to the original setting when I bought it just in case it is too much light for it.

Could my clowns have killed my BTA? Will it be able to recover? Should I just not mess with anything(outside of the light adjustment) and see what happens? I’ve never had an anemone before and was told it’s as easy as taking care of a fish. I’m feeling like that might’ve been a sales pitch at this point.

Pictures to show its current state. Color it was sold to me as is Green BTA

Without clear pics under white light intensity, it will be hard to offer suggestions.

 

[ajremington68]

I will say I have been successful with RBT and they are now monsters. Once I took a split over to my girlfriend's tank it had been attached to a rock on the side of the tank for 3-4 days and then its foot let go and floated over to the main rock and it walked upright under the light. So unless you cut its foot or hurt it bad, which I doubt if it is open, then it should be fine, might just let go float somewhere else and then re-attach where it wants to be. One of the hard things about nems is you cannot choose for them. So once it liked its first spot by the cave you shoulda just left it and stuff around it like the tang woulda learn to work around it or find a new spot.

 

[TaylorLee]

I recently got a BTA from my LFS big box store. I bought it about 2 weeks ago for a time line scale.

First few minutes it anchored it self securely towards a cave entrance my blue hippo frequented. They both were annoying each other to a point where the tang caught ice and the anemone as closed most of the time.

I moved the anemone with what I felt like was extra good care but now I’m not so sure.

When I moved the BTA it at first secured itself to the rock like when I first put it in. Looked good and healthy opening up and like it’s spot. This all happened in about 3-4 days time

About 2 days after moving anemone my pair of clownfish started to peck at it for a solid half a day and then proceeded to host it! I was so excited they took to it so soon. I’m thinking too soon for the anemone?(the Time in new spot is going on a week with no wandering) just a couple days ago the top part of BTAs foot released from the rock. It was a small portion so I didn’t think much of it. Now only a small part of the bottom of the foot is anchored on rock.

It still extends and opens up a little bit but tbh idk what’s normal and healthy with this anemone. I can’t tell if the foot is damaged and the foot is the only thing facing towards the light.

Do I have too much light on the tank? I can adjust it and I did adjust it up 25% over the 2 weeks the BTA been in my tank. For troubleshooting purposes I’m going to adjust my lights back to the original setting when I bought it just in case it is too much light for it.

Could my clowns have killed my BTA? Will it be able to recover? Should I just not mess with anything(outside of the light adjustment) and see what happens? I’ve never had an anemone before and was told it’s as easy as taking care of a fish. I’m feeling like that might’ve been a sales pitch at this point.

Pictures to show its current state. Color it was sold to me as is Green BTA

 

[TokenReefer]

If it's not dead it's adjusting/settling in. Let it do so. I say do nothing

 

[TaylorLee]

Here’s a pic of the long tentacle anemone I got a day or two after the BTA that’s doing good and eating

 

[Jekyl]

From the look of the rocks the tank is brand new, which isn't a good thing for nems.

 

[TokenReefer]

I watched mine move this way, using its tentacles to 'walk' along the sand. I turned off the flow when I saw this (if I recall) until it found rock structure and I turned it back on (few hr process). Idk exactly what yours is doing. I'd say remaining upside down prolonged is not normal...

 

[TaylorLee]

I appreciate the input! I’ll keep an eye on it and see what happens.

More suggestions are welcome let me know if I need more pics and what of

 

[TaylorLee]

Pics, tank age, what lighting and parameters please.

Pics are up now.

Tanks been up for about 14 months with livestock. These 2 anemones were my first purchase in the coral department. I’m not 100% sure what to test for. I do know PH is lower than I’d like it at 7.8, nitrates .5, nitrites and ammonia 0. Calcium should be good but I’ve never tested for it

 

[vetteguy53081]

The foot is not attached to anything and may be due to:
-Too much light and/or water flow
-high phosphate level
- Clowns pelting on it
- low salinity

 

[TaylorLee]

The foot is not attached to anything and may be due to:
-Too much light and/or water flow
-high phosphate level
- Clowns pelting on it
- low salinity

Salinity is 1.025 Ppm I forgot to list that. Thanks for the reminder to post it.

I did dial the lights back to their original setting when it was happy in the beginning.

I’m rocking a black box light 60W MarsAqua fixture that’s discontinued. It’s currently at 25% intensity

Water flow is kind of low compared to its original spot. It’s near the intake of the overflow box things tend to settle there now that I’ve moved it. Maybe too low of flow? I don’t want to touch it again and make it worse

 

[vetteguy53081]

Salinity is 1.025 Ppm I forgot to list that. Thanks for the reminder to post it.

I did dial the lights back to their original setting when it was happy in the beginning.

I’m rocking a black box light 60W MarsAqua fixture that’s discontinued. It’s currently at 25% intensity

Water flow is kind of low compared to its original spot. It’s near the intake of the overflow box things tend to settle there now that I’ve moved it. Maybe too low of flow? I don’t want to touch it again and make it worse

Low will cause it to shrink. While most nems are not picky about light 60wt may be insufficient as they need adequate light to build their inner energy source for color and growth known as Zooxanthellae

 

[TaylorLee]

Low will cause it to shrink. While most nems are not picky about light 60wt may be insufficient as they need adequate light to build their inner energy source for color and growth known as Zooxanthellae

It has magnifying lenses over ever LED, does that not help with the lower wattage light rating? The light originally grew coral on my brothers tank and did it well so I figured it’d be adequate?

Are you suggesting I turn it up and watch for progress?

 

[ajremington68]

It has magnifying lenses over ever LED, does that not help with the lower wattage light rating? The light originally grew coral on my brothers tank and did it well so I figured it’d be adequate?

Are you suggesting I turn it up and watch for progress?

You should put lights back to what they were once it was happy, let it settle and recover then mess with the lights. One thing I have learned is to get a target of what you want your lights and turn them up very very slowly.

 

[TaylorLee]

You should put lights back to what they were once it was happy, let it settle and recover then mess with the lights. One thing I have learned is to get a target of what you want your lights and turn them up very very slowly.

In about a year I do plan to upgrade the lights to something more powerful and controllable. I’ve got my eye on the radion xr15 and was hoping this box light would hold me over until then. I’ll turn the lights back down and see what happens. Should I at least flip it over so the foot is in the sandbed just not move it from that spot? Thanks for your time to help me troubleshoot this anemone! It’s very much appreciated

 

[ajremington68]

In about a year I do plan to upgrade the lights to something more powerful and controllable. I’ve got my eye on the radion xr15 and was hoping this box light would hold me over until then. I’ll turn the lights back down and see what happens. Should I at least flip it over so the foot is in the sandbed just not move it from that spot? Thanks for your time to help me troubleshoot this anemone! It’s very much appreciated

Erm, hard to say I wouldn't leave it upside down on the sandbed, if you could I would put it back above the cave like you mentioned earlier that it was doing good at. See if it grabs their and opens up, if not it should at least grab and move. If it doesn't might have bigger problems but worry about that then.

 

[jtf74]

It looks a little bleached to me maybe wasn’t super healthy to begin with. Btas don’t need a ton of light and I’ve kept them for years under black box leds. I would just leave it alone. Also I am of the opinion and others may disagree that clowns rarely if ever are the cause of an anemones death.