What is poisoning my BTAs?

[pixelhustler]

I have been trying to add a BTA to my tank, and both times they lasted less than 48h.

I have tried 2 aquacultured nems, a Rose and a Rainbow. Both times the process was exactly the same: I place them on my main rock, flow off for 60minutes, they attach and open just fine. Overnight they let go and fall on the sand, balloon, mouth wide open, mesenterial filaments showing and start melting by the following day.

Alk 8.9 stable via Alkatronic
Ca 500
Mg 1350
Nitrate 5
Phosphate .02
Ph in the high 7s/low 8s with skimmer airline piped to the outside

My aquarium is a 2 year old 50g tank but I’ve had my live rock in a different tank since 2020. I have several mini carpet anemones, a bunch of mushrooms, and some LPS. I do have cyano after my nutrients went too low and currently trying to bring those back up. I had a bunch of snails die off during the initial cyano outbreak, I attributed it to cyano but after seeing my nem’s demise I’m wondering if it’s due to a different pollutant?

I really want a nem dominant tank but I’m hesitant to try again given the poor results. Any ideas?

 

[pixelhustler]

Pictures the night of the introduction. After it let go off the main rock.

 

[Dragen Fiend]

Yea that's odd unless they were never healthy to begin with. Have you done an ICP test recently?
Running activated carbon? Something is not adding up if carpet anemones are fine.

And do I see black sand?

 

[pixelhustler]

Yea that's odd unless they were never healthy to begin with. Have you done an ICP test recently?
Running activated carbon? Something is not adding up if carpet anemones are fine.

And do I see black sand?

Yes, I’m stumped. They looked open and healthy at the store, I watched how they were pulled (carefully) and checked the foot for any tears. Everything seemed okay.

I think the black on the image is the bottom glass, I have a very shallow sandbed and some spots towards the front are just glass. And some cyano I’m dealing with.

I run carbon and actually doubled my dose prior to adding the second anemone. And no ICP since 2022. I had slightly elevated levels of tin and lithium in 2021. 4 ug/l of tin (target is 0), 386 ug/l of lithium (target is 200). Per @Randy Holmes-Farley those lithium levels aren't dangerous and were probably from Reef Crystals salt.

 

[Dragen Fiend]

Yes, I’m stumped. They looked open and healthy at the store, I watched how they were pulled (carefully) and checked the foot for any tears. Everything seemed okay.

I think the black on the image is the bottom glass, I have a very shallow sandbed and some spots towards the front are just glass. And some cyano I’m dealing with.

hmm I just don't know of anything off the top of my head to see them deteriorate that quick. You can try doing a water change prior to adding them and see how they behave. If they last longer then its something to do with your water. If not, I really have no clue. Unless they are struggling with flow.