Anemone

[kms]

Beth,
First:
-45 gal
-1 96w pc 10000k
-1 96w pc Actinic 03
-2 1w moonlights
-Emperor 400
-2 maxijet 600s
-40 lbs LS, 40 lbs LR
-1 BTA
-1 Gold Stripe Maroon (male)
-1 Yellow Tang (tang police, i am guilty i know)
Second:
-Ammonia = 0
-rites = 0
-rates = 0-5
-pH, a little low (7.8 - 8.0)
Third:
I have had a BTA for probably a year now. I ordered it from SWF.com and acclimated according to the printed procedures both sent to me and online. It had flourished for the first 9 months and readily hosted the Maroon (i will post a pic of the healthy anemone below). Then this past April I moved and had to move the tank. Before the move i had set up a QT at my new place so it would be ready to move the fish. The process was empty the 45 until i could carry it. Transfer verts to QT to live for 4 weeks, while i filled the big back up and made sure it was cycled. I continued feeding the anemone as well. The anemone, i am sure endured a lot of stress during the move, new water (not completely new), and 4 weeks without the clown. It moved all over the tank. Finally i moved the verts back in. After a couple weeks of regular feeding and hosting, the anemone began to look a little better. Then i added moonlights and have been using those at night liberally. Not all night every night, maybe 2 -3 nights a week. I dont think this is casueing the problem though. It has remained very small (not like it was below) since the move. Recently, it has been in the top left corner under my powerhead and although not bleached, does not look very good. today i noticed a skin/slime on the anemone, as if it were shedding. It looks very distressed (see sick picture below).
My questions:
-do you know of any diseases prone to anemones?
-if you say not enough lighting, why would it have looked as healthy as the other anemones for such a long time?
-based on your experience how should i go about returning the anemone to healthy?
i know there are several professionals out there, so please...lay it on me. I am not afraid of flaming and i dont take forums personally. I am not a professional, however, judging by my post, I am sure you will see that i am also not a beginner. i am simply trying to save a life!
Thank you for all of your advice!!!!

 

[kms]

sick anemone? what are characteristics of an anemone before it splits? Could this be it? Am i having babies?

 

[kms]

healthy anemone from date of purchase (last summer from SWF.com) until around april.

 

[beth]

I'll be honest with you, I am not "knowledgable" about anemones. I mod the disease forum because I know a thing or 2 about Fish diseases.
However, I can say that the 2nd pic there does not look that healthy to me. BTA should be bloated and bubbled. I firmly believe it is the lights. I too am loosing a BTA at the momemt just because they are supposed to be more forgiving of light requirements. The amt of watts really does not matter. PC and VHO, which is what I have, just does not have the intensity that these animals need.
Also, anemones do require stable aged tank, which your didn't get.
The anemone is obviously on his way out, as per the 1st pic.
I'm going to copy this thread over to the Clownfish/Anemone Forum for further input.
Sorry.

 

[thomas712]

Your anemone looks as though it took some damage to the upper portion of the trunk, however the fact that it did not decline in just a few days says to me that it is fighting for a comeback. When looking at your pic I would have said to get him out as well, once its on its way out it doesn't take long.
With what is going on with your BTA I would be running carbon and changing the carbon every few days to keep the water clean of chemicals that may be being given off from the BTA. I would suggest running the carbon for 3 days, then off for a day, then run a fresh batch for another 3 days.
keep your water quaility as high as you can. What test kit did you use to test your nitrates? You have absolutly zero nitrates? I envy you.
How is the BTA now?
Thomas

 

[roadrunner]

KMS - what type of lighting do you have?

 

[kms]

roadrunner - see above...not much but like I mentioned the BTA did very well under the same lights for quite a long time.
Thomas - I know it has been a while, but it seems like you have extensive knowlege on anemones and I would like you help in getting it back to its original health.
Obviously, she has not parted yet. She has not declined anymore, but remains small, almost deflated all the time. She restes in the back left corner behind a rock and remains open, but not inflated (about 1.5 - 2" diameter). I have not seen the fleshy irritation that she had in the picture again since that one day. She also closes up when the lights go on so I assume she is feeding (off of her tenticles) on the natural phyto in my tank. I feed her regularly with a turkey baster, formula II about every 2 -3 days.
I have recently (last monday) added an AquaC Remora Pro, so my water conditions should be increasing drastically over the next week or so. I assume my next step to nurture her back to BTA-ism should be an MH setup (and believe me, thats next on my list), I just want to maintain her until then.
I have a lot of evaporation which makes me topoff with @ 2 gallons every 3-4 days or so. I use water from a local grocery store that fills the 5 gal jugs with "drinking" water. It advertisies that it is run through a RO filter and a UV sterilizer, all for $0.39 per gallon. Not bad, huh? That is how I think my nitrates remain so low, the top off and water changes about once or twice a month.
Please advise on any ways you may know of to help my BTA. Like I said, she is still kicking, moving around, full of zooxanthellae, just really small and too small to be a host for my 2 yr old gold stripe maroon.

 

[thomas712]

Questions:
1. How does that wound look now?
2. When you have done a water change, did you notice the anemone perk up at all?
3. Have you ever tested for stray voltage?
4. Current salinity, ph, calcium and alkalinity?
Got an updated pic.

 

[kms]

1. the wound is fine. it cleared right up a few days later.
2. the only time the tentacles seem to inflate is when I hand feed it meaty foods. But it returns to it deflated state after it has ingested the food.
3. i have never tested for stray voltage. how would i got about doing that?
4. i will include updated water params and a pic when i get home from work @ 5:30 EST. Are there specific tests that are good for calcium and alkalinity? I obly have a salt master kit...Nitrates, Nitrites, pH, and ammonia. I also have strips that test "hardness" and possibly alk. I don't use the strips much.

 

[kms]

here is my tank