BTA in trouble?

oneradtek

oneradtek

Active Member
So my BTA has been for weeks now, looks like expelling his insides? im not to sure what it looks like but this is what mine looks like? he still opens up all big and eats. nothing is actually coming from the mouth though? Is this is trouble?
55 gal, setup for 9 months 78-79 degree water
0- nitrate
0- nitrite
0- ammonia
0 phosphate
ca- 480
8.0 ph
this pic was taken right when the actinics came on so its not quite open by any means
could this be an issue of flow? idk i need some help here
 
oneradtek

oneradtek

Active Member
its been a very happy anemone, and i hve it under 2x 150 watt MH for 8 hours a day. this is enough light right?
i noticed that it could be the flow, ive been messin with the power heads a little aiming them differently, and it was kinda blowing on the anemone kind of hard, but ive moved it as of this morning so i guess well see..... any ideas yet?
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
That appears to be its mouth kind of like puckering. I dont see it as being an issue as it looks right now. Anemones can do some funny things from time to time. Keep an eye on it, see if it worsens or changes. Expelling insides looks like spaghetti coming out. When was the last time it ate? How often are you feeding it? And what are you feeding it?
Your lighting is fine, your permeters are fine, so nothing to worry about there.
 
oneradtek

oneradtek

Active Member
i dont spot feed it usually, i heard that u dont need to? it eats mysis shrimp when i feed the tank a few usually get caught in it.....should i try a spot feed of half a cube today?
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by oneradtek
http:///forum/post/2625476
i dont spot feed it usually, i heard that u dont need to? it eats mysis shrimp when i feed the tank a few usually get caught in it.....should i try a spot feed of half a cube today?
No I wouldnt, with your lights and water chemistry your all set. If you want once every 2 weeks to once a month wont hurt it, but its benefiting from when you feed your tank, your correct there is no need. If this persists for a full day and the anemone doesnt fully inflate then I would start to worry. Are you runnng carbon?
 
oneradtek

oneradtek

Active Member
no carbon, but i should, I'm doing tap water. havent had any issues with it yet though, i just live in a apartment right now so i don't have a main water hook up for an RO/Di, but lately I've been good with tap, i test phosphates often. But when i move ina month, i will hopefully have an Ro system then
whats the regiment for carbon use?
 
oneradtek

oneradtek

Active Member
wait does it matter if the 4 filters i use for my hang on back filters have the carbon already in them? does that count as running carbon? i change them out every 2 months
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by oneradtek
http:///forum/post/2625487
no carbon, but i should, I'm doing tap water. havent had any issues with it yet though, i just live in a apartment right now so i don't have a main water hook up for an RO/Di, but lately I've been good with tap, i test phosphates often. But when i move ina month, i will hopefully have an Ro system then
whats the regiment for carbon use?
There are a lot more things that can be harmful to your tank than just phosphates when using tap. Some people use it and have no issues. IMO wouldnt chance it, but if you can test for metals preferably copper, its a start. IMO one of the biggest reasons to use RO is to eliminate this as a possibility for issues.
Originally Posted by oneradtek
http:///forum/post/2625500
wait does it matter if the 4 filters i use for my hang on back filters have the carbon already in them? does that count as running carbon? i change them out every 2 months
Yes that counts as running carbon. Some believe that carbon only benifits you for the first 2 days, others claim a week. Me personally change it every month. If left too long it can leak phosphates back into your system. IMO I wouldnt go longer than a month. If you have an anemone and or leather corals, I would defiantly recommend running carbon. JMO
 
oneradtek

oneradtek

Active Member
hmm now im being paranoid about my anemone, its been fine for the past few days, but today its just not looking healthy at all.....its taking a long time to open up too. my halides have been on for 20 minutes and it still hasnt gotten bigger?

its probably dying
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by oneradtek
http:///forum/post/2625533
hmm now im being paranoid about my anemone, its been fine for the past few days, but today its just not looking healthy at all.....its taking a long time to open up too. my halides have been on for 20 minutes and it still hasnt gotten bigger?

its probably dying

Noooo 20 minutes is not long at all, a full day is the time line. I have had mine shrivel for most of a day in the past, nothing came of it. No worries yet.
 
oneradtek

oneradtek

Active Member
still puckering, but its bigger today.....but the tentacles arent very plump, i think its always been that way too, but its still big and open.
whats it mean when teh tentacles dont get fat and plump? ive heard that they arent getting enough light? but that cant be the case in my tank?
also i notice the foot is kinda getting purple and white, not the pure white it used to be. whats that mean also?
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by oneradtek
http:///forum/post/2627433
still puckering, but its bigger today.....but the tentacles arent very plump, i think its always been that way too, but its still big and open.
whats it mean when teh tentacles dont get fat and plump? ive heard that they arent getting enough light? but that cant be the case in my tank?
also i notice the foot is kinda getting purple and white, not the pure white it used to be. whats that mean also?
Its said that deeper water BTA's have longer thinner tenticles. Where as shallow water specimens tend to be shorter fuller and fatter. I wouldnt look at this as an indication of healthy or not. The other part, the foot coloration, and still puckered... I cant say for sure. Could you post another pic to compare it to your other one? Your anemone may very well be starting to split. I wouldnt out rule that as a reason for the change in appearance and behavior.
 
oneradtek

oneradtek

Active Member
yea i was thinking/hoping that too, but my alkalinity is low.....idk why, ive heard that happens over time, so i am slowly adding a buffer to get it back to 7-8 dkh
my current specs that i tested tonight
temp-79
sal- 1.026
nitrates-0
cal- 440
alk- 5-6 dkh (possibly why the anemone is mad?)
dont have a current ph, but im getting my water tested by a chemist on monday for a very accurate reading on all parameters, API is good but not always the most accurate
 
oneradtek

oneradtek

Active Member
but also, ive heard that anemones expose their mouth when they are upset......would u call this exposing the mouth? or what the heck would u call it! haha
 
oneradtek

oneradtek

Active Member
sorry its cropped but heres the top of it today, but look at the difference in a month of time with the arms?

 
oneradtek

oneradtek

Active Member
yea already did.....thats an old pic....like a month ago, thats why its fragged, i fragged it away from the anemone.
the cropped picture that was first is the most current shot
 
oneradtek

oneradtek

Active Member

theres a shot with the whole anemone in it earlier today, u can see the puckered mouth. and how lazy the arms are and stringy.
is my alk. bad at 5-6dkh? could this be the problem?
 
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