BTA struggling, advise please

trish&dave

trish&dave

Member
We know we were on the aggressive side getting an anemone already (tank is 3 1/2 months old), but wanted something for our clown. We have two false percs and a maroon. The maroon is currently hosting the green BTA and it is struggling. We have had it for 2 weeks. Everything was fine at first, now the tenacles (think that is what they are called) are completely retracted, but still green (pictures coming). It has acted like it wants to move, but has not yet. It is more than half way up the tank.
Currently in the tank: Frogs spawn, kenya tree, toad stool, star polyps, several mushrooms, candy cains, green slimer, stags horn, and two different kind of zoos. Our fish mix are as follows: 2 damn damsels (yellow tail), a yellow tang, six line wrasse, coral beauty angle and the above clowns (we are trying to catch the damsels and are probably going to get rid of the false percs). Water parameters (just tested):
Temp: 80
SG/Sal: 30 and 1.024
NO2&3: 0
Ammonia: 0
PO4: 0
Alk: 3.3
Calcium: 325
We have a 56 gallon tall with a 20 gallon long refug (calp., sand, mud, rock). Our lighting is Orbit PC with 8 bulbs and 396 watts. We have a auto top off that I have been dosing with Kalk. Since I started the Kalk, we have been struggling with keeping our Calcium levels maintained at 450. On sunday we tested it at 375 and dosed with Kent calcium. Yesterday we tested calcium at 375 and today it is at 325. We recently bought some reef salt (reef crystal) to help maintain calcium through water changes.
Everything else looks GREAT and is growing! Does low calcium hurt an anemone? Could the clown be hurting it? I did read they need to be 2x the size of the maroon, did not know that. Just looking for suggestions, cannot figure it out why a slimer and staghorn would be doing great and the anemone is struggling. Just do not want to loose it. Any suggestions are appreciated!
 
trish&dave

trish&dave

Member
By the way, we are adding a canopy this weekend with a 250 watt MH and 2 antic blue T-5 24". Just wondering if anyone thinks it will make it if you think lighting is the reason for it struggling. We plan to add egg crates below canopy to filter light for the first few weeks to reduce stress. How high should the lights be above the water? I have someone building the canopy, but though I would ask suggestions as well. The original plan has them 4 1/2" from the water.
Any comments on placement of corals in the above picture would be welcome as well (and set up). Especially since we are adding more powerful lights. We have the candy cains high, think we are going to move them down. What about the slimer and stagshorn? How do you move an anomone if it needs more light?
Sorry for the rambling, just have alot going on and want to make the happy!!!! Thanks for the advice!
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
No calcium wont do that to your anem. IMO your maroon clown is loving it to death. A maroon clown is known to be one of the most aggressive species and that includes hosting. When you intention is to pair a maroon with an anemone it is recomended you get an anemone much larger than the clown host. And by much larger I mean at least 4x larger than the fish. Separating the 2 for a while and seeing how the anemone recovers maybe your only choice.
 
trish&dave

trish&dave

Member
What does the fish do to stress the anemone? Basically how does it love it to death? We cannot even put anything near it! He knocked over several things we attempted to put close to it. Does the clown need that much light? We have a PC and a plant light for our mangrove trees. We leave them the PC on for 24 hours.
Any comments on the placement of the other coral when we add our MH canopy?
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by trish&dave
http:///forum/post/2548975
What does the fish do to stress the anemone? Basically how does it love it to death? We cannot even put anything near it! He knocked over several things we attempted to put close to it. Does the clown need that much light? We have a PC and a plant light for our mangrove trees. We leave them the PC on for 24 hours.
Any comments on the placement of the other coral when we add our MH canopy?
LOL I thought you were going to relocate the anemone. Sorry, no the clown will do just fine in your fuge. The aggressive way the clown hosts is what kills the anemone. Its basically irritating the animal so much it stresses it out to the point of death. Very common for maroons to do this to small anemones, and any clown to do this to soft or LPS corals.
 
trish&dave

trish&dave

Member
Would you recommend the clown or the anemone? How do you get an anemone to detach from the rock? I think I would rather move the clown, probably easier.
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by trish&dave
http:///forum/post/2548997
Would you recommend the clown or the anemone? How do you get an anemone to detach from the rock? I think I would rather move the clown, probably easier.
Yea the clown would be my choice.
 
acrid

acrid

Member
Hah, I am in the EXACT same situation if that makes you feel any better.
Good luck to us both!
 
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