Whats wrong with my BTA's!!!!

rostato

rostato

Member
Heres the scoop. I started out with one BTA in my 12G tank with 32 watts of PC lighting. Then it split after about 4 months of owning him.
Now its been over a year since they split and they were growing like crazy, hosting my perc, eating well, and wewre sticky to the touch.
The both of them got too big for my nano, so I just finished upgrading to a 46G tank with 234 watts of T5 lighting.
I moved them over to my 46 after it cycled and I added the clean up crew and then the 2 clowns.
The tank has been up for about three weeks. Now listen, I bought live rock from a friend that was in his 65G tank for over 2 years... and the tank only took 2 days to cycle. I waited another week to add the cuc and fish. Then another to add the BTA's.
The PH, Temp, Sal, Nitirite, Nitrate, Ammonia, Phos, Cal, Kh, all match up from one tank to another perfectly so I never did an aclimation on them.
They are both on the same rock and it's HUGE, so that also played a big role in the non-acclimation process.
So, now they barely open up, are not sticky to the touch, and will not eat. There mouths are still closed, and they have not moved from they're original spots.
So, today I moved them back to the small tank away from the clowns to see if they get better. Any other suggestions?
I also moved over my finger leather and mushrooms and yellow polyps when I moved the anemones.
They all seemed fine except an abundance of brown hair algae in the 46G tank that has gotten out of control made me move them back to the small tank also.
My only logical explanation to the sick anemones is the bigger surplus of flow in the tank, the higher light, or the brown hair algae. Any other ideas?
Both tank params read this
Sal 1.025 (refractometer)
PH 8.1-2ish
Nitirte 0PPM
Nitrate 0PPM
Ammonia 0PPM
Phosphate 0PPM
KH 179 PPM
Calcium 460 PPM
Water in the 46 is RO/DI with o TDS
water in 12 G is tap...
 
alexknight

alexknight

Member
Im not the man on Anemones. I know a little, she could be getting use to the light going from 32 watts of PC lighting to 234 watts of T5 lighting. seems quite the jump and prob socked her. she just needed to get use to it.
I have a BTA that I saved from a LFS that lost all of its Zooanthella completely white, ( they had sh!t lighting. ) it was about 2 weeks before it came completely out from under a rock and now is fully open under my MH. I would keep a close eye on it and try to feed it.
Im sure someone else here will be more helpful but thats my .02 hope it helps. If you go to google and look up karens rose anemones its very helpful.
 
iowafish

iowafish

Member
Ditto what Alexknight said -- shock from the new, brighter lights may have something to do with what you're seeing. Can you move the anemone down in the tank some until it has time to adjust?
Also, any chance that your friend would have treated his/her tank with something that might still be leaching out of the rock? Just brainstorming...
KH
 
alexknight

alexknight

Member
I just though of this. Where in the tank is she up top or on the sand bed? with water flow. if she is unhappy she will move there is nothing you can do about it. I have seen some, right next to a power head with LOTS of flow and very happy along with some in the corner of the tank with very little.
do you have any picture's
I agree with IOWAFISH ask your friend what he/she what was adding to the tank.
 
rostato

rostato

Member
They were about mid level in the tank and kinda near the koralia 2. They did seem to look better during night time.
They were in the big tank for about 5 days before I mved them back to the small one today. So far no improvement.
 
rostato

rostato

Member
I did forget to mention that the Calcium and KH in the small tank were not tested. Oops.
Also, the new tank is next to a window that has wood blinds and some light was filtering through. Yesterday I put up curtians to cure that.
I really cannot figure out why I have the algae problem. I am going to do another 20% water change on my 46G and my weekly 50% on the nano tomorrow and see how everything looks again.
I have seen people transfer sand and rock from tanks at the same house and never even get a cycle (my 12G included, from my old 72G) so I definatly believe the 46 cycled after 2 days.
All test kits are API and the only ones that are older than a year are nitrate ammonia, nitirte and PH. ALL other are brand new.
Also I think the algae is from a surplus of bubbles that I cannot figure out. see pic. I have a sponge bubble trap and my protein skimmer is still not pulling anything out of the tank. It's an Aqua c Urchin. I have had one before and it only took a week to break in.
TANK

Anemones in the 12G again...mouths not open, it's not looking good. they usually only look like this for 6 hours each week. It's been over three days!
 
invertcrazy

invertcrazy

Member
My guess is that they are stressed from moving them into a newly cycled tank and then moving them back to the established tank. Your tank should be well established before adding an anemone( 4 to 6 months) although some people have had success after a month or two. Give them a couple of days and keep an eye on them. As stated before, they need time to get adjusted to the different lighting. Just my .02
 
rostato

rostato

Member
OK so can anyone tell me why they need an established tank? If all the parameters are in check then why do they need a tank that has just been sitting longer? It really doesnt make sense to me???
 
rod buehle

rod buehle

Member

Originally Posted by rostato
http:///forum/post/2707149
OK so can anyone tell me why they need an established tank? If all the parameters are in check then why do they need a tank that has just been sitting longer? It really doesnt make sense to me???

Because all new tanks go through some sort of cycles. It may not be a nitrogen cycle (Ammonia>Nitrite>Nitrate> )but other cycles.. Alk swings (which equals pH swings) different algae cycles are in evadable. If conditions are changing/swinging, your anemone will likely move . Also, You will have diatoms, and likely hair and cyano . But one of the worst cycles to deal with is dinoflagellites. and it surely appears that you have dinos.
All of that being said, the recommended time of 6 months is not only for the tank to mature, but more so for the hobbyists to gain experience. Experience enough to recognize the problems that may cause your anemone harm. Problems like dinoflagellites.
 
rostato

rostato

Member
I have been keeping tanks for a while. I guess I just got cocky...What the hell is dinoflagellites. I have never heard of these. I thought I was going through the diatom cycle.
 
rod buehle

rod buehle

Member
Dino's are a type of algae that is difficult to get rid of . Some say that water changes only fuel the dinos. Keep pH up high with kalk dosing, increase skimming for better oxygenation and better removal. Also increase flow for better oxygen (which will raise pH) Run a good carbon aggressively and change often (daily). Siphon and or trap as much as you can in some filter floss and clean that immediately. Jam some in your overflows or sump,.. blow the rocks off with a baster or powerhead,.. let the floss catch it, and then throw the floss away. ( go to a wall mart and get some polyester pillow stuffing from the craft section. )
Worst case.. shut the lights down for 3-4 days (but the rest of the animals dont care for that option too much)
Good luck
 
rostato

rostato

Member
Hmm, well after my water change the other day and pruning the algea since it seems to be under control...
I am going to keep an eye on it and get some new filter material.
 
huggie

huggie

Member
I was up till 2:00a.m.,reading karen's web sit on rose anemones, what a
great read, their is so much info. thier,I think I just might try to put one
in my tank again.
Thank you for showing me the web-site
 
rostato

rostato

Member
Just an update. Both anemones look great and are eating well. They are still in my nano for the time being.
I have just about cured the new tank of the dinoflagnites (spelling) outbreak with numerous water changes, filter sock changes, and 4 days of lights out. I still get a little bit on the rocks by the end of the day, but the CUC takes care of it at night. As soon as that is stable I will start adding more stuff. The anemones will have to wait for a few more months. I have learned my lesson...
Here is a pic of them this morning!
EDIT... I really need to clean the acrylic...
 
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