Help with BTA and Hammer Coral

gabcris · 07/06/2014, 04:55 PM

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum and wanted too see if you guys could help me out.

I have a 29gal biocube that has been running for almost 4 months (3 months with fish). The tank has the regular fluorecent tube and the actinic was replaced by a panorama ecoxotic led.

3 days ago I got a BTA and 3 hammer heads. The nem was attacched to a piece of live rock and it has held on to it since.

On day 1: the nem was acclimted over an hour and change. It opened up to then closed halfway and remain like that since. The hammer opened up really nicely.

Day 2: nem continued halfway closed, hammers open

Day 3: left early am for a trip, hammers looked the same and nem as well.

Day 4: came back from trip at 11am and nem is still halfway closed and 2 of the three hammer heads look bad. See pictures.

Any ideas of what should I be looking for? Thanks for your help!!

Tank inhabitants: three ocellaris, 1 royal gramma, 2 peppermint shrimps, three stalks of kenya tree, several hermits (one of them large-ish) and other cleaning crew folks.

Water parameters are:

Temp: 80.4 (morning low 79 evening hi 80.9)
Sal: 1.024
Ph: 8.0 (trying to boost it up)
kH: 11
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20
Phosphates: <.25 API
Calcium: 500

james30ct · 07/06/2014, 06:40 PM

Your alk and calcium are high. Are you dosing anything? I wouldnt worry about adjusting ph.

gabcris · 07/06/2014, 07:02 PM

Thanks James,

I have been adding the ESV B-Ionic as recommended on the bottle. That's about it.

ReeferBill · 07/06/2014, 07:31 PM

How old is your tank? If your tank is not at least 6 months to a year old the good bacteria have not had time to build up to a sufficient amount to support euphylias and anemonies. Also keep an eye on your alkalinity and salinity because constant use of ESV 2 part tends to raise both.(Good Product I use it!)

gabcris · 07/06/2014, 10:17 PM

Thanks Bill,

The tank is 4 months. The LFS guy had "recommended" 4 months when I started seeing good growth of coralline algae.

In any case, I have been reading a lot about nems in karensroseanemones.net and just realized the bunch of mistakes I made.

To begin with, the nem is starved/bleached so that in itself poses a huge challenge. I fed it and it struggled a lot to eat, but after eating it looks like it got enough energy to detach itself from the piece of rock that it came with. We'll see tomorrow AM where it goes.

Amoo · 07/06/2014, 10:58 PM

Just a guess, but I would guess it's ****ed because it didn't get properly acclimated to the lighting and that's why it's mad. Alk and kH are high, but they're not at a "so high I would panic" level. I would be much more suspicious of light intensity if everything else in your tank is doing fine.

shesacharmer · 07/07/2014, 08:00 AM

I found karensroses also after my first anemone found a pump intake the first day I got it. I was heartbroken. Make sure your intakes are covered up if your anemone is moving around. My second anemone was a true infant (only 3 weeks old) and threw up it's stomach the first time I fed it...but survived and is now thriving. They are not all that easy to keep nor for the faint of heart. Good luck. I think if yours settles and you feed it SMALL saltwater meaty bits twice a week it may recover nicely.

ReeferBill · 07/07/2014, 10:05 AM

+Do not chase the PH but do try to get rid of your nitrates. Try some seachems prime or another enzyme based supplement like Fritszyme 9! Fritszyme 9 will also boost up your biological beneficial bacteria.

gabcris · 07/07/2014, 02:16 PM

Thanks to all of you.

The hammers appear happier today. They are definately more open than yesterday.

The NEM decided to settle 2 inches away from where it previously was.

Regarding the lighting, I'm not sure if that would be all it's angry about. I guess the most pressing side with it right now it's the starvation problem. Last night after feeding it acted the happiest I've seen it so far. It opened up for a while, chose a different spot 2 and this morning it was closed again.

I'll continue the feeding therapy and see where it goes.

Bakes2 · 07/07/2014, 05:06 PM

Just a question... Did you buy 3 clowns or lose 1?

Kaman8 · 07/07/2014, 08:28 PM

Bta will move all the time. Keep your corals away from it. Cover all you power heads, they like to flow in the tank and shredded by the power head. A starving bta need months to recover. Keep feeding it every 3 days tiny food. They need a lot of energy to digest the food and with a starving nem it don't have that much energy and too big food will rott inside. Keep your parameters stable and it will recover nicely.

gabcris · 07/07/2014, 09:27 PM

Hi Bakes, I bought 3 clowns and have 3 clowns. Just looking for a home for one of them ad the couple is sometimes aggressive towards him.

Thanks Kaman, I fed it tiny bit of krill yesterday and shrimp today. Today it took the shrimp in very fast. So i hope it's a good sign.

SGT_York · 07/08/2014, 07:01 AM

Get a better test for phosphates and nitrates, the API ones don't have a low enough scale to verify good water quality for corals and anemonies.

.25 phosphate and .20 nitrates are too high for LPS corals and anems. A better test kit will help you out. Then work on reducing the nutrient levels via skimmer, refugium etc.

07/06/2014, 07:31 PM	#4
ReeferBill Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 1,906	How old is your tank? If your tank is not at least 6 months to a year old the good bacteria have not had time to build up to a sufficient amount to support euphylias and anemonies. Also keep an eye on your alkalinity and salinity because constant use of ESV 2 part tends to raise both.(Good Product I use it!) __________________ I never realized I had to be a Chemist and a Marine Biologist to maintain a Reef Aquarium! Last edited by ReeferBill; 07/06/2014 at 07:34 PM. Reason: Add-on

07/07/2014, 08:00 AM	#7
shesacharmer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Central NH Posts: 1,241	I found karensroses also after my first anemone found a pump intake the first day I got it. I was heartbroken. Make sure your intakes are covered up if your anemone is moving around. My second anemone was a true infant (only 3 weeks old) and threw up it's stomach the first time I fed it...but survived and is now thriving. They are not all that easy to keep nor for the faint of heart. Good luck. I think if yours settles and you feed it SMALL saltwater meaty bits twice a week it may recover nicely. __________________ 75 gal, LR w/refugium, 79 deg, PH 8.0, sg 1.025, amm 0/nit 0/nit 0, Calcium 420, dKH 8.3, mag 1300, Phos 0 Current Tank Info: A work in progress...

07/07/2014, 10:05 AM	#8
ReeferBill Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 1,906	+Do not chase the PH but do try to get rid of your nitrates. Try some seachems prime or another enzyme based supplement like Fritszyme 9! Fritszyme 9 will also boost up your biological beneficial bacteria. __________________ I never realized I had to be a Chemist and a Marine Biologist to maintain a Reef Aquarium! Last edited by ReeferBill; 07/07/2014 at 10:07 AM. Reason: add-on

07/07/2014, 08:28 PM	#11
Kaman8 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 1,686	Bta will move all the time. Keep your corals away from it. Cover all you power heads, they like to flow in the tank and shredded by the power head. A starving bta need months to recover. Keep feeding it every 3 days tiny food. They need a lot of energy to digest the food and with a starving nem it don't have that much energy and too big food will rott inside. Keep your parameters stable and it will recover nicely. __________________ Current tank : 60 gallon rimless , 29 gallon sump , 2x Radion xr15w Pro , MP10 and MP40 Quietdrive , Bubble Magus Curve 7 , Eheim Compact+3000 return pump , sps dominant Gratiana

07/06/2014, 06:40 PM	#2
james30ct Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Groton, Ct Posts: 1,218	Your alk and calcium are high. Are you dosing anything? I wouldnt worry about adjusting ph.

07/06/2014, 07:02 PM	#3
gabcris Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 7	Thanks James, I have been adding the ESV B-Ionic as recommended on the bottle. That's about it.

07/06/2014, 10:17 PM	#5
gabcris Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 7	Thanks Bill, The tank is 4 months. The LFS guy had "recommended" 4 months when I started seeing good growth of coralline algae. In any case, I have been reading a lot about nems in karensroseanemones.net and just realized the bunch of mistakes I made. To begin with, the nem is starved/bleached so that in itself poses a huge challenge. I fed it and it struggled a lot to eat, but after eating it looks like it got enough energy to detach itself from the piece of rock that it came with. We'll see tomorrow AM where it goes.

07/06/2014, 10:58 PM	#6
Amoo Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Alapaha, GA Posts: 442	Just a guess, but I would guess it's ****ed because it didn't get properly acclimated to the lighting and that's why it's mad. Alk and kH are high, but they're not at a "so high I would panic" level. I would be much more suspicious of light intensity if everything else in your tank is doing fine.

07/07/2014, 02:16 PM	#9
gabcris Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 7	Thanks to all of you. The hammers appear happier today. They are definately more open than yesterday. The NEM decided to settle 2 inches away from where it previously was. Regarding the lighting, I'm not sure if that would be all it's angry about. I guess the most pressing side with it right now it's the starvation problem. Last night after feeding it acted the happiest I've seen it so far. It opened up for a while, chose a different spot 2 and this morning it was closed again. I'll continue the feeding therapy and see where it goes.

07/07/2014, 05:06 PM	#10
Bakes2 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: York, Pa Posts: 65	Just a question... Did you buy 3 clowns or lose 1?

07/07/2014, 09:27 PM	#12
gabcris Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 7	Hi Bakes, I bought 3 clowns and have 3 clowns. Just looking for a home for one of them ad the couple is sometimes aggressive towards him. Thanks Kaman, I fed it tiny bit of krill yesterday and shrimp today. Today it took the shrimp in very fast. So i hope it's a good sign.

07/08/2014, 07:01 AM	#13
SGT_York Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Washington State Posts: 1,746	Get a better test for phosphates and nitrates, the API ones don't have a low enough scale to verify good water quality for corals and anemonies. .25 phosphate and .20 nitrates are too high for LPS corals and anems. A better test kit will help you out. Then work on reducing the nutrient levels via skimmer, refugium etc.