BTA not opening

DerekG4 · 05/12/2015, 07:09 PM

It's been a while since my BTA hasn't opened and I'm concerned. It's been about 2 months since we first bought it and after a week it was fine. but just a month ago it started to close and never opened up nicely again. It would just turn small, all tentacles deflated and mouth being swollen. Just recently (A week ago) the rock he was on somehow slid and he hit the lower part of it's body. Didn't seem like too much of a hit, it was a bit inflated in that area and it hasn't moved from that spot, surprisingly. I took a picture of it 2 days ago and it seems tiny tiny bits of meat are getting off the body but just 2 pieces and as of now he still has it. My main concern is that he hasn't been opening since. Even before the hit.

Almost forgot to mention I tried feeding it yesterday and today. He didn't eat. One got stuck on one of the tentacles but after a minute or so it detached. Reason I tried feeding it was because we haven't fed it since we got it and I read on some other post that whenever it's mouth is swollen after it's been established in the tank it means that it's hungry.

The picture below is the anemone how it normally is (The light is from the flashlight, normally with the blue lights on it's not that noticeable) and with some tiny pieces of it's flesh I think. The water doesn't stink so I doubt it's decaying.

hotelbravo · 05/12/2015, 08:28 PM

we need water parameters.
how long has the tank been established?
what are the other tank inhabitants?

DerekG4 · 05/12/2015, 08:51 PM

The tank has been established for almost 2 years, tank inhabitants include an Ocellaris Clown, a Yellow Coris wrasse, a couple blue legged hermits, a sand star, 2 turbo snails, and other normal critters (Copepods, fan worms, etc) I forgot some of the parameters but I know Salinity is at 26, Ammonia, Nitrate, and nitrites are at 0, I don't remember phosphates but I know it's not at 0 but it's low, Calcium is at 390, Alkalinity is at 9. I was gonna ask the owner in an LFS (She's trustworthy) what was wrong with it when I bought a coral yesterday but I forgot.

Almost forgot to say that there's also a 4 inch rock anemone on the left side of the tank (The BTA is on the right) not sure if that would have anything to do with the BTA (I got the rock anemone about 2 weeks ago) There's also a decent sized Frogspawn next to it. I never seen it's feeding tentacles so I'm not sure if that may have stressed the anemone

Maskpainter67 · 05/12/2015, 08:56 PM

What kind of lighting are you up using? It's a good sign that it's foot is still anchored down though

DerekG4 · 05/12/2015, 09:00 PM

LEDs. I'm sure if it was too little he would've moved to the top, which surprisingly he hasn't after his injury.

DerekG4 · 05/13/2015, 02:10 PM

Well, tried feeding a tiny bit today and I suppose he's always gonna refuse it. Still tiny as before. I've also noticed sometimes his tentacles are a bit roundish (Doesn't have a bubble but his tentacles are just fat) and sometimes they'll be skinny. I know it's tentacle roundness has nothing to do with it's health but it's strange to me how it does it from time to time

DerekG4 · 05/14/2015, 04:53 PM

Just went to the LFS, she said just to wait it out and hope it gets better.

Dkuhlmann · 05/14/2015, 06:37 PM

Are you trying to feed it when it looks like that picture? If so leave it alone. They don't need to eat they also live on light. In this case it's stressing your nem more by trying to feed it than to leave it alone and let it absorb the light that feeds it in a different way. I highly suggest you read the sticky's to learn more. But one more time, don't feed this anemone until it's much better and happy.

DerekG4 · 05/15/2015, 08:30 AM

When I tried feeding it, it looked better (I'd say normal but it wasn't anywhere near as big as it would get but it's tentacles were a lot bigger compared to the one in the picture and it's mouth wasn't swollen at the moment either) which was yesterday. I've read the anemone FAQ sticky, a while ago (I believe when I first got the anemone) if that's the one you recommend. I admit I forgot a couple things.

05/12/2015, 08:28 PM	#2
hotelbravo Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 2,175	we need water parameters. how long has the tank been established? what are the other tank inhabitants? __________________ -Hodge Current Tank Info: 180 gallon, 40b sump. 3x OR T247 lighting, Reef Octopus protein skimmer, phosban 550 reactor, tunze ato, gyre xf 150, 2x mag 9.5 returns.

05/12/2015, 08:51 PM	#3
DerekG4 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 142	The tank has been established for almost 2 years, tank inhabitants include an Ocellaris Clown, a Yellow Coris wrasse, a couple blue legged hermits, a sand star, 2 turbo snails, and other normal critters (Copepods, fan worms, etc) I forgot some of the parameters but I know Salinity is at 26, Ammonia, Nitrate, and nitrites are at 0, I don't remember phosphates but I know it's not at 0 but it's low, Calcium is at 390, Alkalinity is at 9. I was gonna ask the owner in an LFS (She's trustworthy) what was wrong with it when I bought a coral yesterday but I forgot. Almost forgot to say that there's also a 4 inch rock anemone on the left side of the tank (The BTA is on the right) not sure if that would have anything to do with the BTA (I got the rock anemone about 2 weeks ago) There's also a decent sized Frogspawn next to it. I never seen it's feeding tentacles so I'm not sure if that may have stressed the anemone Last edited by DerekG4; 05/12/2015 at 09:47 PM.

05/12/2015, 09:00 PM	#5
DerekG4 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 142	LEDs. I'm sure if it was too little he would've moved to the top, which surprisingly he hasn't after his injury. Last edited by DerekG4; 05/12/2015 at 09:38 PM.

05/14/2015, 06:37 PM	#8
Dkuhlmann Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,823	Are you trying to feed it when it looks like that picture? If so leave it alone. They don't need to eat they also live on light. In this case it's stressing your nem more by trying to feed it than to leave it alone and let it absorb the light that feeds it in a different way. I highly suggest you read the sticky's to learn more. But one more time, don't feed this anemone until it's much better and happy. __________________ Previous tanks: 200 gal fowlr 9" Emperor Angel and many different butterfly fish 4" maroon clown and several other fish, 50 gal sump, 40 gal mixed reef/fish mostly softies and LPS. Current Tank Info: 40b 750 gph 45 lbs lr, 2"-3" sand, 165w full spectrum dimable LED, 20 gal sump/refugium 30 lbs lr, Bak Pak 2 skimmer, 4" sock temp 79-80, sg 1.026, NH3 0, NO2 0, NO3 <10, ph 8.2, calc 400, mag 1300

05/15/2015, 08:30 AM	#9
DerekG4 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 142	When I tried feeding it, it looked better (I'd say normal but it wasn't anywhere near as big as it would get but it's tentacles were a lot bigger compared to the one in the picture and it's mouth wasn't swollen at the moment either) which was yesterday. I've read the anemone FAQ sticky, a while ago (I believe when I first got the anemone) if that's the one you recommend. I admit I forgot a couple things. Last edited by DerekG4; 05/15/2015 at 08:39 AM.

05/12/2015, 08:56 PM	#4
Maskpainter67 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 57	What kind of lighting are you up using? It's a good sign that it's foot is still anchored down though

05/13/2015, 02:10 PM	#6
DerekG4 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 142	Well, tried feeding a tiny bit today and I suppose he's always gonna refuse it. Still tiny as before. I've also noticed sometimes his tentacles are a bit roundish (Doesn't have a bubble but his tentacles are just fat) and sometimes they'll be skinny. I know it's tentacle roundness has nothing to do with it's health but it's strange to me how it does it from time to time

05/14/2015, 04:53 PM	#7
DerekG4 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 142	Just went to the LFS, she said just to wait it out and hope it gets better.