BT Anenome issues.

[sharpset62]

Guys I purchased a established tank (running over a year) from a buddy of mine and have had it since April. Its a 75 gallon, hang on reef octopus, BRS GFO/carbon reactor, 4 power heads, and I was running a UV sterilizer but recently shut it off.

Parameters
pH 8.0
Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm
Temp currently 79.8
Salinity 1.020

My old bubble tip anemone was flourishing in my buddies tank and being hosted by a tomato clown. Since I brought it here I sold the tomato clown because it was super aggressive and the BT has shrunk nearly two time its size and has never opened fully. It has found its way into a pocket of the live rock...??? I bought a new BT anemone yesterday and put her in to wake up and find her right next to the old one and shrunk down. What the...???
My water seems fine..? am I missing something? Please help. Thanks Joe

[risin]

You need to be monitoring alkalinity. Anemones are very sensitive to low alkalinity.

Other than that your salinity is low but I don't think it's the problem . I would verify your salinity measurement is accurate and slowly raise it to 1.025.

[sharpset62]

Ok ty.

[Sammykonga]

I disagree. Salinity seems really low and would be the first thing I would correct. IMO you should be shooting for a specific gravity of 1.026 or 35ppt. Just my opinion though.

[sharpset62]

How should I raise it? A couple water changes on a weekly basis?

[asudavew]

Top off with saltwater. As water evaporates your salinity will slowly increase.

[Spar]

And alkalinity will increase as you add salt too, just FYI. So don't start correcting KH/Alkalinity until after you get salinity right.

Do you have a plan for maintaining KH down the road? You will want to keep it as stable as possible. Somewhere around 9dKH, but you can do anywhere between 8 and 11.

[sharpset62]

Sorry but not sure what KH is? Can you help me understand what I need to be doing with this and how?

[Spar]

Originally Posted by sharpset62

Sorry but not sure what KH is? Can you help me understand what I need to be doing with this and how?

KH = Alkalinity. your LFS will [likely] have testkits for it. pH is connected to it, so if you just keep KH stable then pH shouldn't be an issue. Coral and fish both require relatively stable KH.

[ClownsRCoo]

Also your anemone might be adjusting to your tanks light set up. Mine hid a lot in the beginning and now comes out about 1 hour after lights on like clock work every day and stays out until my lights start winding down for the night.

[sharpset62]

Ok I went and picked up a "Red Sea" PH KH test kit and the Alkalinity is reading 2.5. I also bought a "KENTS" superbuffer dkh.

[sharpset62]

It very well be 2.9 due to a accidental "Missed count" on drops.

[Spar]

That reading is likely in meq/L, which equates to 8dKH. Just FYI that most people report KH in the dKH number.

Regardless that number is perfectly fine. As said though, expect it to rise as you increase salinity to 1.025. After that, do periodic KH tests to ensure that number stays stable. You will need to dose soda ash or baking soda on a routine regime to keep it that way.

[sharpset62]

Great Ty... so no buffer? the buffer is saying to add when in the 2.5 and up??

[sharpset62]

PH is reading 8.2

[sharpset62]

Testing phosphates now. I don't understand whats happening...now some of my zoos are partly open, some aren't opening at all...??? if the alkalinity is fine what else could it be? Could high phosphates have that effect on anemones and corals?

[sharpset62]

Phos is reading 0.04 ppm.