BTA won't stop bleaching, can't figure out WHY!

Bump! It's night time here and i'm gonna sleep.. hoping to wake up to more answers from some anemone experts

 

Not enough light, plain and simple. 2X250MH is on the weak side for a 190 gallon tank when your talking anemones. Flow is probably too direct as well which is causing it to hide, since all of it is coming from a single source.

 

im keeping a purple tip LTA in my 125, under 2 150 watt halides, and 4 54 watt T5's. It seems to be doing great. So i would think there should be enough light in his system Pack? I could be wrong though!

 

I'm no expert in nems or anything in saltwater just chiming in. 250 may be alittle on the low side i did look at your build you also have some t5's. your tank is 30in deep correct? if so they recommend i believe 400w mh for anything deeper than 24in. I have a 180g with 2 400w and 2 160w t12. I have two nems one 14-16in purple LTA and one 20in RBTA. both are doing very well even tho i have a huge GHA problem. I never spot feed if they get some shrimp that floats around during feeding time they do. The LTA may move every 6 months slightly but i just put him back to the same spot as before and he does fine. 250 may be enough if he was high in your tank can you get us a pic of the placement in your tank. Again this is me just chiming in...

 

is it possible that it's a sebae anenome that was dyed when you got it? i thought these all just died, but maybe yours found a happy place (sebaes like to hide in rock if i remember correctly) and kicked out the dye.

just my valueless 2cents.

d

btw, there's a great monograph on anenome care/feeding - i think it's by bourneman. i had trouble with my first bta, but now have a happy healthy one after getting a better understanding of their feeding, need for a symbiotic fish, and use of light. i'll get the title for you when i get home, unless someone chimes in before then.

 

The place where the anemone is at has the lowest indiirect flow in the tank, as all the flow comes from top right of the tank and it's at the bottom right. and wouldn't it move outwards and uppwards to reach out for the light if it's not having enough ?

Here's an old picture . ( he's at the bottom right ) , i wonder why he's still hiding from the light if he's not getting enough

okay thanks

 

I would just let it be but monitor it closely. I would not try to move it since you are likely to damage it. I've had BTAs in my tank for close to 2 years now. IMO I don't think anemones need strong lighting all of the time. The lighting needs to be there when it wants it though. I had one live behind my overflow in the dark for months and would just see the tips of its tentacles protruding. I've seen them hide in the dark for days between rocks as well. I doubt the lighting is your issue.

Recently I had one bleach somewhat. I never figured out why. One day it looked beautiful and full. The next day it was small and on the sand bed with some bleached tentacles. I never figured out what happened. The other three anemones I had in my system at the time were unaffected (two were traded to my LFS last week). I was on death watch with this guy because it wasn't looking good. Fortunately it is recovered. It is a good size but it is still a little pale. It is living in a darker area of the tank. I usually feed my anemones about once a week. If they look like the are getting too big I cut back on the feeding.

Just keep an eye on it and make sure it isn't melting. I would feed it about once a week.

 

Interesting theory. There are some slightly bubbly tentacles in the before picture. Also, the before picture has both green and rose. I would think that if it were died it would be all the same color. The bleached pictures look an awful lot like a sebae. Maybe somebody switch anemones in the middle of the night.

 

I think i'll try feeding once a week for now. see if it helps.. i also moved my vortech to the left hand side of the tank, now it's having more flow even at that dead end.

I doubt so, because my maroon went straight into it after seeing it. they usually only do it to BTAs. ;D

 

Hi everyone

i need suggestions for my feeding routine from now. the anemone is around 5 to 6 inches across the base when fully expanded..

1. How many times should i feed per week?
2. What is the size of the chopped squid / shrimp that i should feed.

right now i usually cut the shrimp/ squid into an inch + long and shaped like a fish before i feed it to the nem, hoping to make it a lil more natural ! is that too much? ;D I really really want it to stop bleaching and come back to me :-/