New BTA

[Bambam98]

Started Reefing around 8 months or so ago. After tank was fully cycled added 2 clowns and 3 nassarius snails (one died for some unknown reason but otherwise everyone seems happy and healthy). This set up was good for around 4-5 months so decided to add a bubble tip anemone yesterday. Acclimated BTA as you would fish over around 1 hour, floating then adding water as perimeters in my tank are slightly different than LFS. Seemed OK when first settled, placed in a low flow, med-high light area of tank (I know it will move if its unhappy but seemed a good place to start). When the lights came on this morning it has stayed closed up and just doesn't look as happy? Tests done and besides the KH being a little low (which is pretty usual for my tank) everything seems within range.

Is this normal for BTAs to take a little while to settle? Does it look OK in the pictures and do my parameters sound OK? Any changes you would recommend? I've not kept nems before and want to make sure it's happy and healthy.

Mg 1260-1290
Ca 410-420
KH 6.9-7.1
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0

Lights:
16 W
14000 K
1383 lm

2 Nassarius Snails
3 Turbo Snails
2 Clowns
1 Bubble Tip Anemone

 

[Colin_T]

What is the pH and salinity of the water?

If anything in the tank ever looks unhappy, do a bit water change. Quite often it will help.

How long is the light on for?
You can have the light on for up to 16 hours a day. Have it on for less if you get lots of algae

 

[Bambam98]

What is the pH and salinity of the water?

If anything in the tank ever looks unhappy, do a bit water change. Quite often it will help.

How long is the light on for?
You can have the light on for up to 16 hours a day. Have it on for less if you get lots of algae

Did a 50% change yesterday so probably not worth it... Salinity is 1.025 and pH is around 8 (only have the api pH test as I test for KH which is a good indicator of pH). Light is on for between 10-12 hours a day which is what is recommended.

 

[Donya]

Acclimation may have been a bit rushed of you just added tank water in a few batches; nems typically do best drip acclimated.

Anemones are one of the most temperamental things in marine aquariums, particularly when first introduced to a new tank. Even healthy ones from a hardy strain can take as long as several weeks to settle in. I don't see any sign of a gaping mouth (that's the really bad sign with nems) and it looks attached firmly which is good. Wait and watch for a few more days and give it time to get used to the lighting and flow. It may also not do bubble tips depending on the strain and exact environment but that doesn't have any bearing on its wellbeing.

Also, I'd everything seems fine param wise, a big WC is NOT the thing to do with brand new nems that have only been in the tank a day or two as it will just stress them more with turbulence.

Also, just to be aware: new nems can often suddenly perish for seemingly no reason other than stress. Wild caught are especially bad for this but hardy captive split ones can still do that. I've been propagating BTAs for years and had tons of them, and sometimes in a move one will basically just decide it's too stressed and call it quits. They are very fragile critters.

 

[Bambam98]

Acclimation may have been a bit rushed of you just added tank water in a few batches; nems typically do best drip acclimated.

Anemones are one of the most temperamental things in marine aquariums, particularly when first introduced to a new tank. Even healthy ones from a hardy strain can take as long as several weeks to settle in. I don't see any sign of a gaping mouth (that's the really bad sign with nems) and it looks attached firmly which is good. Wait and watch for a few more days and give it time to get used to the lighting and flow. It may also not do bubble tips depending on the strain and exact environment but that doesn't have any bearing on its wellbeing.

Also, I'd everything seems fine param wise, a big WC is NOT the thing to do with brand new nems that have only been in the tank a day or two as it will just stress them more with turbulence.

Also, just to be aware: new nems can often suddenly perish for seemingly no reason other than stress. Wild caught are especially bad for this but hardy captive split ones can still do that. I've been propagating BTAs for years and had tons of them, and sometimes in a move one will basically just decide it's too stressed and call it quits. They are very fragile critters.

Thanks, with regards to WC should have been clearer, did 50% first thing in the morning and added nem around 5pm so was before adding and given time so cycle through the filter a few times before adding... Did it just before so I didn't have to do a change for a week after adding the nem so as not to mess it around more than required...

With the acclamation, I did ask them this in the LFS, should I acclimate like I would fish or corals and they advised to do the same as I had with the clowns... But good to know for future to drip them, thanks!

I'll just keep an eye on him for the next week or so... Is there anything I should be looking out for particularly that would indicate a big problem other than the gaping mouth?

 

[Donya]

Thanks, with regards to WC should have been clearer, did 50% first thing in the morning and added nem around 5pm so was before adding and given time so cycle through the filter a few times before adding... Did it just before so I didn't have to do a change for a week after adding the nem so as not to mess it around more than required...

With the acclamation, I did ask them this in the LFS, should I acclimate like I would fish or corals and they advised to do the same as I had with the clowns... But good to know for future to drip them, thanks!

I'll just keep an eye on him for the next week or so... Is there anything I should be looking out for particularly that would indicate a big problem other than the gaping mouth?

The other BTA red flags are seeking darkness (means lighting is stressing it), constant movement - but give it a couple weeks before being worried about that, and not being well-attached. Attachment sometimes varies as they move but an anemone constantly blowing away from the rock is a really upset anemone. The gaping mouth is by far the biggest warning though. Some nems recover from it but it's often advisible to contain a seriously gaping anemone in a specimen container as it's likely to just melt and pollute the tank. Also should note that anemones will temporarily open their mouths a bit to expell waste - the gaping I'm referring to as a problem lasts more than a couple hours and the anemone usually is also pretty deflated/flat.

Just keep an eye one it and cover any power head intakes if it wanders over to them while looking for a good spot. Right now it looks exactly like my nems do when I make them grumpy by moving them. They are moody little things!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Started Reefing around 8 months or so ago. After tank was fully cycled added 2 clowns and 3 nassarius snails (one died for some unknown reason but otherwise everyone seems happy and healthy). This set up was good for around 4-5 months so decided to add a bubble tip anemone yesterday. Acclimated BTA as you would fish over around 1 hour, floating then adding water as perimeters in my tank are slightly different than LFS. Seemed OK when first settled, placed in a low flow, med-high light area of tank (I know it will move if its unhappy but seemed a good place to start). When the lights came on this morning it has stayed closed up and just doesn't look as happy? Tests done and besides the KH being a little low (which is pretty usual for my tank) everything seems within range.

Is this normal for BTAs to take a little while to settle? Does it look OK in the pictures and do my parameters sound OK? Any changes you would recommend? I've not kept nems before and want to make sure it's happy and healthy.

Mg 1260-1290
Ca 410-420
KH 6.9-7.1
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0

Lights:
16 W
14000 K
1383 lm

2 Nassarius Snails
3 Turbo Snails
2 Clowns
1 Bubble Tip Anemone

You should start nems in low flow and low light. If they need more, they will tell you.

Stability is key when it comes to anemones. How stable are your parameters?

 

[Bambam98]

You should start nems in low flow and low light. If they need more, they will tell you.

Stability is key when it comes to anemones. How stable are your parameters?

Parameters seem to be very stable and have been that way since I added the clowns, after the slight spike from adding livestock (which was fairly insignificant anyway as they were so small) parameters have barely changed any time I've tested since (initially daily but have gradually gotten down to weekly maybe even less as they weren't ever really changing).

It's currently in low flow, medium light I would say but it has now latched on and seems happier so just keeping an eye on it for now.

 

[Bambam98]

The other BTA red flags are seeking darkness (means lighting is stressing it), constant movement - but give it a couple weeks before being worried about that, and not being well-attached. Attachment sometimes varies as they move but an anemone constantly blowing away from the rock is a really upset anemone. The gaping mouth is by far the biggest warning though. Some nems recover from it but it's often advisible to contain a seriously gaping anemone in a specimen container as it's likely to just melt and pollute the tank. Also should note that anemones will temporarily open their mouths a bit to expell waste - the gaping I'm referring to as a problem lasts more than a couple hours and the anemone usually is also pretty deflated/flat.

Just keep an eye one it and cover any power head intakes if it wanders over to them while looking for a good spot. Right now it looks exactly like my nems do when I make them grumpy by moving them. They are moody little things!

Power intakes are covered with little grate things anyway so hopefully should be safe for it... And it seems to like the spot I picked for now, its nuzzled itself into the rock and latched on by the looks of things and is looking better this afternoon.... I'll just keep a close eye on it over the next week, thank you!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Power intakes are covered with little grate things anyway so hopefully should be safe for it... And it seems to like the spot I picked for now, its nuzzled itself into the rock and latched on by the looks of things and is looking better this afternoon.... I'll just keep a close eye on it over the next week, thank you!

Looking much better. People tend to freak out when they first add a BTA to their tank because it's all shriveled up, but it's usually just getting used tp it's new surroundings. Don't try to move it from where it is now, and keep those parameters stable!

 

[Donya]

Power intakes are covered with little grate things anyway so hopefully should be safe for it... And it seems to like the spot I picked for now, its nuzzled itself into the rock and latched on by the looks of things and is looking better this afternoon.... I'll just keep a close eye on it over the next week, thank you!

Looks much happier in the new pic.