[crxman]

well i tested my tank because my bta is not looking good at all, hes small and all deflated. here are my test results
ph 8.4
amonia .25
nitrate 20

i just ran to the store to get some prime and i put some of that in the tank so i hope that will lower the nitrate down so the bta will live

[crxman]

does any1 have any idea on what i can do to save him

[crxman]

can someone help me asap please i dont want to loose him

[reefnoob1991]

Well...prime for one only turns nitrates less toxic, but they're still there. The only way to lower nitrates is by doing water changes. 20% followed the next day by 10% would probably be good, but there's an article out there I don't remember where (KrazyK I know you have the link somewhere) that is a nitrate removal process. What kind of lighting/skimmer do you have? What are you feeding the anemone?

[crxman]

i have a orbit light and a prizim skimmer and i fed him 1 shrink yesterday or the day before

[reefnoob1991]

How many watts is the light and how many gallons is your tank?

[Tonz of fun]

The light would not be the reason for the BTA deflation. Its definately the high levels. I would us the prime and do water changes daily until your levels are zero. Test more often. No way that happend overnight...

[crxman]

wouldnt that affect the other bta too

[Tonz of fun]

Originally Posted by crxman

wouldnt that affect the other bta too

Doing water changes?

[crxman]

i will have to start tomorrow i dont have enough water onhand

[reefnoob1991]

Yeah Tonz, I figured the lighting wasn't the only thing as I'm going through the same problem. But I'm upgrading my lighting from 108W PC to 150W MH, and I got a skimmer so my anemone will be loving me , lighting couldn't be the only cause for deflation but it certainly wouldn't help the anemone's case if it was declining.

[crxman]

well i just did a bout a little more than 5 gal water change, is there anything else i can do

[crxman]

well since i changed some water and put more prime in the tank the bta is starting to come back so i hope the 2 btas will be ok

[Tonz of fun]

I do another water change today. Make sure you have water on hand.

[reefnoob1991]

Tonz of Fun, I found out he only has a 65W PC over his tank...now that may not be the main problem for the anemone but it certainly isn't helpin!

[rlcline76]

What test kit are you using?
You do not want a readable ammonia level in your tank.

[rlcline76]

BTAnemRMF

A little extra reading for you!

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Be A Host To Your Anemone - Reef Hobbyist Online Magazine

[SweeTang22]

Originally Posted by reefnoob1991

Tonz of Fun, I found out he only has a 65W PC over his tank...now that may not be the main problem for the anemone but it certainly isn't helpin!

i wouldnt worry about lighting right now. the main problem is his ammonia. the annemone is going to have to be feed by hand daily so he can get strong enough to maintain a healthy immune system! keep up on the water changes and you should be okay. i would check you skimmer and make sure your collecting enough skimmate. also check your salinity and you other means of filtration. if your using filter floss, i would clean them or replace. if your getting nitrates either your skimmer isnt doing its job or you have a buildup of food and waste thats not being cleaned often enough. good luck

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Since enemones all depend on symbiotic algea for food one would have to assume that lighting would be very important to them.And certainly an insufficient amout will cause there death just as soon as bad water.Is it any wonder that anemomes often flourish in the same tanks as clams?And dont foget water flow,I dont see one as being any more imprtant than the other.He has at least two problems out of three. How can it survive?

[glampka]

Have you checked the anemone's tenacles for tears & holes? Crabs have been known to pinch holes in them which will cause them to deflate. It is then difficult to re-inflate them since the water is forced out the holes. Gently pull each tenacle & look for holes. If you have them you need to get a repair kit. Comes with pressure sensitive pads that you apply over the hole - similar to fixing a flat in a bike tube! Just google anemone repair kit to find ot who sells them. Forgot - ther's also a little water ump that you can get to help reinflate them once the repair is made.

[rlcline76]

Originally Posted by glampka

Have you checked the anemone's tenacles for tears & holes? Crabs have been known to pinch holes in them which will cause them to deflate. It is then difficult to re-inflate them since the water is forced out the holes. Gently pull each tenacle & look for holes. If you have them you need to get a repair kit. Comes with pressure sensitive pads that you apply over the hole - similar to fixing a flat in a bike tube! Just google anemone repair kit to find ot who sells them. Forgot - ther's also a little water ump that you can get to help reinflate them once the repair is made.

Could have sworn that I saw this on sale at Marine Depot a couple of weeks back.

[crxman]

ya i dont have any crabs in the tank and i dont have anything to clean the sand, i do notice that the sea urchin is producing alot of waste could he be the problem

[SweeTang22]

Originally Posted by NATIVEVAMAN

Since enemones all depend on symbiotic algea for food one would have to assume that lighting would be very important to them.And certainly an insufficient amout will cause there death just as soon as bad water.Is it any wonder that anemomes often flourish in the same tanks as clams?And dont foget water flow,I dont see one as being any more imprtant than the other.He has at least two problems out of three. How can it survive?

im not saying i wouldnt pay any attention to the light but i would worry about getting the ammonia down today and then check his lighting system! is that not the best process??

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I guess there is an element of truth in what you say BUT.The thing that should have been done here is to research the animals you want to purchase BEFORE they are purchased.Then this conversation would be mute.Second of all I would like to say that when someone has a problem and asks for help we should give the whole story and all the options that are available to them.If he had new lights in the box in front of him it is still going to take him 3 or 4 days to get a handle on the rest of it.