RBTA.... help (too little too late unfortunately)

[doch]

So here's my latest update on my sad first try and my seemingly happy second try at the coveted RBTA. About a month after the first unsuccessful attemp I got convinced by my LFS to try again. So I did. The first day it shrivelled up again and I started to FREAK OUT! Days 2 and 3 all seemed well and good. Day four and 5 and 6... Shrivelled... again!!! So everything seemed to be happening the exact same. RBTA seemed happy at night, and not happy during the day. I did a dual pH test and discovered that there was a swing of about .5 (8.4 being the high, and 7.9 being the low) Talked to LFS about said problems and had a few reccomendations from them. 1. (My idea) throw some caulerpa (sp?) and some light in my sump for overnight photosynthesis. This completely rectified my pH swing... now steady at about 8.3 2. get as much of the crappy cheap salt (Instant Ocean) out as possible and switch to something higher quality (Formula) So I did a 20-25% water change with Formaul salt. 3. pH buffer to 8.3 (not sure that this was necasary, but no harm done, that's for sure. So the short sum up to this long story is that it seems that my pH fluctuations were causing extreme unhappiness in this anemone, and even worse in the last one. So my reccomendation to EVERYONE is if you can, have some night time photosynthesis, and don't cheap out on your salt!!! Everything else in my tank seems to have not been affected by these problems, but the RBTA's sure are sensitive to such situations. Anyways... I sure am happy that my new little buddy is doing as well as it seems to be now!!!!

[rickjames]

Originally Posted by Rikko

How long was your acclimation? A poorly acclimated animal can take days to show symptoms.

I don't think you answered this question, it could have been your problem? They should be drip aclimated for AT LEAST a couple hours... but glad to hear that your second one is doing good.

[albert_dao]

I don't mean to whip out really poor advice here, but here's a bit of a take from another perspective:

I introduced my BTA's and RBTA's to my tank when it was only a month or so old (keeping in mind all my rock was cured) and they did fine. Hell, they even cloned at an alarming rate.

Also, I spent a whole 15 minutes acclimating them (I was in a hurry).

Lastly, I've even had to tear one of these things in half to save it from the powerhead -- I ended up with two anemones there perfectly healthy

Anyway, my point here is that these anemones are really tough and more likely then not, you probably got a poorly shipped specimen (as Tony said).

[bulletsworld]

Originally Posted by Bob_I

That shrivelling thing is very common. It does not mean it is dead. Both the RBTA's I had did that regularly. All I did was leave them alone, and they came back later.

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Well .. shrivelling in and of itself. But a hole through the middle... that's probably not good.But basically I think Bob does have a point: an anemone is only well and truly "dead" if it is a pile of snotty, smelly goo. If there is any integrity to the flesh, then it's not dead

I read this post and thought...OOoHhh NOOOoooooo... He probably wasn't dead! I have found that RBTA are VERY sensitive especially the first time in your tank. I have a really fussy RBTA that shrivells still on occasion. A while back I too had the same problem of the mouth opening wide, deflated, hiding in a dark shady spot and looking completely lifeless, collapsing. Although I was tempted to disgard thinking its completely dead...I left it, it was only a few days later that it recovered itself. SoOoO glad I left it! I will post when I get my internet hooked back up at home and show you pic's I took back then of that happening to me. Later I found out from others that happened to them to. After talking with others that house RBTA's, they told me RBTA don't do well in captivity and takes a while for them to adjust and that they also don't tolerate poor water quality, not hardy as LTA. Which my LTA was doing great while this other RBTA did this deflating thing, it confused me. On occasion though my RBTA still collaspes & comes back. Why though, I have yet to discover..hmm...

Also the shrivelled on and off thing I have a theory of my own, which not sure its applied to you but just a thought. Do you have actinic's? Mine would do fine and not shrivell every few days when I didn't use my actinic's. Figured this might be the reason it crawled away under a rock. *scratching my head* Was it coincidence though?

I will keep following this post to see what comes up.

[BCOrchidGuy]

Nothing wrong with IO salt, many people use it with excellent results. Just keep in mind it doesn't have enhanced Ca or Mg, mind you, the Ca and Mg in the enhanced forumlas is used up rather quickly if I'm not mistaken.

Doug

[danny zubot]

I tend to agree, anemones aren't dead until they are a big pile of goo. A sure fire way to tell is to reach in there and gently pull at one of the tenticles. It it comes off in your fingers its dead. Another way to tell especially if it hosts clowns is that they will "prune" it. When my last GBTA was on the way out my perc would tear off dead tissue from the anemone. I've seen this happen with ritteries as well.

[muck]

Originally Posted by danny zubot

I tend to agree, anemones aren't dead until they are a big pile of goo. A sure fire way to tell is to reach in there and gently pull at one of the tenticles. It it comes off in your fingers its dead. Another way to tell especially if it hosts clowns is that they will "prune" it. When my last GBTA was on the way out my perc would tear off dead tissue from the anemone. I've seen this happen with ritteries as well.

Have you tried the smell test Danny?

[doch]

So, in retrospect I now realize that the first one was not dead at the time of disposal. At the time I was convinced that it would soon be, so rather than take the chance and have it crash the rest of my tank I got rid of it. I just wish that I would have tried these new things to help with the first one. Hind sight is 20/20 I guess. As far as either of them being poorly shipped specimens... unless I've been lied to I doubt that this is a possibility. Both LFS' that I purchased them from have claimed them all to be captive clones... I'm assuming from the same source since they show up on the same day at both places. So realistically, one can only assume them to be in relatively decent shape. Since the water change and pH buffer and caulerpa addition I haven't seen RBTA #2 shrivel up at all. One morning it didn't look as perky as it has been, but soon enough it came back and ballooned up nicely. What are the theories out there? Are RBTA's sensitive to pH swings? Or possibly to low pH in general? This is what my hunch tells me. I'm not sure abuot the salt situation... but why not use what other people recommend? One more question: Neither of them have had the bulbs in their tentacles once they get in my tank... but they did at the LFS'. Why is this? Anyways, any theories on this would be appreciated! Ciao.

[doch]

Rick James and Rikko: I didn't answer this.. either time... somehow missed it. I didn't do the drip acclimation, but spent about an hour or so adding little bits of water from a cup. I had heard that they do need good acclimation periods and since I normally rip and dump, this is a LONG acclimation for my tank! For the record: I have yet to have had problems with the rip and dump method.