RBTA in trouble, uneven deflation and darkening of color...

[Xirxes23]

Hello, i have had my RBTA for about 7 months now, and have seen it swell and shrink and everything in between, however, in the last week/week and a half, the RBTA has deflated tentacles on 3/4 of the tentacles, and these tentacles are all super short/little bumps, that are now dark red/green. The few tentacles that are still inflated are HUGE! Im talking bubble dup to 1.5 inches diameter each, maybe 3 to 5 of them.

Is this an internal water balence issue? It is still eating silversides, and the base is still inflated, but it does not look healthy. Please let me know if you have any experience with this problem. I will try to get a picture up tomorrow if possible.

Thanks ahead of time.

[Xirxes23]

nothing yet eh?

[Xirxes23]

bump-idly-umptious

[Xirxes23]

ok, ill take the silence as a unanimous "no i've never encountered that specific anemone ailment", as my LFS guy said, so here are a few pics, maybe they will help mmy cause.

THis is the anemone looking healthy.Healthy Nem (http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c39/NicholeS29/RBTA-1.jpg)


ANd Less than a week later, it looked like this, and has remained in this state for about 2 weeks now.
Sick Nem (http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c39/NicholeS29/sicknem.jpg)

PLEASE HELP!

I dont have anything in the tank that would pick at the anemone, and it has a symbiote crab that fights for it.

THese pics are large so as to facilitate a clear viewing, but under 1 meg each

[Xirxes23]

WOW 102 views and NO RESPONSES ... getting a little flabberghasted here.

[EQCM2B]

Maybe it is getting ready to split. Not sure, mine has never done that before.

[conefree]

first time I've seen that, curious as well. Good luck regardless, hope it's just getting ready to split or something else benign.

[Janina]

I've never seen a BTA look like that for 2 continuous weeks but you said it was still eating. Does it change it's shape when it eats (i.e. close properly around the food). Have you seen it shrink up at all to expel the waste? NOrmally, if it's eating, that's a good sign. If it stops, then you have more to worry about.

[Xirxes23]

It conforms around the food, and swallows it, but only the tentacles that are inflated wrap around it, and will only hold the silverside if you place it on the inflated tentacles...

So strange! THe rest of the area looks like just like a plate now, with almost no tentacles.

Here are my theories of what could have happened. He has moved himself right in front of my sea-swirl return from the sump. It likes the flow, and the proximity to the light i guess.

1) It got hit with a chemical combo that it didnt like, as i add the improved 3 part addative combo as designed by Randall Holmes Farley of RC, 1 part baking soda water, 1 part Calclium chloride water, and one part mix of Magnesium hexahidrate/Espom salts. These are all added in the return pump area of the sump. However i have added this 3 part by squeeze botthe daily for 9 months, dont understand why it would affect him now.

2) Got hit with a blast of bubbles for an extended period when the water got too low in the sump. This happens occasionally because i get about 2 gallon/day evap.

3) Symbiote crab picking at him? unlikely but hey, nobody seems to know what this is!

4) Water regulation imbalance. Maybe something attuned to a bad molt for anemone's?

I will post another pic maybe tomorrow on the progress. Anyone think selcon will do anything at this point?

[smilesatyoualot]

My RBTA had started doing the same thing and today I woke up to find it missing! Water is not fowl or see any signs of a dying nem. I don't know what has happened.

[Genin]

i don't know if the selcon could be the cause, but it does appear that the side with the shriveled tentacles is being agitated. I don't know why the anemone wouldn't move from that area if it was a flow or light issue so I would assume something in that tank is picking at that part of it. Maybe take a look at night when the lights are out and see if you have any pest crabs in your tank. some on them will pick on inverts. good luck.

[smilesatyoualot]

What is Selcon? I am somewhat a newbie. My anemone has shown back up. It appears that he sunk deep in his hole deep into the rock. Last night I seen these little clear bugs about 1/8-1/4" right under the anemone's foot. They came dashing out to grap a pc of food and then they started to fight over it. The bugs possibly look like krull or some kind of shrimp? They were kinda of rollie pollie in shape and flexibility, and fast! Any ideas?

[a4twenty]

it looks like it may have split?? is that possible, when my GBTA splits it leaves a nasty looking wound like your picture. can you see a fully developed mouth? and take a look around for another nem.

[jefathome]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8397133#post8397133 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by smilesatyoualot
What is Selcon? I am somewhat a newbie. My anemone has shown back up. It appears that he sunk deep in his hole deep into the rock. Last night I seen these little clear bugs about 1/8-1/4" right under the anemone's foot. They came dashing out to grap a pc of food and then they started to fight over it. The bugs possibly look like krull or some kind of shrimp? They were kinda of rollie pollie in shape and flexibility, and fast! Any ideas?

I believe that you are talking about Amphipods. Reef Safe...
Courtesy of Melev:

http://www.melevsreef.com/id/tbs/amphipod_tb.jpg

http://www.melevsreef.com/id/pods.html

[Xirxes23]

ok so the latest twist in this interesting saga, My RBTA is STILL all funky looking, possibly even more deflated than the top picture, however, yesterday teh nem was spotted in a clear attempt to split. Twi distinct feet and nothing but a 1/4-1/2 inch strand between them. Then, today he is still one solid piece. And he is not dead. i just dont get it! Anyone ever see a nem try to split and give up?!?! Mine is pretty small, far to small for me to ever suspect that it would be splitting, but there you have it.

Any experience with this kind of behaviour? thanks in advance

[smilesatyoualot]

My RBTA is also still all funky looking and deflated 3/4's. He did move to a new hole only 1" lower than before, but doesn't seem to get very much light in his new location. You would think he would move to an area that is not so shaded.

I do have 2 emerald crabs, but they seem to leave him alone and I watch when I feed him so no one steals his food. I have noticed that they walk across him sometimes and poke him with their sharp tips.....maybe the cause of deflation?

Last week I added a large 6"+ BTA (opposite side of the tank) and branching frogspawn and they are doing great.

:rollface: