BTA acting weird

[Shanna349]

I'm pulling my hair out on this one.
I bought a green bta at a great lfs and the clown that it was hosting a week ago.

All of my water parameters are fine.
0 on ammonia, NO2 and NO3
PH is 8.2
calcium is 430-450
I have a 96 watt CF quad 50/50 which gives me 5 watts per gallon.
I haven't checked the phosphate or alk yet, but was told by some that wasn't too important because my water was established from an older tank.

I acclimated for two hours, dripped every 5 or so minutes.
Since it has been in the tank, it has gone from full and open to closed and shrivled, never looking as full as it did the day I bought it. It's stomach is out, which I'm told is not good and is indicative of poor water conditions.
I have a pretty good Skilter, and the skimmer part of it works very well. I changed the filter pad while I was acclimating the anenome to ensure cleanliness.
There is nothing in the tank to pick on the anenome, and I have never added copper. My algae is the nomral bright green, and nothing that I can see that would otherwise harm it.

It stayed on the rock it came with for the first two days-out on front of the tank, less than 12 inches from lightsource, then moved to the topmost, and shadiest part of the tank a few days ago, next to the heater, right at the water surface and hasn't moved, stuck to the glass.
Temp is 77.8

What am I missing, here?
Am I killing it?
Any suggestions?

 

[Carpentersreef]

You mentioned in a previous post that you had a CC star that was attacking it. What happened there?
I don't think I would try keeping BTA's under anything other than MH, but that's my preference.
You've got a heater, powerhead and filter intake that poses potential danger for a wandering anemone. Any chance that it's burned itself without you seeing?

Mitch

 

[Shanna349]

The CC star never got the chance to attack it. I put the anenome in, and watched as the CC star slowly crept up to it, so I took the CC star out and put him in another tank in my house.

Lighting probably wouldn't be the answer for this is more of an acute problem, and lighting generally is more associated with chronic, long term issues since this is a photosynthetic animal, right?

No chance that it hurt itself, because it started this behavior before the first "journey" it made across my tank. The heater was moved out of it's tentacle reach and the powerhead is nowhere near it. Filter intake is low and out of way.
Great suggestions, but I'm afraid that's not it.


Is there something I'm missing on the chemical/water side?
Can anyone suggest an additive that may help, even though I'm leary about adding anything?

My poor clown looks so sad.

 

[Shanna349]

okay.
this guy is NOT happy.

I guess he just doesn't like my tank, my water, my lights.....hell I have no clue.

I've resolved to take the critter back to LFS tomorrow and never touch anenomes again....or until I have at least a bazillion years experience in marine-keeping.

 

[Dubge]

How ols is your tank?

 

[Shanna349]

two months, too young.

I'll probably try again in a year or two. I should be better experienced and better financially capable of giving it what it needs.
For now, I'm just not ready. Both of us are not happy and this is stressing me out.

My Australian clown is going to miss it, though.
Is there anything I can get to imitate an anenome for it?

 

[Shanna349]

okay.
it looks great today, all filled out and colorful. Stomach is in, it has moved to a nice spot in the middle of the tank, and everyone has looked great for the past two days.
So instead of taking it back today like I planned, I went to LFS and bought some foam to wrap my powerhead and filter intakes.
(call me paranoid)
my tank looks like poop with all this foam in it, but its better than ending up with a shredded wanderer. :lol:

I saw a condy today at lfs for 8 bucks.

.....tempting, but I need to wait, huh.