Flower Rock Anemone

[sweetpea]

I have a BTA that eats like a champ. I just baught a FRA and I cant tell if he eats the food I give him or if it blows away. He doesnt seem to close up like my BTA or move the food around. His mouth isnt gapping. And another wierd thing he isnt really two different colors hes more like white and a darker white.

[rayme07]

Have you tried turning off all pumps and seeing if he takes it in. It could be that before he can even get a grip of it the current carries it away. :unsure:

[Phurst]

My rock flower never ate anything bigger than the ocasional bit of mysis it would snag out of the water. If it's shades of wite, it possible it's bleached and not currently capable of eating. A pic would help determine that.

[sweetpea]

Well the LFS said they didnt know if he was ok or not. But he is happy on his rock and hasnt moved. He is turning a little green and looking beige or brownish in the center. I think he has begun to hold on to food and eat some now. Maybe hes feeling better in his new home n not crammed behind a pipe now. Thanks guys ill keep u posted.

[sweetpea]

Now my bta lost his tentacles they are there but look like stubs. His foot seems fine and i think hes eating except for when my blenny rips the food from his mouth. Hes not bleaching out and my h2o is fine. I have flourescent compacts and fairly new bulbs.

[Amphibious]

It’s common for Anemones to make drastic changes in their shape from time to time. They will return to normal in a day or two. How often are you feeding it?

How’s the FRA doing?

Dick

[sweetpea]

The BTA has been like that for two weeks. id feed him every other day and he ate like a champ. Now i have to give him smaller pieces cause he has no arms but he still tries to eat every other day but my blenny has been ripping food away from him because he can hold on to it as well. The FRA is great no problems what so ever although he has decided to move where it is very hard to get food to him but he eats about twice a week.

[sweetpea]

:shout: So I have spent several days and hours on the computer researching all the possibilities for my BTA mystery.

What I think it boils down to: I actually starved the poor fella. The info I found stated that my feeding him every other day could have starved him. I fed him chunks almost the size of a dime or penny (he's about the size of a silver dollar), every other day. I though I was doing the right thing, but the web sites stated that he may have regurgitated them at night, but I have found nothing in the morning floating and I dont think my tank mates tackled a piece of food this size.

Now he is the same color but a bit smaller, good footing and likes where he is. BUT, he has stubs as tentacles.

The web sites stated that I need to reduce the amount to maybe just mysis or pieces the size of his mouth and cut back feeding him.

So..... do I just try and feed him once a week, really small pieces? Should I target some vitamins in his direction?

Ph 82-8.4 Nitrate and Nitrite 0, phosphate and ammonia look good and my cal fluctuates slightly
temp 76-78 and salinity 1.024

New compact bulbs about 3 months old

He was fine until I came back from vacation. The one thing that happened was the Ph dropped to 7.8 (YUCK), my mom doesnt know how to do that stuff and I never had a problem when she watched them before. Everything else looks slamming and seems happy, except that my xenia are not fully extended and waving their arms like my other ones are in my other tank. The tentacles were never really bulbs, I had him since Feb he looked like he wanted a better home so I baught him. The long tentacles were "because he was in fishing mode."

[Amphibious]

What I think it boils down to: I actually starved the poor fella. The info I found stated that my feeding him every other day could have starved him.

IMHO - Not true. If anything you were feeding him too much and/or too often. I feed my RBTAs once a week. Three are large and three are little clones. Let him rest for at least a week without food. It’s possible you are killing him with kindness. In the ocean, they go weeks without the substantial amount of food you are giving him. Most of the food in the wild would be in the form of plankton. Nobody is standing over them dropping pieces of shrimp, scallops or Silversides into their waiting arms.

I don’t have a clue where you got the information mentioned in your post above but I’d be suspect of its accuracy.

Dick

[sweetpea]

Dick thank you thats what I needed to hear. I value your advice and appreciate everyones opinion on talking reef. Im gonna lay off feeding him for a week n see how it goes. Ill keep you posted. When i do go to feed him again i guess ill just squirt some mysis by his mouth instead of trying to give him big chunks of food.

[Amphibious]

Thanks sweetpea. No big chunks of food.

[sweetpea]

Im assuming this goes for my new FRA small pieces and only once a week