Unhappy rose bubble tip anemone

[thefidget]

I have a 26 gal set up with 30lbs live rock, bakpak skimmer, Fluval filter, two perculas, 2 regal tangs, a rose bubble tip, a xenia, a plate coral, bubble coral, frogspawn and a couple mushroom corals that has been up since July 7th.

It has been stable (0 ppm ammonia & nitrite, 10-25 ppm nitrate, 80C, 1.022 sp gravity, and 8.1 pH) since August. I justa added this last weekend the tangs, the frogspawn and the bubble coral. All the new inhabitants are doing well.

The problem: The pH has dropped to 7.8, all other readings are stable. I am adding buffer starting last night to slowly bring it back up to 8.1-8.2. My rose anemone has closed up and began "drooling" dark red stuff and occasionally some white . I moved her to a quarantine tank with good water quality.

What is wrong with the rose and how can I help her?

Thank you!

 

[reefrunner69]

I would say the difference in lighting and water quality has it a little upset.

 

[roblikesfish]

why do you have two Tangs in a 26 gal tank ?

 

[Bang Guy]

I am adding buffer starting last night to slowly bring it back up to 8.1-8.2. My rose anemone has closed up and began "drooling" dark red stuff and occasionally some white .

The dark red stuff is probably what's left over from it's previous meal (poop). This is common and normal. If you truly messed up your water parameters it could be expelling dead Zooxanthellae.

Did you test you Calcium & Alkalinity before you added the buffer? Addin buffer just to raise PH is almost always a bad idea IMO.

 

[thefidget]

2 tangs

I am beginning to set up a 100 gal setup and the tangs are only 1 inch each.

 

[thefidget]

Adding buffer

My lfs tested for both alkalinity and pH before I decided to follow my test results for pH only. They recommended a Kent product which has me add 1 tsp per day until the proper pH is reached. The alkalinity, or hardness test, was "moderately hard" and the pH was pinned at 7.8.

Should I continue with the pH adjustment advice?

May I put the anemone back in the tank? is it possible the addition of corals may have poisoned her?

 

[thefidget]

Lighting?

I would say the difference in lighting and water quality has it a little upset.

I didn't change the lights? I don't understand.

 

[thefidget]

If you truly messed up your water parameters it could be expelling dead Zooxanthellae.

What would that look like?

 

[Bang Guy]

Brown stringy gunk coming out of the orifice. It would look pretty much like expelling waste but it wouldn't have eaten the day before.

 

[ReefLady]

1.022 sp gravity

FWIW, though it probably isn't the cause of the problem you're having right now, this level is going to cause signficant stress in all invertebrates (anemones, corals, and especially mobile inverts such as snails, crabs, etc.). This salinity level is just a touch above brackish, and inverts will not thrive long term at this level. You should slowly raise the level to 1.025 - 1.026.

What kind of lighting do you have?

 

[reefrunner69]

I didn't change the lights? I don't understand.

I meant the differenc in lighting from the LFS to your tank and the change in water paremters from the LFS to your tank.

What kind of lighting do you have on the tank? Unless your quarantine tank has appropriate lighting for photosynthetic inverts...I would acclimate the anemone back to the main tank.

 

[thefidget]

1.022 sp gravity

You should slowly raise the level to 1.025 - 1.026.

What kind of lighting do you have?

I have 2 PC bulbs, 55 watts each, one acintic blue and one white.

Regarding the salinity: Should I rely on evaporation to raise it? By this I mean to replace evaporated water with salt mix at the same salinity of the tank on replacement day. It may take a month to change it all the way. What do you suggest?

Thank you all for your help and advice. I was about to give up when I thought I had downward spiralled my entire system. I just checked in on it at lunch and everything looks happy.

 

[ReefLady]

I was about to give up when I thought I had downward spiralled my entire system.

Well heck no, don't go and do that. I've been keeping reef tanks for a long time - let's see, going on 14 years now. I don't have all the answers and never will. Anybody that tells you they do is the last person I'd listen to. Anyway, most of the answers that I do have come from learning from my past mistakes. We *all* go through times that our systems frustrate us so much, we're ready to pack it in. I've got this horrid nuisance patch of caulerpa growing smack in the middle of one of my favorite corals, and it's bleaching it to death. Can't figure out how to get rid of it for the life of me. Point is, stick with it, and succeed or fail (we all fail at times), you'll come out of it with knowledge, and you'll do better next round.

Regarding the salinity: Should I rely on evaporation to raise it? By this I mean to replace evaporated water with salt mix at the same salinity of the tank on replacement day. It may take a month to change it all the way.

That is exactly what I would suggest. If you feel it is going too slowly, When you do water changes, use water with a slightly higher salinity level for the replacement water.

HTH,

 

[thefidget]

She's on the road to recovery!

My rose is firming up. She even ate last night. I will leave her in quarantine for the rest of the week then return her to the main tank. The pH and alkalinity are back to 8.2 and 3.5!

Thank you so much for your help!