My new BTA died water parameters went to crap!

[method0075]

So I bought a new BTA about a week ago. It was healthy happy and eating. I checked on the tank saturday for routine maintence and he was dead with no tentacles and his stomach was out.

I checked the water parameters and everything went to crap. It was almost overnight. The day before everything appeared OK. I did a 50% water change and put what was left of the BTA in quarantine. While doing the water change a what looked to be a dead emerald crab floated out from one of the LR caves!

I have a 10gallon setup with over 20LBS of LR, has been established for over 7 months now. The tank was fine and balanced so I thought I`d give the BTA a shot and now everything went to crap!

Should I just re-cycle the tank and go from there or continue to do 50% changes till the water levels again. I`m moving in a week and a half so I`m in between a rock and hard place!

 

[Brodie]

What are your water parameters? The BTA died in a 10 gal? Do you have any other fish in the tank?

 

[method0075]

I have 2 clowns and the parameters are at home... I`m at work. None the less nothing was at 0ppm. I feel like I`m cycling the tank all over again!

 

[Gatorfreak]

I've read on here that to expell waste, BTAs will deflate and sorta invert themselves. Since you said the stomach was out, I wonder if that's what it did. In a 10 gal, maybe that expelling of waste was just too much at once and that's why parameters went to crap. Just a thought. If it turns out that the BTA is still alive in the QT, then this is a likely explanation.

 

[method0075]

I hope so, They are being moved to a 150gal tank that we are shaving into the wall at my new house. I here that larger tanks are easier to care for. My gut is telling me the BTA is dead. I`m a bit hesitant now to get another when I get my new tank.

On a side note Should I start make Salt water for the new tank or should I do it when I move the fish in?

 

[zacdl]

You should put as much as the old water into the new tank as possible.

Since it is such a big change you need to cycle the 150 gallon, so get the 150 gallon ready and start cycling it.

 

[method0075]

I can`t cycle it because it`s at the house I bought... What if I bought a rubbermaid trash can with a couple hundred pounds of LR and started cycling that. Will I be able to just transfer it.

Also if animals die in a tank and it screws up the water parameters. Is this the same as doing a cycle and if not how is it different. I had a book that explains the cycle but it got wet and I can`t read it anymore!

 

[zacdl]

A rubbermaid trash can would only hold about 50 gallons, thats not enough.

If animals die and you dont take them out it causes a small cycle.

 

[method0075]

I think the emerald died but because he was in a cave I couldn`t see him! that may have caused the water detereation and eventually killed the BTA.

 

[schoeplein]

More than likely your anemone is still alive. They'll totally deflate and almost invert themselves when expelling waste. The amount of waste and toxicity of an anemone is much too great to bare on a 10g system. Yipes.. that thought is just scary. It'll notch my nitrate up to 20ppm after mine expells waste -- I feed him weekly, and he expells 12hours after every feeding. Probably the only reason I do water changes I also try and remove manually any of the solid wastes.

Heh, sometimes the cleaner shrimp and various other inhabitants in my tank actually feed on its waste (probably not fully disolved) and I clean up whats left.

 

[method0075]

well he`s in QT so I`ll keep everyone posted. He didn`t look good going in though.

 

[Gatorfreak]

I say if you put in a fair amount of LR that hasn't had much die-off, the few inhabitants you might have in a 10 gal probably won't even cause a cycle in your tank. I never had a cycle in my 90 gal that I put 60 lbs of LR in. I had very little die-off though because I picked up the LR from LR.com.

 

[Jason]

when anemones die, your house smells like rotting flesh. that's why I won't ever buy one again (not saying it wrong or whatever, just personal preference)

Did the foot come off of the rock? Ussually they loose footing when they die.

 

[MT79]

Keep in mind that anemones are not recommended for tanks that are not mature, which is generally considered about a year old.

 

[method0075]

I agree with maturity but was told a safe time wait was 6 months... Guess I was wrong.

I never did get the dead stink that everyone warns about!

 

[MT79]

I agree with maturity but was told a safe time wait was 6 months... Guess I was wrong.

FWIW, I'm not trying to imply tank maturity is the cause of this issue for sure. It's just something to keep in mind now and when setting up the larger tank.

 

[method0075]

Will do, What can everyone recomend for lighting on a 150 gal setup. I want to have alot of BTAs... and maybe other anenomes that are similar in the spectrum!?

 

[schoeplein]

A general idea is 4-6wpg to house typical BTAs. So I'd say at least 440w VHO or a pair of 250w MH pendants, or a 4x96w PC setup -- or any combination to total the needed wattage or appropriate lightwaves and intensity.

 

[method0075]

Ok here are the water readings this evening... Help!

Ph 7.9
NO2 .50ppm (mg/L)
NO3 20ppm (mg/L)
Ammonia .40ppm (mg/L)

How do I get these back down?

 

[method0075]

Oh, and how do I get my PH back up

water temp is at 78 degrees FH