Is my bta sick?

[Netta502]

I put this bta in 2 days ago and he hasn't opened up yet. I'm worried he's dying but he may just still be getting used to the tank. How long generally before they open up? I've had this tank running for just a few weeks so I'm also worried it was too soon. It's a 29 gallon and I have 20#s of live rock take out of a well established tank and directly into mine and live sand. My levels have all been at 0 since I've had the tank. Even after I fed the empty tank a bunch of fish food to try and spike ammonia. No spike so I have a few hermits, a giant maroon clown and a giant squirrel fish that are doing just fine.

Temp 80
Ph 8.2
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Salinity 1.024

I'm using the API master kit

 

[Sniperhank]

Well, your BTA looks awful. Anemone need pristine and stable water parameters. If you are trying to get an ammonia to spike now by fouling the water column, you need to return the anemone and then cycle the tank. A sensitive creature like an anemone will not survive such a harsh environment.

 

[Netta502]

Right. What I meant was I tried to get an ammonia spike by fouling the water column and after 3 days my levels were at 0. The bta was introduced AFTER that. My levels are still at 0 so what could be causing it to act like this? And is there anything I can do?

 

[Sniperhank]

Systems continue to establish themselves for months after first set up. It takes 6-12 months to settle enough to keep an anemone. They need intense lighting to survive. If they weren't properly acclimated to both water and lighting, they will suffer.

 

[Netta502]

Systems continue to establish themselves for months after first set up. It takes 6-12 months to settle enough to keep an anemone. They need intense lighting to survive. If they weren't properly acclimated to both water and lighting, they will suffer.

So I put him in too early and he's going to die and there's nothing I can do??

 

[Sniperhank]

It would take a lot of water changes to keep things pristine. I feel not being drip acclimated into the system, which I still think isn't cycled properly, will lead to its demise. I would try to return it.