Beautiful pink BTA losing color

[lickyricky]

Hi guys,

We i first bought my BTA it was a beautiful pink (pic below) and had bubbly tips

Now it has long tentacles and lost most of the pink (see below)

I have a Hydra 26 HD and really don’t think it’s a lighting issue. In fact I had to turn my lights down because he was closing up too much. Since then he is out way more during the day.
I feed him little bits of stuff at least once a week.
Parameters are as follows; ph 8.0, SG 1.025, am 0, nitrite 0, nitrate .25, ca 445, ak 10.2, mg 1340, temp 78.5

Any insight is appreciated!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm not a nemspert but the why do they bubble is an age old question.

I'd google pics of that species and see if they match up when not bubbly.
The long arms in the second pic don't say sick nem to me.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I'm not a nemspert but the why do they bubble is an age old question.

I'd google pics of that species and see if they match up when not bubbly.
The long arms in the second pic don't say sick nem to me.

I may be wrong so I apologize in advance but I thought I read somewhere that when the tips are nice and bubbled the anenome is full when the tips are long and cylindrical it means they're extending it out to catch food cuz it's hungry, again, I may be wrong

 

[KMench]

I wouldn't worry about it. Mine is bubbled sometime and not bubbled others. It's long and flowy, which to me means happy. Mine shrink up to little nothings when they are angry.

 

[domination2580]

No one really knows why they bubble up or are long... sometimes they go back and forth. It does not look sick to me, but it does look a little bleached, hence the reason why it looks more white and loss of color. Give it time to settle in, lower lights maybe just a tad more and then slowly raise them as the nem settles in and gets most of its color back

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I may be wrong so I apologize in advance but I thought I read somewhere that when the tips are nice and bubbled the anenome is full when the tips are long and cylindrical it means they're extending it out to catch food cuz it's hungry, again, I may be wrong

My BTA gets long sweepers when it want to freak me out.
Then when I start to take action , it goes back to bubbles.
Nems are weird

 

[KMench]

If it's truly unhappy, it'll let you know... by moving all over your tank!

 

[Rufus’ goofs]

I may be wrong so I apologize in advance but I thought I read somewhere that when the tips are nice and bubbled the anenome is full when the tips are long and cylindrical it means they're extending it out to catch food cuz it's hungry, again, I may be wrong

That sounds logical and makes sense to me, but I know there are a lot of different factors that contribute to their...morphology? Ability to change appearance? I don’t know what word I’m looking for here...

I never feed my BTA’s and they always have short bubbled tentacles.
I keep them in pretty high light, and medium to heavy flow.

I would be inclined to believe it’s not enough light.
If they’re receiving too much light, flow, food, etc., they’re very good at moving.

 

[JaimeAdams]

I looks bleached. It looked bleached when you bought it, just looks more bleached now. Search for helping bleached anemones. Yes tentacle shape has no real data on why or why not and it is just everyones theories as to why with no real data. It does not look sick though, so that is a good thing. I would continue feeding it and slowly increase the light a little each week.

 

[lickyricky]

I looks bleached. It looked bleached when you bought it, just looks more bleached now. Search for helping bleached anemones. Yes tentacle shape has no real data on why or why not and it is just everyones theories as to why with no real data. It does not look sick though, so that is a good thing. I would continue feeding it and slowly increase the light a little each week.

I have my lights in acclimation mode so they gradually increase over 60 days

 

[oscargrumete61]

They do not like blue light they prefer white

 

[Rufus’ goofs]

I have my lights in acclimation mode so they gradually increase over 60 days

I wouldn’t do much then. Keep the lights in acclimation mode, if you want to feed it, go for it but try to only do it like once a week, or even every week and a half. BTA’s can subsist purely off of photosynthesis and feeding too much or too often, can cause more stress than smaller/ less frequent feedings, or even none at all. I’m sure this varies for other species though.

By the way, it’s a beautiful anemone! I hope to see some more pictures of it in the future.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

I would say that you purchased it somewhat bleached. I had a similar looking nem (to yours) with really nice yellow tips that I purchased. I started feeding it, and it grew larger and his tentacles became dark green and no more bubbles. I later realized that the initial appearance was one of a weak, bleached nem. Now he is much healthier, though not nearly as attractive. His tank mate that sits a few inches away, is a bright fluorescent red, with bubbles, and eats the same foods. Go figure.

... and yes, that is a very attractive nem. When we gets all his colour back, he is going to be stunning.

Dennis