BTA Bubbles vs No Bubbles

[PopaSmurph]

I have 2 anemone one bubbles and one doesn't. The one that bubbles likes the top center of tank and the other one has no bubbles and likes the bottom corner area it's in.
I posted this last month!
Spiral Tip Anemone anyone?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/spiral-tip-anemone.338133/#post-4202180

 

[Leslie Tabor]

I think it is a crap shoot. I have 4, one is bubbled all the time, one is bubbled at night, two never bubbled. 3 of them are from the same anemone. The one that is always bubbled is a newer, aquacultured BTA but it lives in the same spot as the one that bubbles only at night, and one that never bubbles. IME, there is no rhyme or reason.

 

[Jeremy K.A.]

Mine is in I'd say high indirect light, it's under an AI Hydra 26 but a bit more to the left of the light, and Pretty strong flow but between the two powerbeads it's not direct either, I almost never spot feed it and still it has no bubbles. Super interesting hearing everyones experiences and theories!

 

[zagviper71]

also, forgot to mention... after I target feed the bta's they seem to bubble more as well.

 

[atoll]

Back when I had a bubble tip in my tank, it had very long skinny tentacles until I changed my light spectrum. The BTA didn't move at all and my flow stayed the same but it bubbled up. So for me at least, light spectrum was what made the difference.

The same happened here with my 2 RBTA. Under my AI Hydra 26s (none HD) my of the tentacles didn't have more than a swollen area. When I changed to Radion XR 30 pros gen 3s like magic they now have nice fat bubbles at the ends. Before the swollen parts of the tentacles were more in the middle of them.
EDIT. BTW I never directly feed my 2 RBTAs.

 

[BlennyKravitz]

So In my experience when I don't spot feed as often they bubble up (maximize surface area for sunlight absorbsion). When I feed they get more string like to reach for more food in water column as their main food source. This is just my observation. Not any science behind it.

I think you are absolutely correct as I am having the same experience with two anemone in same spot - light and flow. I used to feed a nice fat mysis to them 1-2x a week, but now they only get a little squirt of whatever the acans and scolys are eating.

They adapted to looking to the sun for energy because I stopped over feeding them.

Cool.

 

[kalare]

I don't think there's any one factor, I think some anemones like to bubble more than others, individual genetics possibly.

My current has never bubbled, had it for years, it has walked all over the place multiple times, always settling in the same place in the end. It has a pair of clowns in it. I've had another that cloned itself 20 times over, and they all bubbled, all over the tank, low flow, high flow, shade, direct halides, you name it, and most were not hosting clowns, only the original clone. I've seen huge colonies of bubbles in the quite heavy flow that all had bubbles. I've also seen them in the wild in low flow lagoon type areas, no bubbles...it's really a toss up guys. Just enjoy your healthy nem and don't worry what the tentacles look like (I personally am glad mine isn't bubbled...don't particularly like the look, so I guess I got lucky!).

 

[kalare]

I have never fed my bubble nems, no bubble tips. I think the only thing not feeding them does is make them grow slower.

 

[azbigjohn]

I've seen this asked many times before, and never heard an answer someone else didn't have a counter experience.

I'm begining to think it's an evolutionary adaption to keep us reefers interested and perplexed, thereby driving the species to prosper!

 

[Mark Gray]

my last BTA moved after I installed a gyre and ended up getting blended. But I noticed he seems to bubble when listening to classic rock and roll

 

[n21benson]

also, forgot to mention... after I target feed the bta's they seem to bubble more as well.

Same here, after target feeding mine pieces of prawn (shrimp) they bubble up ... but only for a day or so.

 

[Doubbler]

I heard, the more nutrients in the water, the less they bubble. Mine got spaghetti like when I had high phosphates. Once my system was rid of the excess nutrients the bubbles came back.

 

[SMB]

In the wild they aren't always bubbled out, and parts can be inflated and others not. Like responders above I have seen multiple BTAs in a single tank with some bubbled and some deflated.
Have no idea what the controlling factors are.

 

[Sistawolf]

I have 4 in my tank.. I had 5 and one decided to hide and wasn’t getting any light. It started to look sick so I turned the rock over and it went back under the rock until it shriveled up to nothing.. all of mine are bubble tips and out of the four left.. only two are bubbles. The other two decided to stretch out and are now long tentacles.. all of them are rainbows.. same rock.. flow and lighting.. so whom knows.. my two clowns just hop from one to another..

 

[West1]

Well... here is my .02 cents.. Before I added my 50+ clown fish.. all 14/20 of my BTA were bubbled up. Super clean water in a empty fishless tank over a two month span, bta's touching other bta's, LED lights with medium flow but not hurricans force flow.. nothing in the tank but bta's and a clean up crew. Now once I added all 50+ clown fish and started feeding them everyday, only half of the 14 stayed bubbled.

That is an interesting observation. Could it be params that have an effect on bubble tips?

I have one RBTA and recently picked up 2 more. The older BT was purchased with nice bubble tips and has been thin tentacle since. The recent pickups are still hiding so I cant speak on them as of now.

 

[Oceandogs]

I have had one BTA for over 10 years that has split to over 15. I give them away all the time. They were always long and stringy in low, medium or high flow with T5’s and LED’s the entire time. I bought a red BTA about 2 years ago that has split 8 times. The red BTA’s were bubbles when I bought them but became stringy. All of my BTA’s have gotten compact fat bubbles about 10 times randomly. I have never Spot fed. My nitrates are sometimes on the higher side. I love when they are compact but I can’t pinpoint why. Totally random.

 

[zieg9479]

Cool to hear stories from all of you. I have four BTAs.
-The oldest one has only recently started bubbling (I've had for >1yr). No changes have been made to the tank, to lighting, or anything. This one is about 3/4 high in the tank (~7" from light) and in moderate flow. It also tends to be light-saturated by the evening and half of the body shrinks under a rock (with stringy tent's) while the exposed half has more bubble tent's.
-I have one halfway high in the tank that is the same size and it has never bubbled. Or varied in its behavior.
- I also have two newish ones (bought this summer). Both arrived with bubbles. I had set them in different initial spots on the sand bed: the one was blasted with laminar flow from a powerhead and elongated its tentacles, the other was in a calm refuge of the tank and retained its bubbles. Both have since moved near each other in a low flow area and currently have bubbles.

So.. I'm gonna go with.. some unpredictable response depending on individual behavior and environmental conditions (among which flow but other params are factors).

 

[gadwall72]

Mine started out fat and happy for the first couple of days. Then it decided to move to a different spot out of direct view. Since the move it expands to about the size of a quarter, maybe a half-dollar. Tentacles bubble slightly, but extend only a half-inch, or so. When I got it at my LFS, it was expanded out to about the size of a tennis ball. I have recently changed my light source and will be gradually adjusting the intensity. Hopefully, I will be able to find a sweet spot.

 

[Sea in the City]

I have a 250 Reefer full of bubbletips. When the MH lights are on all but two are fully bubbled but when the LED's are on they shrink down.

 

[reeftigergal]

Hello everyone, I have been trying to figure this out forever and have heard mixed things over and over so finally I decided to ask the big question here… How do you get the bubble tips to inflate/ stay inflated on Bubble tip anemones? I have seen many many tanks on here and in person, some with bubbles and some without and therefore am curious what the main factors are in maintaing the inflated tips. Thank you very much for your time and interest in this subject

I've had tons of nems through many years some bubbles and some not.
They will be inflated when they want to. Just give them good lighting, good current and excellent water conditions, whether or not U feed it or not. They R happy with clown fish, as they keep it clean, fed and company.
You can not control the mood of your nems. In my opinion, they will do what they please. Go where they please, and split as they want to. LOL
Hopes this hopes a bit