Keeping Bubble Tips Bubble Tipped?

[Triggerfreak]

What is the key to keeping bubble tip anemones looking like a bubble tip.I have seen alot of them that there tenticals are stretched out and don't have that bubble tip look anymore.Is there something you have to do to keep them looking like this or will they all stretch there tenticals out sooner or later.

 

[Eight]

Poke em with a stick.

 

[CHALICEKEEPER]

Pretty sure its hungry when long (non-bubble)

 

[Ike]

There's really no definitive explanation as to why some anemones have bubbles and some lose them.

 

[king fish]

a big way to keep them bubbled is low flow

then poke em with a stick and frag em.jk and the last two,

 

[damac20]

+1 on the low flow. Once I pumped up the flow in my tank the bubbles when away.

 

[RacingTiger03]

I have a pretty high flow tank, and mine RBTA keeps its tentacles fat and long, but not really a true bubble. Once its got some shrimp in its tentacles look out though cause it bubbles up like mad! I tend to agree with the hungriness.. but if that were true mine wants food the other 47 hours between feedings lol. I'm interested to see how this goes, because I haven't read anything definitive about the bubbling. There are examples of multiples in the same tank, getting the same amount of food, and some have bubble tentacles and some do not.

Mine has often showed what I would more expect from a name like bubble "tip". The tentacle will be fairly long and the very end will be blown up fatter than the rest.

 

[Cuda]

Mine dont bubble up and look like you described but split and grow huge.

I have a pretty high flow tank, and mine RBTA keeps its tentacles fat and long, but not really a true bubble. Once its got some shrimp in its tentacles look out though cause it bubbles up like mad! I tend to agree with the hungriness.. but if that were true mine wants food the other 47 hours between feedings lol. I'm interested to see how this goes, because I haven't read anything definitive about the bubbling. There are examples of multiples in the same tank, getting the same amount of food, and some have bubble tentacles and some do not.

Mine has often showed what I would more expect from a name like bubble "tip". The tentacle will be fairly long and the very end will be blown up fatter than the rest.

 

[mathew26]

i will seconed the low flow. Mine for some reason moves alot and when it settles in a low flow area the bubble are always there and then when he moves again and decides to take residency in a higher flow area less bubbles on the tips.

 

[clowns101]

I have had many bubble tips not bubble and then others bubble under the same conditions.High flow,high lighting,ect.They tend to not stay bubbled while in high flow as it causes to much resistance aginst the anemone it self.SO pretty much we really dont have an answer.Pretty much just that some will bubble and some dont!

Thanks,
Austin/clowns101

 

[rebecca]

We as well have 4 RBTA's, 3 clones, 1 other from another source. 1 will bubble when it moves around, and the others will not bubble ever. IF we feed, or do not feed, if hosted, or non hosted, all of ours act the same. Just a long tentacled nem. Seem to stay really bubbly when small, but when they get over 6 inches, just a big red blob.

 

[Sikryd]

Mine stays bubbled pretty much all the time.

My thoughts on why -

It uses the bubbles to make more surface area to gather light

They stay bubbled more in lower flow since the higher flow would blow them around

I often wondered the same thing and messed around with mine till it stayed bubbled up.

 

[nayrgaijin]

Someone locally has had the experience that higher lighting and lower flow will make it bubble. Personally, at the LFS they always come in bubbled and usually keep it, but after a month they lose it and go long tentacle, can't explain why it's so weird ! haha

What Sikryd is saying makes sense, I would listen to him haha

 

[Srixon]

mine have bubbled and then deflated.....I didn't ever see mine bubble till I moved the tank....so maybe stress it....I have no idea either....one day it looks like it is and then half of it and then LTA.....too frustrating....lol

 

[CoralBandit]

What Sikryd said ^^^

 

[FishyFarr]

great thread thanks for the info because mine is not bubbled but it sure is growing fast.
fast enough two clowns host it now instead of just one.

 

[lazyreefer]

I started out with one GBTA and since then have gotten about 8

I've given away a couple and have 5 presently. Four are near the top with all being right above a powerhead. Of those 1 has big ol' bubble tips, its also the largest of them at around 10" plus when spread out. I just realized she's my Avatar....

Number 5 is near the bottom of a 24" deep tank no where near a powerhead, it measures about 5" across and also has big tips. They all get fed silversides at the same time, the ones with bubble tips are the oldest I would add. The small one at the bottom apparently occurred from "budding" rather than a split and was about the size of a nickel at one time. I think possibly stress plays a role, when they're happy as a duck on a Junebug they bubble up.

I use 250w metal halides.....

 

[btuck]

I remember reading over the years one thought on the bubble tips is for protection or if the animal feels threatened. The bubbling of the tips keeps the mouth and vital "organs" protected behind a nice bubbly layer of stinging nematocysts.

 

[Mr E Wrasse]

with my rbta under 20k halides it had longer feeders and under 10k the tips bubbled up

 

[Ericm1205]

mine stays bubbled up when i over feed the tank a little so it always gets fed. i never directly feed it, just indirectly. i feed my fish a combo of mysis and cyclops every day and i add oyster eggs every other day or 2. i thaw the food in a cup filled with tank water and when i dump it in the tank, i aim for the rbta so it can grab some food. this seems to work for my nem cause its about 10" and its been bubbled for 4 months in a row now.