Rose BTA or Black Widow?

SacReefer · Feb 7, 2020

Hi folks! Hoping you guys can help me ID if what I have is a regular rose BTA or black widow? I purchased at LFS a month or so ago as rainbow BTA. It split into two after few days in the tank but both have been doing pretty good. Their colors are changing as well (base is getting darker) - LFS had them under MHs versus I have them under LEDs (Kessil).

Tried taking multiple pictures under different lighting... hopefully it’s helpful.

SteveEreef · Feb 7, 2020

They look like RBTA to me.

bam123 · Feb 7, 2020

I would say a rainbow bta that is not getting a lot of light. Doesn't really matter. If its pretty, enjoy it. BTAs frequently change colors. In some tanks they will be orange, others red, some tri-colors.

ztorrico · Feb 7, 2020

The Foot coloring is prob one of your go to's for ID'ing it. I would say you have a RBTA. Black Widow's have purple foot and RBTA's have a white foot. Proper lighting def brings out a darker mouth for the black widows with some white streak at times. I'm sure someone else will jump on here and help out some more. I have a Black Widow and a lot of times looks like RBTA but it really depends on it's mood. Anemone's are some diva's at times!!

SacReefer · Feb 8, 2020

bam123 said:
I would say a rainbow bta that is not getting a lot of light. Doesn't really matter. If its pretty, enjoy it. BTAs frequently change colors. In some tanks they will be orange, others red, some tri-colors.

I just switched from AI Prime to Kessil AP700 recently... and will be moving to a new/bigger tank. Hoping it will acclimate and bring out brighter colors. And I’m really liking it - as it seems like it’s changing colors (getting darker plus pink/rose is getting brighter).

SacReefer · Feb 8, 2020

ztorrico said:
The Foot coloring is prob one of your go to's for ID'ing it. I would say you have a RBTA. Black Widow's have purple foot and RBTA's have a white foot. Proper lighting def brings out a darker mouth for the black widows with some white streak at times. I'm sure someone else will jump on here and help out some more. I have a Black Widow and a lot of times looks like RBTA but it really depends on it's mood. Anemone's are some diva's at times!!

Thanks for all the info... good to know. I was just curious because it’s getting darker and less rainbow (more like pink/purple and dark green/black base). I’m liking it more and more — can’t wait until my clownfish start hosting it (or the other way around).

redwayjay · Feb 8, 2020

B.W. purple foot, dark oral disk with distinct silver/white webbing.

fishguy242 · Feb 8, 2020

hi rose/rainbow either way nice nems

redwayjay · Feb 8, 2020

drewdb said:
looks like bam bam zoanthids to me

I woke them up to take the picture. They look funny.

sarcophytonIndy · Feb 26, 2020

rbta under kessils

Watrboy850 · Apr 5, 2020

Here are my 2 BW BTA for comparison if it helps. These guys are under Hydra 26 +T5 hybrid.

bam123 · Apr 5, 2020

Who knows and who cares. They all change over time based on your lighting spectrum, intensity, food and flow. There was no "black widow" a few years ago, Colorado did not "invent" the sunburst...

bam123 · Apr 5, 2020

SacReefer said:
Hi folks! Hoping you guys can help me ID if what I have is a regular rose BTA or black widow? I purchased at LFS a month or so ago as rainbow BTA. It split into two after few days in the tank but both have been doing pretty good. Their colors are changing as well (base is getting darker) - LFS had them under MHs versus I have them under LEDs (Kessil).

Tried taking multiple pictures under different lighting... hopefully it’s helpful.

If you light that RBTA up with intense 10k spectrum light it will take on greenish/blue base and pink/purple tips. If you keep it under less intense 25K plus spectrum light it will get more red/pink polyps with more blue base and less green highlights.

Phil D. · Apr 5, 2020

Figured I would put in my 2 cents, I think this is a California Rainbow?

sarcophytonIndy · Apr 5, 2020

bam123 said:
Who knows and who cares. They all change over time based on your lighting spectrum, intensity, food and flow. There was no "black widow" a few years ago, Colorado did not "invent" the sunburst...

That is true of many other reef tank inhabitants

AcroNem · Apr 5, 2020

You could probably get it to look like a lot of "named" bubble tips, depending on lighting and other conditions. It looks great either way.

bam123 · Apr 5, 2020

Phil D. said:
Figured I would put in my 2 cents, I think this is a California Rainbow?

regular rainbow bta. call it what you want

SacReefer · Apr 7, 2020

bam123 said:
Who knows and who cares. They all change over time based on your lighting spectrum, intensity, food and flow. There was no "black widow" a few years ago, Colorado did not "invent" the sunburst...

Agreed. Was mostly just curious.. as it looked a lot different in the store (they had MHs) versus in my tank (originally was under AI Primes and now under Kessil AP 700). I have noticed colors have changed a bit for all corals when I went from AI to Kessil.

SacReefer · Apr 7, 2020

bam123 said:
If you light that RBTA up with intense 10k spectrum light it will take on greenish/blue base and pink/purple tips. If you keep it under less intense 25K plus spectrum light it will get more red/pink polyps with more blue base and less green highlights.

This is good to know.. although I don’t think I have an option to adjust for color spectrum on Kessil.