white bubble question

[Ubergroover]

Everything I have read says an anemone likes intense light. I have a rose tip that does. However I have a white bubble that seems to prefer shade. Today I came home from work and its was closed up tight. Right now its open wide. But the lights are down. Is this normal? It moves around from shady spot to shady spot.The Rose tip is dead nuts stationary. Top of the tank...

 

[jtietz]

Everything I have read says an anemone likes intense light. I have a rose tip that does. However I have a white bubble that seems to prefer shade. Today I came home from work and its was closed up tight. Right now its open wide. But the lights are down. Is this normal? It moves around from shady spot to shady spot.The Rose tip is dead nuts stationary. Top of the tank...

Is it a white bubble or is it a green that has expelled its zoanthelle. Will it eat any prepared food.

 

[jtietz]

Is it a white bubble or is it a green that has expelled its zoanthelle. Will it eat any prepared food.

If this is the case ive made anemone baskets out of dryer vent covers before. Keeps the anemone in the spot you want while being able to feed it and other tank inhabitants can't get in the cage to eat the food. U may have to feed it food until its zoanthel population grows back.

 

[Ubergroover]

Is it a white bubble or is it a green that has expelled its zoanthelle. Will it eat any prepared food.

white..the rose tip is green..it only shrinks during the darker hours. the white seems to prefer shade. they both appear healthy

 

[jtietz]

white..the rose tip is green..it only shrinks during the darker hours. the white seems to prefer shade. they both appear healthy

Post a pic if u can

 

[Lance M.]

white..the rose tip is green..it only shrinks during the darker hours. the white seems to prefer shade. they both appear healthy

Please post a picture. It sounds extremely bleached. Bubble tips (or host anemones in general) are not suppose to be white.

 

[Ubergroover]

this is not it, but it looks exactly the same. Same color shape... Ill post in the AM. Maybe its not a bubble? I dont think its ill

 

[Lance M.]

That is an example of a severely bleached bubble tip anemone, but the one in the pic appears healthy otherwise. At that point (the one in the pic), the nem may not have enough zoox to repopulate and would slowly become smaller, likely eventually perishing. Hopefully yours is not as severe.

How long have you had it, what lighting are you using, and how long is your photoperiod? If you could post a pic of the healthy rbta and full tank shot as well that would be good.

 

[jtietz]

That is an example of a severely bleached bubble tip anemone, but the one in the pic appears healthy otherwise. At that point (the one in the pic), the nem may not have enough zoox to repopulate and would slowly become smaller, likely eventually perishing. Hopefully yours is not as severe.

How long have you had it, what lighting are you using, and how long is your photoperiod? If you could post a pic of the healthy rbta and full tank shot as well that would be good.

Without seeing a pic i would agree that its a bleached bubble tip. This happens a lot during transportation. They get stresses and expel their zoanthele

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

this is not it, but it looks exactly the same. Same color shape... Ill post in the AM. Maybe its not a bubble? I dont think its ill

It's a bleached BTA, a LFS near me has a tank full of BTA from extremely bleach to partial bleach in their clownfish tank and it look exactly the one in picture, some big and at least 8 inches in diameter when open, it does look healthy but just bleached badly.

 

[Johnn]

I am quite sure there is no such a thing as a white bta, unless it’s bleached of course.

 

[jtietz]

I agree with everyone that it is a bleached bubble tip.

I would like to know how everyone would save a bleached bubble tip.

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

I would like to know how everyone would save a bleached bubble tip.

A local reefer used to have extreme bleach Sebae Anemone, and took him close to a year to get it back to its original color.
All he did just keep water stable, good light and good flow. He did target feed it for first few weeks (1 time a week) then he's just broadcast frozen food in his tank for everyone.

 

[Lance M.]

I would like to know how everyone would save a bleached bubble tip.

A local reefer used to have extreme bleach Sebae Anemone, and took him close to a year to get it back to its original color.
All he did just keep water stable, good light and good flow. He did target feed it for first few weeks (1 time a week) then he's just broadcast frozen food in his tank for everyone.

I agree with what Yuki said.

It takes time. Photoacclimation is an aspect that seems to be easily overlooked and can easily take a toll on anemones and coral.

 

[Dancingmad]

Here is what I would do if I had a BTA that bleached(which I've had before due to...experimenting with lighting/spectrum) assuming water quality is on point, and life support system/lights are in order + some totally anecdotal comments.

1. Target Feed small mysis shrimp
-twice a week - needs time to consume, digest, and poop. Remember: one hole for all functions
-no large foods. Without their zoo partners helping true food consumption is their primary way to gain energy. Large food requires more energy to attempt to consume (that mouth has to open wider), and theres no guarantee a larger food item wont just get spit out.

2. Do a lighting acclimation cycle over a week (or two)
-If you don't know how to do one, hit the lighting section here and guarantee you'll find a guide.

3. Seek consistency - avoid tinkering w/ any doser settings, or trying any new snake oils or regimens, or tank temps. Good time to double check your heater and/or chiller + take a peak at that skimmer too (just a good idea IMO if you have a critter not doing well. I'm not suggesting anything is kaput in your gear, nor that any gear needs cleaning/maint but no one wants to have a heater fail when they're trying to heal a critter!).
-I may get blasted for suggesting it, but I would even consider delaying water changes for a week (or month...or two...), UNLESS you've got something that requires it (e.g. WC is your nitrate export method, or tank has sps/lps corals and WC is your alk/ca replacement method). You know your tank better than me - exercise your best judgement with that

+1 to taking a while to regain its color

Just some totally anecdotal advise bud(just to reiterate). I'm no nem expert, but just a guy that's had BTAs for years. Hope it works out for you and your nem. GL and happy reefin'.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Here is what I would do if I had a BTA that bleached(which I've had before due to...experimenting with lighting/spectrum) assuming water quality is on point, and life support system/lights are in order + some totally anecdotal comments.

1. Target Feed small mysis shrimp
-twice a week - needs time to consume, digest, and poop. Remember: one hole for all functions
-no large foods. Without their zoo partners helping true food consumption is their primary way to gain energy. Large food requires more energy to attempt to consume (that mouth has to open wider), and theres no guarantee a larger food item wont just get spit out.

2. Do a lighting acclimation cycle over a week (or two)
-If you don't know how to do one, hit the lighting section here and guarantee you'll find a guide.

3. Seek consistency - avoid tinkering w/ any doser settings, or trying any new snake oils or regimens, or tank temps. Good time to double check your heater and/or chiller + take a peak at that skimmer too (just a good idea IMO if you have a critter not doing well. I'm not suggesting anything is kaput in your gear, nor that any gear needs cleaning/maint but no one wants to have a heater fail when they're trying to heal a critter!).
-I may get blasted for suggesting it, but I would even consider delaying water changes for a week (or month...or two...), UNLESS you've got something that requires it (e.g. WC is your nitrate export method, or tank has sps/lps corals and WC is your alk/ca replacement method). You know your tank better than me - exercise your best judgement with that

+1 to taking a while to regain its color

Just some totally anecdotal advise bud(just to reiterate). I'm no nem expert, but just a guy that's had BTAs for years. Hope it works out for you and your nem. GL and happy reefin'.

I had a green BTA that was also bleached. It was a pale translucent yellow. I made a point of feeding it mysis and dosed Phycopure Zooxanthellae. My local LFS had mentioned they found it helpful for bleached corals. I am not sure if the dosing helped, but the BTA is now dark green.

Dennis

 

[BillH]

Be cautious also, not all white anemone's that look like bubbletips actually are. There has been a huge influx of white north pacific anemone's that are actually
Cribrinopsis olegi and their being shipped to lfs and sold as bubble tips. They are not, and no they are usually not bleached bta's as a lot of people will jump up to tell you. First you need to know for sure which one you have. If they come out and or open more fully at night or in darker area's instead of the daytime like a standard bubbletip would then you probably actually have a mislabled cribrinopsis. Heres a full article on them if you want to compare... http://actiniaria.com/cribrinopsis_olegi.php . Also notice that most (not all) cribrinopsis do not have tenticles anywhere close to the mouth area, another hint that it may not be a bta. It has become a trend over the past few years for these to show up because they are much more abundant and easier to collect. These crib's also eat a lot slower. If you notice how quickly bta's are to usually snag food pieces and pull them in, crib's will very slowly pull food in overall.