RBTA bubble tips experience.

[JohnK]

Just thought I would share.

I got a large RBTA from pinkskunk almost 3 years ago. Now it's 3 RBTA's. It has never showed a bubble tip before, just long stringy LTA type appearance. Never a hint of a bubble, not in pinkskunk's tank and not once since.

I moved one clone to my newer 120 system. By morning it moved half way across the tank and found a place it liked and formed bubble tips. Not all the tenacles but about 1/3 of them have very defined bubble tips. It also expands less. Still looks very healthy, but very different.

My true perc pair also moved in within about 36 hrs

The two systems are similar (MH plus actinic, good skimmer, Ca reactor, DSB, good current (more in the 120) similar parameters overall, but ca and alk slightly higher in the 120, temp similar but fluxuating more in the 120.

Just wanted to share. The BTA bubble thing is a bit of a mystery so I thought my expereince might be interesting

 

[~Flighty~]

Is that the first time it has hosted them? I have heard of another one getting the tips back when the clowns moved in and I have heard of one of the curlicue ones getting the curl back for the same reason.

 

[JohnK]

I pair of maroons were sharing the 3 RBTA's since they were only 1 RBTA. This is the first time the RBTA has been exposed to perc's though

 

[meemoo]

I just got a RBTA and for the first day it's had bulbs and the next day one of my 250MH bulbs blew over the weekend and I was not able to get another one yet, so I am only running the one 250 MH and I have noticed the bulbs are gone. Coincindentally the day after I got the RBTA my false percs decided to host in it, but it still had the bulbs at that time. So I am thinking maybe a lighting issue.

 

[starrfish]

I've had an RBTA for about 1/2 years. It split once in my 75g, and recently split again in my new 350. My false percs have been hosting in it for about a year. Never once did it ever have a bubble tip - just long, lean, healthy tips. It is a mystery.

 

[agent6473]

I got a very nice healthy one from ClamMan. In his tank, it had nice bubble tips. When it first moved into my tank it had the same bubble tips for about a week or so, maybe a little longer. It was under PC lighting in my tank and MH in his. After moving around my tank for a couple weeks, it lost its bubble tips. I later upgraded my lighting to 250 DE MH. It moved up to the top of the rock work but still no bubble tips. It has grown a good amount and looks healthy. I have a ocellaris clown that hosts in it. Once in a while one of the tentacles will bubble up slightly. I wish I could figure out the trick to these things, even though it looks pretty anyways.

 

[kenn157]

I was unable to actually feed my RTBA for several weeks and I mean SEVERAL. It moved to the back of the tank and I couldnt get at it. It was was getting enough light but was in a very ackward place. I have MH 150w 14k DE's. It had nice bubble tips! It hosted a pair of maroons but not constantly cause I have 4 BTA's they bounce around to. Anyway The RTBA moved again and is more out in the open. I was like great now I can feed it. I feed it twice in one week (silversides) then once the following week. It looks great still except now it dosent have the bubble tips anymore.
I'm not going to feed it for a couple of weeks and see if the bubbles come back.

 

[meemoo]

Here is mine after I replaced the light. The tips seem to be coming back. Where do you get silversides? My LFS doesn't carry them.

 

[Pat H.]

I agree, the bubble tip thing is a strange mystery. Is it water quality, lighting, feeding, current?

My brother has a tank full of BTA's. Probably 12 or more clones. Every so often a large anemone will leave a little piece of tissue behind on a rock when it moves. The bud of tissue has no tenticles and disappears into the rockwork for weeks. When it reappears it has short tenticles with small bubble tips. These grow quickly and keep the bubble tips. So now he has a mixed look, some with bubbles , some without. His tank is a 30 gl breeder with one 175w MH bell pendant.

 

[JohnK]

Seems like the why's remain a mystery.

I think it's cool, now I have RBTA clones that show both bubbles and no bubbles sitting in tanks right next to each other