Is there a friggen handbook on keeping BTA's happy?

[atxchris1234]

Okay, I bought this guy about 2 months ago. He' in a 30 gallon tank with 250 watt Reeflux 12k.

http://img2.putfile.com/thumb/5/14022265866.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic/8174399)

Notice how nice and green it is? The iphone pic doesn't even do it justice. This guy was a brilliant neon green, with large bubble tips. It was truly the nicest thing I had in my tank.


Well, here it is now....
http://img2.putfile.com/thumb/5/14022265845.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic/8174398)

It has lost quite a bit of its neon luster. I wouldn't say that its looking unhealthy, but it seems to have moved to a area with less light, doesn't have the same bright coloration, and I havent seen nice big bubbly tips snce that first week I had him.


Im just wondering why mine doesnt't look like this guys....


http://img2.putfile.com/thumb/5/14022265886.jpg (http://www.putfile.com/pic/8174396)

Is there some sort of addative that BTA's like?


Thanks for the help

[Jonthefishguy]

Add Iodine and strontium and test for them to make sure you have the proper levels.

[Bill S]

Wild caught anemones will bleach, to varying degrees, after capture. This bleaching usually results in "less brown" coloration. Looks great in the store, then after time, it browns up again.

[mattymalcolm]

Also bubbletips loose there bubbles in captivity sometimes. But the clown fish taken to it is a good sign in my opinion.

[atxchris1234]

Okay thanks for the pointers. I asked someone yesterday and he said it was because I am not running any actinics. He told me to go buy an actinic setup and run that while I run my 12k. I didn't think actinics provided any real benefit other then looks, am I wrong?


Thanks again

[ErikH]

my RBTA gets its bubbles back after a water change. I think that has been a huge debate as to why they have their bubbles or lose them. Bill's anemones all have them, and they are just gorgeous.

[subsailor]

IMO Actinic lights are vital to acheive certain spectrums, including a UVA spectrum.

In nature, reefs are located generally from sea level to 40 or 50 feet deep. On average, 10 to 20 feet of water is typical. When sunlight hits the water, much of it is simply reflected away. Some doesn't and penetrates deeper in the water. Because of the wavelengths, the red end of the spectrum gets filtered out/blocked first.

The blue end of the spectrum is the last to be filtered out, hence the typical deep blue hues you see in underwater pictures, and a reason there are so many blue fish in the ocean.

Actinic bulbs mimic these hues, and make an aquarium look as if it is deeper than the foot or two under water that it really is. In addition, because the blue is the last to be filtered out, it is used by various invertebrates like corals and sea anemones as food. That is, the zooxanthellae in their tissues use the light as food, and their wastes (starches and sugars) are what feed the animal.

[ErikH]

Before I forget...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/bubbletipanemones.htm