2 out of 3 ain't bad

[dcombs44]

Just an FYI question, as I'm not so much worried, but curious.

I purchased a relatively small RBTA about a year ago from a great LFS in my area. Since the purchase, the RBTA has split twice.

The clones, have relocated in my tank (both to the same spot), and look amazing. Big, full, and bright, but mom stays in her bottom corner looking deflated. It looked like it was going to split again last night.

Any idea why mom wouldn't relocate if she's not happy with her current placement?

it's obvious that my conditions are able to support the species, but 2 of them look great while the original doesn't. I mean, it's always open, just never full. It accepts food, is sticky, etc, but just doesn't look happy.

Any thoughts? (I'll try to post pictures this evening)

 

[azcummins]

There is an ongoing debate if 'nems split due to them being happy or unhappy. While your "mother" doesn't sound happy from your description, she is producing clones that are happy. This fact would lean towards the "unhappy" theory, but no one really knows.

My GBTA's split every 1.5 to 2 months and the mother always looks unhappy for a couple of days after, but then returns to normal.

Something else to check would be your lights. Have you replaced your bulbs recently?

 

[dcombs44]

Yeah, I've read the debates over nems splitting for survival reasons. They are stressed and basically split to attempt to survive, but at the same time, if happy anemones didn't split, we'd eventually run out of anemones

I'll go take some pics now.

 

[dcombs44]

Pardon the reflection.

Happy Clones (Snuffing out my orange digi no less)

Old Saggy Momma (I guess she doesn't look too bad, just not as good as the clones. I just realized that the colt coral is awful close to it. Maybe that's what it doesn't like)

 

[azcummins]

actually, your mother doesn't look too bad. She just looks like she doesn't have any bubble tips at the moment. My GBTAs look like that all the time when they don't have bubble tips.

 

[dcombs44]

No, that's what I'm saying. She's still full of xooxanthellae, and is always open, but the extension isn't that great. It's also weird that the clones have bulb tips and not mom.....but who knows?

 

[Lmecher]

There is too much we have yet to learn about these, for now just one of those great mysteries. IMO they all look healthy even 'ol mom, if she was bleached I'd worry but she looks fine. Some very pretty bta's you got there.

 

[azcummins]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14575313#post14575313 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dcombs44
No, that's what I'm saying. She's still full of xooxanthellae, and is always open, but the extension isn't that great. It's also weird that the clones have bulb tips and not mom.....but who knows?

One of GBTAs, the mother has no tips, the clones have huge tips. Also, one BTA is very extended, the other isn't. One never gets bubble tips, the other does, etc, etc.

No one really knows, but it would be interesting to find out.

 

[dcombs44]

Sure would. Thanks for the compliments Lmecher. Mom was a bit bleached when I got her, but she's in pretty ok shape now. Hopefully I can keep them all that way.

 

[PRDubois]

Bubbles are not a sign of health. Lots of RBTA's loose thier bubbles.

 

[dcombs44]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14576507#post14576507 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PRDubois
Bubbles are not a sign of health. Lots of RBTA's loose thier bubbles.

Agreed. My mother RBTA has never had bubbles. I just think it's weird that her clones do and she doesn't. Some of the biggest GBTAs I've ever seen had no bubble tips.

It's just weird the way they work, ya know.