Are there other colors besides Red and Green in BTAs? And, keeping two colors ok?

[Newreeflady]

Are there other colors and can you have two BTAs, but of different colors, in one tank? Will they fight even though they are technically the same species? If they touch each other, would that be bad?

If you were to keep two and wanted to add say a porcelain crab, anemone shrimp and clowns, would it be possible or would the inhabitants fight or just kick someone out? Would the clowns stick with just one anemone or use both?

Thanks,
Angela.

 

[artful-dodger]

Those are the two general categories of BTA, but the variety of actual colors within the "green" and "rose" can be pretty wide. Color will also change based on the tank, lighting and water flow. I have several RBTA daughters that are genetic clones, but the ones in higher flow areas are brighter orange. One of the stores in our area has some hot pink ones...amazing coloration.

I've never known them to "fight" any more than two greens or two roses that are not clones. I've never seen it become a life and death struggle, though, since one will move if it isn't comfortable. (Of course that would depend on whether you're talking about your 65 or your 5 )

Clowns (I won't address anemone-dwelling shrimp, since I've not kept them) will generally pick a home. They can certainly fight and will reject an interloper. They will sometimes move between two hosts. They will sometimes ignore an anemone (even of their native host species). I have two that have ignored the RBTAs since I put them in the tank in favor of green hairy mushrooms. This beside the fact that both came into the tank after being happily residing in RBTAs in their former homes... Clowns are just downright unpredictable.

 

[catdoc]

Hi, again (really, I'm not following you!)

I have a green and a rose in my tank at work. For months, the two were as close as could be (feet touching, tentacles interwoven in the current). In both of my tanks, I have multiple btas and the clowns tend to visit them all but have a preferred one for sleeping in and spawning under. I only have one clown pair in each tank, I don't know if there were multiple pairs if each would choose one anemone to defend as home.

I wanted to try a porcelain crab or anemone shrimp but I'd heard that the clowns and crab/shrimp don't usually share very well. No experience myself though.

 

[Newreeflady]

Thanks, Christy! I was wondering if they would bother each other if they touched. I was thinking of dedicating the tank to them, because it is tough, especially in a small tank, to keep corals and anemones. So, it's great to hear I can keep two colors of the same species together. I suppose we'll see how it goes. I would like to find both as splits from others, but I usually only see the rose colored species offered, maybe nobody likes the green

Thanks for the help!
Angela.

 

[catdoc]

If my green splits again, you'll be the first to know. It's not split for a long while so it's due.

 

[EMBRYOGUY]

 

[Newreeflady]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7037340#post7037340 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by catdoc
If my green splits again, you'll be the first to know. It's not split for a long while so it's due.

Sweet!

Hey, Embryoguy, is that one blue or is that just the lighting?

-A

 

[EMBRYOGUY]

thats under 14k 150 mh.

it really does look like that. notice the stalk is more like a brownish/gray. but the nipple/tip really does look like that.

 

[Newreeflady]

Very cool!

 

[kevin21]

there is such a thing as a yellow BTA. thing is...its very rare!