Bleached RBTA never getting color back??

[hpasternak]

Last year my RBTA bleached due to summer heat and change of bulbs. It has been over a year now and though it has split it has never regained any color????? I feed it silversides 1x-2x a week.

Once it bleaches how can it get any color of it releases all of its zooanthxallae??

HP

 

[redvipe2010]

You might want to try soaking the food in selcon before feeding. What are your water parameters, lighting and other tank mates?

 

[Anemone]

Re: Bleached RBTA never getting color back??

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10077308#post10077308 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hpasternak

Once it bleaches how can it get any color of it releases all of its zooanthxallae??

Good question, but I don't think anyone can give you a definitive answer. There's no way of knowing whether an anemone has released "all" of its zooxanthellae. A few cells could be used to re-populate the entire anemone. - unless there is something in your tank that is keeping the anemone bleached.

Also, corals (and therefore it is assumed anemones) have been shown to have the ability to absorb zooxanthellae from the water around them (some corals or anemones (I forget which) have been shown to be without zooxanthellae as planulae). So, you might be able to "re-color" your anemone by placing it in a tank with another anemone of the same species, which could release some zoox that could be absorbed by the bleached anemone. This could also be accomplished (theoretically) with a lucky choice in corlas (that could provide the right type of zoox).

FWIW,
Kevin