BTAs How big do they get?.

[John75hex]

My BTA has been in my tank for almost 2 years. He is growing fast! This pic does not do justice, as he is not fully extended. yesterday he was , if i had to guess about 14 inches in diameter.
He is actualy taking over my 75 hex. How big will it get? Why doesnt he split? My gold stripe Maroon Clown is also large, about 4 inches long. (VERY happy clown!)

 

[Mud Shrimp Moe]

Yours is a bit larger than mine, but not a whole lot. Maybe 2" as mine's around a foot when fully opened.

 

[strider]

im no expert but your BTA looks alot like my Ritteri (Magnifica) and they grow very large indeed, but like i said im no expert.

 

[John75hex]

Thats one of the things i like most about him is that he looks like a Ritteri! He is definatly a BTA. Only once in a while do is see "Bubble Tips". Soon i will have to start taking corals out, or he will "take them out" for me! I'm happy that he is doing so well but also bummed I'm losing space...Fast!

 

[Amphiprion]

Yours is a bit larger than the norm, though there are some truly colossal ones out there--around 12" and smaller is much more common. Remember, once you add an anemone to smallish (under 100) tanks, it becomes an anemone tank .

 

[John75hex]

^ Now ya tell me! When it gets large enough to consume small children i guess i'll have to get a larger tank!

 

[traveller7]

There are one or two specimens on RC that are easily 16-18" across. Depending on the magnification of the glass in the Waikiki aquarium displays, I think they have some BTAs that are even larger.

 

[John75hex]

Here is a good shot that gives some scale, remember that this is a Large clown!

 

[rottielover]

Sounds like you have a very similar setup to mine.... I have a slightly smaller BTA maybe 11 or 12" when fully extended with a 3 to 4" marron clown...

I NEVER see bubble tips, mine looks like yours all the time, with the long thin tenticles....

Have you ever thought about what was done around the time your's was displaying it's bubble tips? I really like the look of the bubble tips, and it would be nice to know what I can do to try and get them back....

This pic was taken just after the lights came on and the BTA was still inflating...

 

[John75hex]

The bubble tips only happen on a few of the tenticals and that only happens once in a while. I dont think it happens as a result of something i did. They are truly magnificant critters, its amazing how they can change appearence. Yours too is very cool!

 

[rottielover]

Thanks! That pic I posted just doesn't do it any justice at all though....

When he's fully expanded it's def. the first thing people see and comment about when they see my tank for the first time!

 

[John75hex]

Thats funny you should say that, people's first comment on my tank is normally on my green star polyps...of all things! They are cool though, they grew on the acrylic and completely cover one side of my hex. Its funny to see their reaction when the clown comes out of the BTA, you cant even see him when he's all the way in.

 

[Beverly]

Hmmm! My GBTA just split over the weekend and it was only 7" in diameter

Don't have a clue as to what I did to make it split when it was so small. Someone on another board mentioned frequent feedings and lots of water changes makes 'em split.

In case you haven't seen my thread with the GBTA split video, here's the video of before and after the split ....

GBTA Splits January 29, 2006
(320 x 240 pixels, 8.7 MB, 1:58 minutes)

 

[John75hex]

^ Very cool video! Love the Bubble tips! I have tried the Water Change / Heavy feeding trick...He just got bigger!