Bubble Tip Anemones, A Call For Data!

[BonsaiNut]

BonaiNut- You are correct, some tentacles on the same anemone will exhibit bulbous formation while others will not. I however disagree that there isn't a reason behind it , there should be some evolutionary advantage in having bulbous tips!

Maybe the male anemones find it more attractive? Just clownin' around

From a scientific perspective, you are going about this backwards. If you just ask for random observations from people, you will never be able to prove or disprove anything - there are too many variables. Instead, what you should do is develop a hypotheses (for example I hypothesize that bulbs on BTA tentacles are caused by excessive solar radiation) and then test your hypothesis while controlling all other variables.

For example, have a set of BTA's (would be best if they were all clones) all in the same system with the same water and flow, same photo period, same feeding regimen, etc, and the ONLY thing you would change is the lighting intensity... and see if you could influence the number of bulbs. Perhaps you have three groups - a control group that gets the same moderate light that all the clones were in prior to the beginning of the experiment, and then a high light group that you hypothesize will increase bulbing and a low light group that you hypthesize will reduce bulbing. In a perfect world you would be able to reverse the experiment and have the bulbs appear / disappear.

Then if you can prove that bulbing is related to light intensity, you can hypothesize WHY this is so, and test to see if you are correct

Bulbing in E. quadricolor article

 

[Whiterabbitrage]

Bump

 

[sltloser]

Update: The thread has been up for a little over a month, and I've received one e-mail with data.

 

[johanasu]

Unfortunately, most hobbyists don't have PAR meters...

 

[topjimmy]

I have a tank full of gbta, all clones. From purely empirical observation I can see that stronger flow and light seems to encourage the tips forming into bubbles.

While it seems some people struggle with keeping these creatures, I can't stop them from taking over my tank. I would gladly give some away if they didn't cling to the rocks so well

 

[shifty51008]

Mine would actually still have long tenticles directly under a 400 watt mh and it was at the top of the rockwork

 

[Irishdolphin]

Unfortunately, most hobbyists don't have PAR meters...

+1 I would gladly perform the exercise if i had the equipment

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Mine would actually still have long tenticles directly under a 400 watt mh and it was at the top of the rockwork

+1 I would gladly perform the exercise if i had the equipment

I currently have 3 Sunset BTA's in my tank all on the same rock a bit of history on them. I got my first one about 6 months ago and it was a beautiful bubbled anemone when I got it, I put it in my tank and withing 3 days it's tentacles grew very long like over 3".

Since then I bought new bulbs for my HO T5 which were old and my nem bubbled up the next day for the first time in months. Unfortunately it was short lived. I then purchased another BTA this one very similar to the Sunset but with red tips instead of orange so it's called a Lava BTA. It was beautifully bubbled when I got it and then within 3 days it split and neither it nor the split has fully bubbled since. They are all 3 on the same rock and move around a bit but all stay on this rock. I feed them regularly and the give a hit of bubbling when I feed them.

I don't have a PAR meter so no info in that area but they are middle of my tank on a rock with the original one off to the side on the back of my tank currently. It seems to bubble some in the mornings when the actinics come on and once full lighting they subside a bit.

It is upsetting to see the once beautiful anemone's that I purchased to look more Madusa like than bubble tip anemone, having long tentacles the even corkscrew.

:spin1: So I'm lost in what to do if anything. They are healthy, growing and my second one split like I said when I first got it. It started to split again after I upgraded and switched tanks to my new 40b however after splitting half way through the mouth it decided not to split and has healed itself back. :debi:

I too would be happy to help if I had the equptment