Cool RBTA morph

[RockyMtnReef]

Here is a shot of one of the 6 or 7 RBTA's in my tank that have all changed color. At first I thought maybe they were bleaching for some reason but they have been this way for close to a year and seem perfectly healthy. All are from the same parent that has split multiple times. I have had a few new ones show up recently and are also the same color.

Has anyone else ever had this happen (color shift)?

 

[RockyMtnReef]

43 reads and no one comments? Is it that common for them to shift color? I am really curious to know as I havent seen it happen before in my previous tanks. Here is another shot taken with a flash (just took it) to try and show more natural lighting. You can see one of the others just to the left of the frame.

If this is a sign something is wrong please let me know.

 

[Tennyson]

Yea I just posted up a similar thread, mine has turned a bright bright green as well I thought it was bleaching but it seems fine.

 

[drtrash]

I have one that did that a few months ago. Started out as red orange and went to a bright pink. I change out a few bulbs so not sure if it was a light issue. Currently running 3- 39 w overdriven on a 40 B. Like the color, see how it does with new bulbs.

 

[kellon16]

what type of lites are you running? im guessing 400 watt?

 

[oceancube1]

wow looks cool...

 

[zaraemna]

I think it is really bleached out. I suggest feeding it mysis shrimp twice a week until it gets the color back. Once I had small one get lost in the rocks and it turned competely clear. I started feeding it mysis soaked in selcon and it regained all its dark red color in a few months.

 

[fooseball08]

def a crazy color but it looks to me like it got a dose of Adobe Systems Inc

 

[RockyMtnReef]

I promise I have not doctored the pics. I under exposed by a stop or so to try and keep the colors as close to natural as possible. I am running 400W 20K bulbs so things tend to get over exposed and very blue when I try to take photos. Here is a full tank shot, you can see them on the right. There are several others in there as well that you cant see. Maybe it is a nutrition thing. I dont target feed them.

 

[Slickcg33]

to me it looks like they were severely bleached at one point, probably almost see through, and now they have begun to regain color.

 

[t4zalews]

do you run actinics also...that's a really blue 20k..what kind of bulb do you run?

 

[RockyMtnReef]

Yep, actinics too. 20K radiums. I had the actinics in place when I used to run 10K's but was never happy with how my tank responded. Everything did much better under the 20Ks but definitely blue. I am thinking about switching to 12 or 14K's next time I change bulbs.

 

[drtrash]

Well its not a light issue because I have T-5 (117 watts overdriven) and I have the same color. I feed a variety of rods food, mysis at least once per week. Alk, CA, PO, No, within norm,. Not sure why it changed, been a few months and other than color very healthy looking. Clowns love it

 

[agsansoo]

I disagree. It's a lighting spectrum issue. I read somewhere the zooxanthellae algae in anemones need lighting spectrum near 10K. 20K does absolutely nothing for zooxanthellae. My RBTA did the same thing when I changed my bulbs from 12K to Phoenix bulbs. This does not apply to T5 lights.

 

[drtrash]

It has too be a spectrum issue, Currently running a 12-15K look. I am changing over to a 6x24 ATI powermodule so I will se what it changes. I like the color but originally it was a orange red and glowed under actinics.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I disagree. It's a lighting spectrum issue. I read somewhere the zooxanthellae algae in anemones need lighting spectrum near 10K. 20K does absolutely nothing for zooxanthellae. My RBTA did the same thing when I changed my bulbs from 12K to Phoenix bulbs. This does not apply to T5 lights.

I am going to have to to disagree with that. I have been running 20Ks over my 58 for over 2 years now (( at first the XMs, and now Radiums )) and my anemones (( 2 haddonis, one blue and one green )) haven't changed one bit.

 

[agsansoo]

How deep is your tank Todd ?

 

[mobert]

I run 20K 400 watt bulbs with VHO actinics. I think your anemones are bleached --- it is usually lighting but it could be from many things other factors. Sometime one or two of my anemones would bleach from lighting competition but they look and act healthy along with the darker colored clones. Any extreme change in the tank can cause bleaching including temperature or ph swings. Mine would stay bleached for months but eventually regain their darker color. The bleached ones are definitely weaker than the darker ones in my experience.

btw, in the second picture the shorter tentacles and body of the BTA does not look healthy to me.

 

[Toddrtrex]

How deep is your tank Todd ?

It is a standard 58, want to say that it is 18" deep. And since I have Haddonis, they are in/on the sandbed.

I run 20K 400 watt bulbs with VHO actinics. I think your anemones are bleached --- it is usually lighting but it could be from many things other factors. Sometime one or two of my anemones would bleach from lighting competition but they look and act healthy along with the darker colored clones. Any extreme change in the tank can cause bleaching including temperature or ph swings. Mine would stay bleached for months but eventually regain their darker color. The bleached ones are definitely weaker than the darker ones in my experience.

btw, in the second picture the shorter tentacles and body of the BTA does not look healthy to me.

I have to agree. And really agree about the second picture, that one doesn't look good at all.

 

[RockyMtnReef]

So am I dealing with a nutrition issue? Lighting issue? H2O quality issue in your opinion?

I will start target feeding as much as possible. Several are way in the back behind big SPS which will make them hard to reach. I have not changed bulbs recently so that is something I can do that really needs to be done anyway.