Dr. Ireef's "Let's Get Our Bubbles Back!" Campaign.

[ClownReef®]

Ok, some of us clownfish lovers dont have any bubbles on our RBTAS..maybe we did at first, but in time they disappeard.. There can be MANY hypothesis about why RBTAs lose their bubbles:

1- Some are collected deeper than others.
2- Some say the bubbles disappeard when clowns where introduced.
3-Lighting.
4- Water quality
5-Feeding
.....And MANY others..

I have decided to start this thread inspired by a previously posed thread about a lack of Bubbletips..The point of this experiment is to match (or try to) the exact same parameters and conditions as the people who have RBTAs with bubbletips. So in order to get this ball rolling..i need the following info from people who have the bubbletips..

-Parameters (all that you can test for)
-Lighting (Whether its MH, VHOs, PCs, T5s..or combinations..etc)
-Position in the tank (Low, Med, High)
-Flow (Strong, Med. Low)
-And What you feed.

Hopefuly we can get an answer, or maybe get closer to finding an answer of why it happens.

Thanks!


***DISCLAIMER***

im not really a doctor, LOL..

 

[TOURKID]

what if there are bubbles only sometimes... or, only on half the bta? (whitch is the case with mine!)

 

[ClownReef®]

Well, at least your does sometimes..some of us, it never does! (sobs..lol

 

[Stormtrker]

I have both a RBTA & a GBTA in same tank. They are at same level in tank about 6" apart. The RBTA is always fully bubbled out & the GBTA rarely has bubbles. The only difference is the GBTA hosts 2 clowns & the RBTA never has. They both have beautiful deep coloration & growing steadily.
Carla

 

[phender]

In the old days, when I used 4 standard fluorescents over all my tanks, all of my BTAs always had bubbles. The only time I ever saw a bta without bubbles was when they were under MH lights. Now that I have PC bulbs, I don't have any bubbles.
Now that everyone has MH at least PC fluoresents, I rarely see BTAs with bubbles.

Unfortunately, now that I have said this, you will have a bunch of people with MH lights say that their BTAs always have bubbles.

Good luck to you. I don't think you are going to find and answer just from people answering questions. I think it is going to take some controlled experimentation that may take years.

 

[TOURKID]

right. because every single person here has somthing different going on with there tanks, no two are the same. i would have to settle on a vauge answer like 'loss of bubbles are caused by a variety of issues including but not limited to lighting, food and water quality'

I hate answers like that lol

 

[ClownReef®]

I really think we can find common ground on this issue. Everything has an explanation and i intend to find why bubbles disappear..Im gonna start with water quality..if i cant find a connection with water parameters and bubbles..ill move on to lighting..if it means i have to try different types of lights, i will. So, those who have the bubbles..please post your parameters.. Thanks!!

 

[818]

110g tall 25 inches high.
Positioned at medium of rock structure
Strong flow-
Ammonia-undetectable Trites, trates-dead low-Ph.8.1 SG- 1.021
260w PC<--same lighting unit type...-Dusk Dawn Effect also.
Fed shrimp yesterday
I have a fuge now, never had one in my older systems
running carbon 24/7, never did this before in my old tanks, and now I have my first anemone that will bubble!!! After 7 of them this one has bubbles.

 

[ClownReef®]

Ok, We have Bubble stats. Thanks My F1sh! (Ill keep note of all the specs people post, we will find the secret..)

 

[Go29]

ok my rbta is in a standard 29 gallon tank.
He is at least a foot ( mabey a bit more) away from the lights on a rock close to the bottom
LIghting is done by t-5 ( a 4 bulb unit, each bulb is 36 watts, for a total of 154 watts. two bulbs are actinic, and two are 10,000k"s)
i feed him small pieces of silversides, or about half a cube of mysis shrimp, and or prime reef flakes about 3 times a week.
flow is about one medium blast froma maxi jet 1200 about every 10 sec ( maxijet has a rotating head )
i too run carbon 24\7
no fuge, but i have a coralife superskimmer 65
2 gallon water changes weekly
also a little side info, i think bubbles have to do with lighting, because mine has normal anemone tentacles at night, but when the lights come on the buble yp HUGE ans stay that way all day until the lights go off.
ammonia- undetectable
nitrite- undetectable
nitrate-about 2 ( over feeding a little too much)
phosphates- amazingly none test done with salifert
calcium-about 510 ( i know high, but the clams love it)
hope i could help, great thread idea by the way

 

[traveller7]

Seems to provide a baseline:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/feature.htm

 

[ClownReef®]

Thanks for your input Go29- i also think lighting has TONS to do with bubbles.. Mine used to bubble when my actinics fired..then when the MHs would go on, the bubbles would go..

Thanks guys, keep them coming!

 

[Reefvette]

My 2 Cents

My 2 Cents

I beleive that the bubbling affect you guys are trying to acheive is a result of the anemone relying more on the photosythic (sp) process. They must be expanding the edge of the tentacle to cover more surface area..

My questions is people who have bulbs what is your lighting and how much do u feed

My questions is also people who dont have bulbs what is your light and feeding habits.

 

[r00onmac]

i have also heard a theory that it has to do with the age of the nem... apparently they are more likely to do it when young (i guess that means soon after they split off or something) then as they get older it gets less likely

 

[ClownReef®]

r00on- I dont think age matters--Ive seen small RBTAs with bubbles and old RBTAs with bubbles..

Reefvette- All those ?s are being answered .. Hopefully we can find the link between bubbles and no bubbles..

 

[tag]

in theory, arent all anenomes ageless

 

[jasonlm]

I have RBTA in 24 gallon tank, 4 to 5 inches away from my 4 x 24watts HO T5 (3 actinic and 1 10,000k), hosting by pair of percula. I feed a sliced of shrimp every 3 days, medium flow. Very few bubbletips.

But one time I went for 2 weeks holiday (It means no solid food for my RBTA during that time). When I come back the anemone shrink a bit but all tentacles w/ nice bubbletips.

 

[fijiblue]

I think feeding plays an important role in the bubble tips. When I first purchased my rose, it had beautiful bubbles. After a while they slowly went away. I've had the rose under PC and MH and they never come back. I have noticed though with daily feedings of smaller foods(mysis, brine, cyclopeez)the arms are a lot more inflated and close to when I first purchased it.

I have also seen bubbles that were being "baked" in intense light and they retained their bubbles. I think if the anemone is well fed - either by food or by sunlight - they are more likely to retain their bubbles.

Just my opinion.

 

[Travis Savant]

I used to have a small GBTA, and I always feed it silversides about 3 times a week. Some days it had bubbles, some days it didn't. I had it under 250ws of DE MH over a 29g. The Nem was at the bottom of the tank.

 

[ClownReef®]

Ok, this is where we stand so far:

Im 80% sure the tips are due to lighting. In My f1sh's case..he has 260w PCs and Go29 has T5's..NOT HALIDES like most of us. Their parameters seem in check, nothing out of the ordinary, but both run carbon (not saying thats the secret, but enough to notice). They feed their anemones regularly. They both have their anemones in med. to strong flow..I dont think position has anything to do..My F1sh has his anemone in the middle while GO29's is close to the bottom. This is way too soon to call it done..so hopefully more people with bubble tips will share stats.