My strange Sunset BTA

[Dkuhlmann]

Can anyone explain why this SBTA just keeps getting longer tentacles instead of bubbling up? This was part of a split and was bubbled up originally, and the other half is still bubbled. Eats like a pig, has great color and all around healthy. Yes water params are correct and I've got T-5's. It moved only about 3" after I first put it in the tank and has been in this spot over a month. On a rare occasion it's started to bubble but didn't. Lately now that the tentacles are 1" to over 3" hasn't even tried to bubble.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Now if I could figure out how to get good color pictures out of my phone that represent the real color I'd be happy Hmmm More pictures before the tentacles got as long as they are now but were trying to bubble. Again the nem is much more colored than these represent.

The first was an attempt with my "good" camera

 

[enchelycore808]

Thats just how they are and nobody really knows why. Mines can be bubbled for a long time and then go for months with long tentacles. As long as its healthy, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

That's what I figured, it's just so frustrating LOL Now if I could only get my Perculas to notice it.

 

[AkoAung]

This is the great mystery of the BTAs. What I noticed with mine is if they have better (more intense) intense lighting they will bubble up. When the intensity is lower I do not see the bubble in the tentacles. Whenever blue spectrum is present in the lighting (LED or T5 actinic) by a good measure in the mix (50%) that's when I certainly see the bubbles on mine. Some of mine are now under MH and with some actinic (25% of wattage), they are not bubbling at all while those under 50-100% blues are.

The bubbles certainly get affected by changes in water parameters or chemistry.

 

[lclark209]

I have 10+ BTAs of different colors all over my tank in varying levels of light intensity and flow. They change from bubbly to not daily. I'm just happy they're healthy =)

 

[DubiousMaximus]

Ive alwas thought bta's stretch wih long tentacles hoping to capture prey, she's hungry.

 

[rt67ghy]

I had a BTA that would really bubble up after eating a good meal. Have you noticed any changes after you feed it?

 

[firewill65]

I've found that my small RBTA bubble up but when they get larger they have longer tentacles.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Well it's really strange in that neither one would bubble and I'm thinking it was my light bulbs were at the end of their usefulness. So I put in 4 new bulbs and it took a few days but both started to bubble.

I also got called away to have emergency surgery Wednesday due to an infection in my recent spine surgery area. WOW I was one sick puppy. But now that I'm home haven't seen them with the lights on yet but I can tell you that my RBTA split while I was gone :dance: