Purple bubble tip anemone!!!

[plancton]

Ok this case is extremely weird, could be a mistake or whatever. I went to the nature aquarium store here at Guadalajara Mexico, and new specimens had just arrived.

They had 2 new bubble tip anemones that came together. One was a regular Buble tip anemone and the other one was this one, that under their atinic light looked fluorescent blue.

I watched the amazing color and thought it was a blue carpet anemone, I asked the guy and he told me it was a buble tip!. Then it came to my mind that it looked like purple hectaris magnifica.
However after bringing it home and looked carefuly at it, it definetely has the shape of a bubble tip. And the color is purple with green tips. Doesn't look like a dyed specimen, it looks like a true morph. Could be the stress, could be sick, but this is its first day in my tank. Anyways it is a purple bubble tip anemone with green tips!!!.

I will be taking more pictures later. I am keeping it in a 70 gal tank with 400 watt Power compacts, on the topmost spot. I think is good lighting, I 've also have a galaxea on the topmost of the tank for about 4 months, and no complaints from it.

 

[DMK]

nice. keep us posted, maybe also post in anenome forum. i'm sure you'll get the info u want.

 

[Anemonebuff]

Let us know if the color stays.

Good luck.

 

[Pandora]

Just curious, how do you tell if an anemone is dyed? Sounds like you have seen the difference, I haven't seen a lot of dyed BTA's to compare them to the real thing, though I know this is an issue.

 

[integlikewhoa]

I have never even heard of this issue. Can you guys please explain?

 

[plancton]

I've seen them in some online stores, they refer to them as "colored" they also have colored carpet anemones etc. But it seems colored anemones do not have a uniform color, the color they use to dy them seems to get unevenly distributed. But I am not an expert. This could be a dyed one.

 

[One Eyed Bunny]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6738864#post6738864 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by integlikewhoa
I have never even heard of this issue. Can you guys please explain?

Some people use semi-permenant dyes to alter the original color of anemones and corals. This usually just gives dealers a means to raise the price of this piece or that piece by $20 for about $.50 worth the dye. I'm guessing you can see how that is more than quasi-profitable.

As for identifying them. Well, there's only two methods I know. One is already explained in the post above this. The color of the anemone or coral will be noticeably uneven and irregular, while a natural anemone or coral will have a pretty solid color, or color gradient from base-to-tip or tip-to-base.

The second method for identifying dyed vs. natural is through distinct knowledge about what you're purchasing. If you're a bit skeptical on the color, do some research on the web. There are plenty of great reference sites that you can use to find what the natural color(s) of a anemone or coral.

Now, why is dying bad. Although it isn't necessarily horrible, it does put the piece under a considerable amount of stress, and in this hobby, stress kills. Also, the dye is not permenant, it usually will fade out after a year or two and the piece will take on its normal coloration once again.

I hope this helps explain dying and the two methods I know about to identify a dyed piece from a true colored piece.

 

[plancton]

I have an issue. The anemone detached from where it was, and I tried to place it again in the same spot but did nto want to attach, then the current pushed it away, and it landed in a corner of the tank. It then moved to the back, in a narrow space and attached to the rock, but there is no light in there.

Should I leave it there or try to place it again?, would it be stupid enough to die for lack of light?.

Is there a possibility that my lights are to bright?. I have 400 watts power compacts.

 

[Pandora]

You pretty much have to let anemones do what they want to do, and sometimes this is not in their best interest, but you cannot move them, this will just stress them more and they will move back when you are gone. If they are unhappy, they will find a dark space and sometimes languish and die. It's best to start them off in the lower portion of the tank and let them move up on their own, because new light can shock them and cause them to bleach (in total 400W on that tank is not considered a lot, it's more likely the sudden change in lighting from what they were under in the store). BTA's in particular like to have their foot well-sheltered and their tentacles in gentle (not strong) current when they are healthy, but will hide when stressed. You can check my photo album for pics of what mine has been doing (sheltering in a hollow rock). Sometimes to at least limit how much they will move, some keep them on an "island" of rock, since they don't move through sand well.... I forgot what this is called, but it starts with a B.

 

[dhoch]

More likely it was not happy in the last location and your touching/moving has stressed it out...

Just let it be...

I'm assuming that you have a mature tank (> 1 year old) and your lights are sufficient (400 W PC over what size tank)...Doubt that is too much light.

Dave

 

[Pandora]

Hey hey! And just FYI, dhoch was the one I got my other BTA (rose, not the green one shown) from! Dave, it's doing ok and growing a little, keeping it well to the other side of the green BTA I got a few months ago. Thanks for everything, I've got so much xenia now I've been trading it in by the handful! Plus, I gave some away to some local newbies, and introduced them to WAMAS... might have a few new recruits coming your way....

 

[dhoch]

Glad to hear it's doing so well (and the xenia too... I've tried to remove as much as possible from my tank)...

I'm looking forward to the next WAMAS meeting...

Heh love your little handbasket quote.

Dave

 

[NoIdeaWhatToDo]

I have a purple BTA w/ green tips as well. Only had her a week, but she found a spot with in minutes of me introducing her to the tank and hasn't moved since.

 

[goodblasson]

I too have a purple bubble anemone with green tips. Its definately not dyed, and lately the colors have become more striking. I have had it for about a year. My clown loves it. And speaking of dyed corals, someone said that their called "colored" thats not good b/c most of my coral i have ordered from indonesia has been called "colored" and it definately is bright colored.

 

[Anemonebuff]

The problem with dying an anemone is that the dye shields the xooanthellae from the proper spectrums of light. This becomes problematic after shipping when an anemone will get nourishment from lighting, rather than from feeding. Most LFS's do not feed. It is also a problem when the anemone keeps attempting to move to find the proper lighting, of course this is the problem, it is the dye and not the light. I am sure that they also rely on their xoo's at times while they are in our tanks. Particularly while we are on vacation for a week or two and they receive no direct feedings.

 

[plancton]

So is my anemone unhappy?, will it move close to the light of my PCs? or it will move towards the light of the lord?.

Cuz I moved the rock where it was hanging in the dark, and got exposed to light, and then moved again towards the shadow.

By the way, the PC's being not enough for the tank is relative, because I have my corals concentrated on about 40 gal of the tank, the other 20 gals are free space, and finally the other 10 gals is the sump.

And I placed the anemone right at the topmost spot, receiving absolute light spectrum from all sides. Do you recomend doing a small water change to improve the quality of water?.

 

[dhoch]

LEAVE THE ANEMONE ALONE!

If it wants to hide it will.

I have 2 roses currently in my tank, about 2 weeks ago one when into hideing. 3 days later it came back out in a new place.

The creature is adapting to your tank. Your moving it around is just causing it more stress and increasing the likelihood it will die.

you never did say how old (mature) your tank is. Anemones do best in older/mature tanks.

Dave

 

[Pandora]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6743631#post6743631 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by plancton

And I placed the anemone right at the topmost spot, receiving absolute light spectrum from all sides. Do you recomend doing a small water change to improve the quality of water?.

Didn't I also just say to PLEASE leave it alone, and start it out in the bottom of the tank? You're going to kill it with all that pestering and moving it around, I guarantee that. I also recommended that you start it off in the lower part of the tank to avoid the sudden shock of transition to new light, since they will hide in the first couple of days (putting it at the top will seriously stress it). It is obviously trying to adjust. Please stop moving it! (Why do people ask for advice and then go and do the opposite?)

 

[dhoch]

(Why do people ask for advice and then go and do the opposite?)

You an army psychiatrist need to ask this question (heh).

 

[Pandora]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6745735#post6745735 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dhoch
You an army psychiatrist need to ask this question (heh).

:lol: A self-defeating wish to sabotage ourselves?