RBTA emitting white cloud

[tallreefguy]

So I just saw my rose bta emitting a white cloud out of it's mouth, and I have no idea why.
I've had the rose for a couple years. It has happily shared a tank with a blue carpet anemone. Recently I moved a ritteri in to help it recover (bleached from another tank).
Tank parameters are 2-3 nitrates about 1.025 salinity. It appears the tentacles are deflated a bit. Is it trying to divide, or die? Or possibly allelopathy?
Anyone seen this before?

Oh, it's a 100g tank with 2x250w halides & 2xt5's. Running a Deltec tc2060 skimmer. The RBTA's foot is still firmly attached for now.

 

[jeffreylesser]

Could be sexual reproduction. I have seen it as a response to a stressor instead of splitting. I have also seen anemones on there way out start to "smoke" like what you are describing. Usually the smoking behavior in anemones going out is a ways along in the process, though peculiar not a huge surprise. If your anemeone was perfectly fine, and then started doing this I would put money on sexual reproduction. A water change can't hurt either way.

 

[tallreefguy]

Yeah the rose was in perfect condition. I can't remember the last time it looked stressed or deflated. I'll hit that water change tomorrow first thing and let's hope for sexual reproduction.

 

[ct_vol]

You may want to skim wet and run carbon as well. Whatever it released can't be good for the water quality.

 

[sjwitt]

Mine did the same thing... scared the poop out of me but all was back to normal the next day. As others have said, run carbon and WC is never a bad idea. BTW, that was a month or so ago. Then it grew big and healthy and then it disappeared in the rock work for a couple of days and ... now it's back out BUT there are 2!! Fat and healthy RBTAs.

 

[tallreefguy]

Checked this morning and all looks well! It would be fun if it split!

 

[jeff@zina.com]

That's a normal "cloud" effect, it's spawning. It's also unlikely to split soon if it's trying to reproduce sexually, both require a lot of energy. By the way, it's also a sign that the nem is healthy.

Jeff