To bubble or not to bubble...

[pdmckinn78]

Hi,

I have had an apparently healthy GBTA for 3 years now. When I bought it, I wondered why they call it a "bubble tip" since it had beautiful, long, straight green tentacles with a touch of red.

Six mos. ago, I moved it from my 180g under 4 VHO's (2 white + 2 actinic) to my 300g under 250w HQI's (3x10000k and 2x20000k).

Since then, it has doubled in size, it's tentacles have faded to a pretty light green and all the tentacles are bubbled. It's mouth is tightly closed and it has a great feeding response, so I think it is still healthy.

Was it just the change in light? What causes a BTA to either bubble or not?

Thanks,
Doug

 

[killerbubbles]

Various changes in conditions can cause them to bubble or not. You may get varied answers to this question. I believe it is all still up in the air as to what the different changes in bubbles actually mean.

 

[seamonkey84]

I've heard/read many many theories, but basically it's still unknown variables as to why they bubble or not. Most theories contradict each other, some say they bbble when hosting a clown, others say clowns make them loose bubbles. Either way as long as it's healthy it don't matter.

 

[pdmckinn78]

To b. or not to b.

To b. or not to b.

I know that animals and their symbiotic algae change to adapt to new conditions. So the color change under the new lights didn't freak me out once I realized the BTA was still healthy.

As far as hosting or not hosting a clown concerns bubbling, this BTA has hosted the same maroon clown the entire time in both tanks. So I don't think that's it. I put in a new LTA last week (from Blue Zoo), and it looks like the unfaithful hussy of a clown is going to host in the LTA. If that happens, I'll get a chance to see if the tentacles respond to its absence.

 

[killerbubbles]

some people say the tentacles get long and stringy when it's hungry or reaching for more light. like i said before - nobody knows for sure. these are all theories.

 

[katchupoy]

I've heard/read many many theories, but basically it's still unknown variables as to why they bubble or not. Most theories contradict each other, some say they bbble when hosting a clown, others say clowns make them loose bubbles. Either way as long as it's healthy it don't matter.

I can say, based on my experience, that the clowns have nothing to do with the bubbles.

Background:
Have my RBTA since 2004, exploded to more than 30, sold everything except one in 2007. Now Im back to 20, sold 10 three months ago. Now last count is 13. I have a 10 year old true perc that died on me last year, and she loves all of my RBTA. Bought false perc as replacement, and she never touched any of my RBTA and decided to go with my leather coral.

With that said, during my true perc, I have a bubbled RBTA. And now she's gone, and with my false perc, all of my RBTA are still bubbled.

Just saying.

Cesar