Bubble Tip Anemone Questions

[Carmen]

I have had a small GBTA for nearly 2 months now and it has very long skinny tentacles. I am not concerned that they don't bubble just that the tentacles are so skinny. It does not look completely comfortable. My params are all normal.
pH 8.2
SG 1.025
Nitrates 5
temp 79-80

Hosted by a 2" clown - does not seem overly agressive.
Whe it was orinally put in it was on a small shell. I have since persuaded it to move to a larger rock thinking that perhaps the shell was not big enough. It moved to the top of the rock but I have this rock isolated from the rest of my rockwork to prevent it from moving everywhere or getting near the PH's. I have tried higher flow, lower flow but it jusy never seems to make a difference. It eats well atleast 2-3 times a week.
So could it just need a higher place in my tank for more lighting?? (Came from MH lit tank) If so should I allow it to find it's spot by "roaming" the rockwork? Just seems like I may be looking for trouble with the PH's and stinging of other corals.
Any ideas? (This is one of it's better days, sometimes even skinnier and longer)
http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r474/ctash_album/FTSJan08012.jpg
Location in tank:
http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r474/ctash_album/FTSJan08011.jpg

[albert_dao]

They'll move on their own accord if not comfortable; one of the more mobile anemones you're going to find. The most important consideration is that they like to have their foot entrenched in crevices.

Bubbling tips isn't an indicator of health, but as an anecdote, MH users report higher frequencies of bubbling tips than non-MH users. I have, in the past, kept several BTA's that never seemed to want to bubble yet continually grew and divided.

[Glennrf38]

I finally manged to get an anemone to live in my tank. My bubbletip found a nice spot to live and hasn't moved since. He shrinks down into the rocks at night when the lights go out and comes back in the morning. I haven't tried spot feeding him yet but I might just to see if I can get him to grow and split. That would be kewl.

I got two clowns too hoping to get them to host in the BTA but after 2 months, as soon as the lights go out, they go down to the front corner of the tank and go to sleep....... fish are weird.

[whatcaneyedo]

I found my GBT shifted back and fourth from bubbled to stringy over the 2 years I had it before I finally sold it. It went from bubbled to stringy to bubbled back to stringy. It also split twice in the first year. I suspect that it may have been the salt mix that I was using that caused the changes because it seemed to be stringy when I used Instant Ocean and then bubbled when I used Seachem or Tropic Marine. I also found in my case that feeding it up to 3 times a week made it grow huge very quickly.

BTW it was in my frag tank. Thats why there is coral hanging from fishing line in the picture.

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh109/whatcaneyedo/pic099-1.jpg

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh109/whatcaneyedo/Picture022.jpg

[Carmen]

So would it typically prefer higher up in the tank or on the bottom? I have given it a new rock with more of a crevice type edge so perhaps it will move onto that but do you usually have BTA on the bottom of the tank (T5HO lighting)? As it is right now it is surrounded by sand and as far as I understand they do not typically move across the sand. So it can't choose it's location.
whatcaneyedo it is so neat that it "transformed" like that. Looks like a different nem!

[Kronk]

It likes wedging its foot in between rocks and wont stay on sand for long but i have seen mine walk across sand several times. As far as i can tell it doesnt really care where its foot goes except that it seems to put it near the bottom and then stretch up the sides of rock to get more light and then recoil to its safe location at night.

My bubbletip moved frequently and had somewhat skinny tentacles until I upgraded to MH. Since then it has big bubbles and only moves when I do major aquascaping.

Glennrf38 I would definately recommend you feed your anemone.

[mike31154]

My setup is similar to yours, 75 gal with four 54Watt T5HO lamps, 2 x Actinic & 2x 10,000K. My GBTA has been in the tank for a year & a half and looks much like yours, so I'd say it's nothing to get alarmed about. It should do fine. Mine is higher up on the rock though, around 6 inches above the substrate which is about 4 inches deep average. Probably about a foot below the surface in a 24 inch tall tank.

When I first got it, it was much smaller, quite pale and had bubble tips. At the time I had only a 2 x 39 watt T5HO fixture with one Actinic and one 10,000K lamp. This along with feeding every few days was sufficient for it to grow & colour up within several months. It didn't take very long to lose the bubble tips as it grew and gained colour. The recent upgrade in lighting certainly seems to have benefitted it though.

You might consider finding it a spot a little higher in your tank, but as with most BTAs, it may not stay and move again of its own accord. Again, don't sweat the skinny tentacles too much, it has good colour which is a positive sign.

[chevyjaxon]

if your bta has found a spot and it is staying put leave it alone moving it can cause it to walk into or across something that may harm it as far as stringiness goes i have a 20k 250watt MH and mine although larger looks alot like yours the tenticles on mine are fatter but no bubbles are present your bta will do fine :biggrin: