Observations on when bulbs appear on anemone tips

[reynojl]

I am a senior at Auburn University conducting research on the phenomena of tentacular bulbs. I have heard from many aquarists that the bulbs appear when the animals are taken to an outdoor location such as in Charles example at the Waikiki Aquarium as well as when old light bulbs are replaced or even when the anemone is disturbed. Does anyone have new evidence or observations that would help me in researching the topic?
I have access to over 30 BTA in separate tanks, I just need something to base the research around!

Thank you for your feedback!

Jamie

 

[Anonymous]

I've read lots of different things. Some mention having them when there's a fish actually hosting in it. I have an RBTA that has split several times and have them all in the same tank still. The clown only hosts in one, rarely if ever ventures to the others. They all sometimes have bubbles in the tips at different times. There hasn't been a single thing that I can attribute it to. There appears to be no rhyme nor reason in my tank anyway.

Good luck! Hey at least if you're getting graded on this no one will be able to tell you you're wrong! Guaranteed A!

 

[reynojl]

Haha, yeah, well, the research professor expects this to be a journal worthy project... so I must get to the bottom of it!
Thank you so much for your quick reply and info!

 

[reefman225gal]

various suggestions have been made about that topic. i once was keeping a rose bta in a 10 gal. tank with a pair of A.ocellaris under 2-24watt 10k pcs. and the tentacles always seemed to be long and stringy but i noticed when i placed it in my 120 gal. under 2-400watt 10k M.H and 4-110watt VHO actinics the tips are almost always bulbed. Charles Delbeck and Julian Sprung talk about this topic in The Reef Aquarium Vol.2 well good luck with your research keep us posted

 

[Anonymous]

I had a green BTA which never bulbed under 2 x 250W DE metal halides (in a tank with lots of flow - 2 x 6000 Tunze Streams (i.e. 2 x 1850 gph/7000 liters per hour). Hosted 2 cinnamon clowns.

A friend gave it to me and part of the attraction had been it bulbing in his tank. He'd had it in a small tank (perhaps 60 liters?), with VHO lighting and maxijets.

To be fair, though my lighting was more powerful than that he had over that tank, it was much nearer the light in his.