Why is my GBTA not green or bubbled?

[EnderG60]

Ive had this GBTA for about a year now along with the GSM and they are doing very well and growing and eating fine.

but it only looked like a GBTA for about 3 weeks

Started out like this
http://rado.snstuning.com/rado/DannyD%20car%20pics/tank/Image076.jpg


And has been like this since
http://rado.snstuning.com/rado/DannyD%20car%20pics/tank/nano2/Image014.jpg

He gets plenty of food, and the light is a 96w PC less then 10" over him.

what gives?

[traveller7]

You might find this article interesting:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/feature.htm

fwiw: Yours looks happy to me.

[EnderG60]

Oh he is very happy, I have no doubts there. He eats some brine daily, and I give him some clam every 2 weeks, and he has not moved in the year i have him.

I just would like to know why he isnt bubbled.

That is an interesting article. And my guess would be the PAR levels as opposed to increased photoperiod. My light is on for 11 hours a day, which is more then the store i got it at. But it was under a 1000w halide there.

Im getting ready to move everything to a larger tank that will have a 150w halide( and possible 2 75w VHO's) I wonder if that will get him to bubble up...

[traveller7]

Mine don't bubble longterm under 150's unless they are within inches of the surface. At the surface I have one parent that will bubble under 3x28wt PCs. Go figure :rolleyes:

[EnderG60]

yeah I used to have a quadricolor that was kinda 1/2 bubbled in my 58(2x96w PC's) when it split they got a bit more bubbled but not like in that first pic....and the original and the 2 clones never stayed in one place for more then 2 days.

Should have jsut got an LTA and called it a day:rolleyes:

[Levi_S]

EnderG60,

Not to change the subject, but, is that the same maroon in both pics?

Thanks,

[EnderG60]

yup, started out about 3/4" and cute, now is mean, dark, 1.5" but still cute and funny

[Fishboy42]

That is interesting about the bubbling in the tips possibly disappearing as a result of the light. I have had a similar experience with my own GBTA, I've had it ~1.5 years and it has split, but it has also turned a more brown color and lost the bubble tips. Mine is in a greenhouse though where it is subjected to unobstructed natural sunlight, so I don't see this as a factor in my case. Are there any water quality parameters or diet variations that could be the cause?

[traveller7]

Fishboy42,

I have not found conclusive evidence in any of my searches, but I am pretty sure Lighting is at least one component. My system is same water, different lighting and I can trigger bubble tips for short periods with changes in lighting.

IME, the brown takes over when there are higher organics in the water.

I'll wager that the bubble question will still be debated when you are ready to do that next research paper in school. With a greenhouse and some time, you might be able to solve the mystery for all of us :)

Cheers.

[EnderG60]

Better pic

http://rado.snstuning.com/rado/DannyD%20car%20pics/tank/9-19-04/Img0506.JPG

[M.Maddox]

That's what mine looks like now, under 150 of 6.5k halide and 96 watts of PC in a 40 gallon tank ><

[Finno]

I would check you alk and look into reducing any Ph swings that might occur in the tank. I think both of these factors relate to a BTA's bubbles - just my latest theory from observation.

[EnderG60]

hmmm ya know that not a bad idea. That tank has always had low PH. Ive tried so many things to get it up and it wont budge so I just left it be.

[M.Maddox]

Get a good buffer compound...Kent marine buffer works great for me...or plain 'ol kalkwasser ^^

[EnderG60]

i use seachem reef buffer, best carbonate ph buffer tehre is and it doenst work but for an hour or two. and ohhh man did kalk not work.

ive gone though it with a tech at seachem, and I stumped him

[M.Maddox]

What is the alk\ph of the water you're using? You must have some major acids in it. Try doubling\tripling the seachem buffer dosage.

[traveller7]

EnderG60,

Don't add anything else. With a duration you describe you may have the buffer precipitating.

Head over here to the Reef Chemistry Forum before doing anything:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=112

Reef Chemistry is full of push/pulls and if you double something, you are pushing something else out of wack.

If you want a deep read while waiting for a response to your specific questions, Randy has a great article on the issues:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

Good luck.

[MarinaP]

I have 5 BTAs (red, pink, green, brown) in a 15G tank under (Scott, what's the light? 150MH?). Some have bubble tips and some don't. We will never know the cause for bubble tips :p

[traveller7]

Marina,

That one is a 150MH IC10K in a PFO mini-Pendant and if I remember the last ballast change it is driven by an ARO ballast.

fwiw: moved some BTA's into the 300g under the 400wt 20Ks and they bubbled up immediately. These guys have not bubbled in years. We'll see how long it lasts.

[EnderG60]

Every other number in my tank is right on.

calc-400
Alk-3 to 4
Magnesium -1250
ammonia-0
nitrite-0
nitrate-0
phosphate-0
Temp-80
ph- 7.9-8.0 right after i dose alk 8.1

and every time i mess with the ph it throws everything else out of wack

[MadTownMax]

EnderG60 - have you tried running air-line hose from an outside window to your skimmer (assuming you have a venturi model...) might just need to equilibrate CO2 concentration. I've finally found that dosing full kalk to my tank that I can keep my pH up.

-Nick

[Toddrtrex]

My GBTA in my 29g has never had bubble tips (96 *2 PC)

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/5061329_BTA_and_pair_GSM.jpg

Of the 3 in my 58 ( 175 * 2 MH 10K + 96*2 act. PC) the one the is about 5" from the water line has about 75% bubble tips, while the two near the bottom of the tank don't have any. The other two in my 10g (96 PC) have smaller bubbles over all of them. BTW these all related (Clones) to each other in some form.

[EnderG60]

actually that tank doesnt have a skimmer on it, but my 58g that does only has ph of 8.1

and it doesnt change at all when we open the doors and windows for nice weather. So im thinking its not co2

Its actually getting about time to feed him again, so im gonna try giving him clam till he wont take anymore...

[ReefDweller13]

My guess would also be the light i have a 300 gal coral tank with 2 250 wt MH's and 4 120wt vho's and the only way i get the roses to bubble is if i put them in a basket close to the surface.

[Fishboy42]

Marina, that's what I've experienced too. I've actually got 4 in the greenhouse (from two originals that split).
The clones from one are bubbled, from the other they are not. Three are brown, one remains the original green. The two brown non-bubbled are 1.5 years, the two bubbled green/brown ones are slightly older.
Placement in the tank doesn't seem to matter for mine, and they all get the same food (and obviously light and water quality). None of them have clowns in them (wasn't there an article somewhere suggesting that clowns helped the bubbles form?).
I'm sure this will be debated for some time, but maybe sharing experiences can help us to establish some trends/ patterns (although it seems that light may be a large part of it?).
Traveller, my current research/ lab work concerns viruses, I'll have to stick to that for now; this anemone discussion is a huge topic to tackle!
BTW, does anyone know if they are ever found non-bubbled in the ocean? just curious...