Invertebrate of the Week: Entacmaea quadricolor

[Anonymous]

Welcome All Reefs.Org Members!

This is a new weekly, or thereabouts, feature, called 'Invertebrate of the Week' !

Each week, we're going to select a particular invertebrate, and we would like you all to post any pics, experiences, photo's, etc. about that particular species, in this 'mini-forum'

good experiences, and bad ones, too-are equally welcome! (but we'd prefer to see constructive answers/solutions/innovations to problems encountered, rather than 'i just returned the bugger to the lfs' )

any tips, or special advice, on how you dealt with any special issues that species involves, would also be most appreciated, as would photos,too!


the idea is to help your fellow hobbyist via your experience, and knowledge, in the captive husbandry of fish you keep, because they turn you on, and hopefully, this wil help other hobbyist's life be made easier, as well as the fishes, too

the first invertebrate we would like to feature is:

Entacmaea quadricolor-commonly known as the bubble, or bulb, tip anemone

any photo's you'ld like to share, anecdotes, husbandry tips, breeding experiences, compatability issues,etc. will be welcome!

Have Fun, and respect each others opinions/experiences



AND:

an added fyi-

as these threads are pulled down each week to make room for the next weeks species, they will get archived

thanx, mods/admins
_________________

 

[tendar]

I had a BUbble tip for about 2 years before taking down the tank. Mine lost its bubble look after a couple of months and almost looked like a LTA after a while. I would feed it piece of fresh shrimps 1-2 times week and it grew to over a 1 foot across before finally splitting and the only time it did split. I gave to the clone to a local reefer. The hard part was getting the clone off the rock. I had to take my finger nail and pell it off the rock but it did not hurt it since I was very carfull to try and not tear it.
Here is a pic about a week after it split you can see the 2 next to each other and the gold stripe maroon clowns that where spawning.

 

[wombat1]

I have a 12" rose BTA that my large female maroon brutalizes. I find tentacles every few days that she has ripped off, but they quickly grow back. I feed mine exclusively with Formula One (about a half a cube a day), and it sits right underneath an Iwasaki 250W 6500K bulb and in front of a surge device. For the last 2 or 3 weeks it's moved to a shaded spot. I'm hoping it's splitting, but nothing's happened yet...

 

[samw]

Currently 3 BTA's in a 38 reef tank. Lighting: 110W 9325K power compact fluorescent lamps. All alive and well. Never lost one.

ROSE BTA
since Nov 12, 2002 - no clones yet - fed twice a week with frozen mysis shrimp

GREEN BTA
since Nov 4, 2002 - produced 1 clone - no direct feeding

TAN BTA
since Dec 3, 2001 - produced 2 clones - no direct feeding

 

[baseman]

Vitz - your timing is perfect. I am going to get one of these for my clowns, but I'm waiting for my tank to mature a bit longer before I add one. I'm looking forward to see what others say about them.

 

[Anonymous]

heh-the first 2 fish i selected also had folks with pairs, or spawns

i must be psychic 8O :wink:

 

[Mac1]

Have had all of the same experiences with my E. Quads. Had a Green/brown/tan one (looks just like the "Tan Anemone" in SamW's post) for 6 years now, and a Rose for two. Both have split, annualy. The green goes in the Spring every year, the Rose has done it both Autumn's I've had it. I try to feed it a few Silversides, Clam, Krill, or Prawns, once a week.
I've had the Green one in a 55g under 2x110Watt VHO's for several years, before upgrading my tank to the 90g w/ an additional pair of 250's.
Both are very sedentary until it nears their time to split. Then they inflate greatly, and can move slightly. After the split one tends to stay in the original location, the 'clone' moves away.

All in all I think this is one of the hardiest anemone's, as it put up with all of my learning, and has been around for a long time. W/ the prevalence of these things to split, finding Captive Raised and acclimated individuals should not be very hard.

- Mac

 

[Joey French]

I have a bta in a 20 gallon tall for about 8 months now, beautiful creature. Before I got my first bta, I researched all over the place for its requirements, hearing that they are generally met with failure in captivity. I bought my first one, about two years ago, fed it regularly, and it split off 4 clones before I had to move the first tank. When I finally got to a point where I could set up another reef, about 8 months ago, my second captive clone bubbletip was the first thing in. It has since grown to 12-14 inches across and is easily the hardiest animal in my tank. It also hosts a large maroon, with a small male to be introduced soon (wish me luck). This tank is lighted by a 175 w ushio and 2 55 w actinics, and the animal is fed less than I used to, because of his enormous size, about once every two weeks these days. He is my favorite animal I have.
Joey

 

[Anonymous]

:?:

Any theories as to why the "bubbles" at their tentacle tips may disappear on some specimens?

 

[Anonymous]

:?:

Also, even though these aren't officially-sanctioned pairings, what are the odds of a false percula taking to a BTA?



Aha, I see just such a pairing in the above photos...

 

[Mac1]

:?:

Any theories as to why the "bubbles" at their tentacle tips may disappear on some specimens?

I had read an article somewhere's (couldn't say where), that mentioned a tank being moved out-doors temporarily. This tank had an E. Quad in it, that had decided it would rather look like an LT. Once moved outside, and under natural sunlight, the animal started to regain it's bulbuous tips. I want to say it was in Hawaii or something that this happnened? One of the major aquariums? Gosh, wish I could remember.

- Mac

 

[beerbaron]

Here are my 2.

 

[Joey French]

Have noticed when changing bulbs, old PC to new PC, and upgrading to MH, that the bulbs do tend to reappear for a short period of time following the bulb changes...I read the same article, and perhaps the bulb appears in order to adjust the amount of light received by the anemone for a short while in captivity? Consequently, mine lost it's bubbles shortly after the introduction of a clownfish. Joey

 

[Anemone]

Here's a picture of my species tank. I think there are 10 clones in the tank in this picture, but I'm not really sure. It didn't start out as a species tank - it was originally a mixed reef. But, after 7 years and 50+ clones, I've had to either pull out or lose (or lost ) all the other corals.

Tank is a 65 gallon lit by 300 watts of VHO.

Kevin

 

[Anonymous]

You, Sir, have earned your name.

 

[wombat1]

Anemone: AWESOME! I don't see a single clown, though!

I believe the article described was from the Waikiki aq., and I think the conclusion was that light plays a role in the formation of bubble tips. It was by someone big, Sprung, Carlson, etc.

 

[Anonymous]

Anybody think there can be too much light for these guys? My tank is intensely lit, & my BTA constantly retreats to the shaded, hidden back of the tank whenever I move it out front...

 

[kbauer]

wombat (or anyone) -- how do you manage to break up those formula one cubes. I soak them in a cup with tank water, but they seem to be very rubbery and I wrestle with them to get them into smaller pieces.

I also have had good luck with my BTA which I've had for about 6 months. Last month it split and both are doing well. Last night I watched my ocellaris feeding a large chuck of formula one to one of the BTA's. I do no direct feeding. I only have one clown so I'm guessing that it's feeding both.