Anemones--Bubble Ends a Sign of Health?

[99sf]

For bubble tip anemones, what influences the degree of bubbling of the tentacles? I read (on wet web media) an old post speculating about light conditions and flow influencing the bubble ends, but haven't found much of a study of this issue. If the anemone has elongated tentacles, and otherwise appears healthy (color, eating, shape), should we be worried?

 

[sfsuphysics]

My own personal experience with them, is that the larger they get the more stretched out the tentacles get, the less bulbs you'll see. I've seen it on my own, and I've seen it in other tanks (with really REALLY large ones)... never have I seen a large BTA with bulbs.. that of course does not mean they don't exist.

I wouldn't worry terribly much, there are much other obvious signs to anemone health

 

[Gonzo]

+1 on Mike. My 12 inch nem never bubbles. When he split, the little guys both had bubbles. I do not think it's indicative of health.

 

[BigMac]

When mine stratches out ( 8in or so) it looese its bubbly tips.
It keeps worrying me because I have been slowy turning up my water flow after if found it's spot.

When it totally stretches out, I feed it and it shrinks back down a little and I get some bubbly tips. (nipely as it is described in my house)

 

[eldiablosrt8]

Mi e stretches from 5-10 inches depends on time of day n light cycle in my tank.... @ night my Guy shrinks up with bubbles been like this for over a year now

 

[Raddogz]

I agree with all of the above - larger ones don't seem to bubble at all at least for the ones that have been in my tank

 

[A_Lee]

Bubbling is not an effective way of determining the health of a BTA IME.

 

[99sf]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

 

[nudibranch]

I agree with all of the above - larger ones don't seem to bubble at all at least for the ones that have been in my tank

Same experience

 

[Thales]

We have large ones in the big tank that 'bubble' all the time, and I have seen big one bubble in the wild.

 

[nudibranch]

Maybe they don't bubble in captivity because their increased surface area would mean they would have more flow. On top of that since they are big they probably couldn't find a spot that gives them enough light, room and not too much flow so they have to settle for a place with a little to much flow which stretches out their tentacles there for spreading the pocket of air (bubble) all over the tentacle instead of in one place.

 

[Sfork]

My very large one directly infront of my MP20 bubbles all the time. The one farther in the tank with less flow does not. They are both the same distance from the lights and a clones.