How to make rainbow BTAs pop?

[modom1207]

Like the title says, how do I make my BTAs more vibrant? Or is it normal for them to look muted, even under deep blues? For reference, I started with one BTA about eight months ago and it’s split into three within that time period, so I know it’s happy. I’ve also noticed, though, that the orange tips never look orange like they did when I first got them. They’re nearly always a brown color until maybe the last five minutes that the tank lights are on where it’s just solid blue light at 25%. I currently have stock fluval marine lights on the tank. I think it’s the fluval marine 3.0, so 23 watts maybe up to 25000 K running all blues and purples at 100% for 9 hours then 25-50% for 3 more hours at the end of the day. These pics were taken during the late afternoon in the light cycle without a filter.

 

[bluemon]

I think you’ll appreciate their colors more if you have some whites in there.

Pure blue, especially at that strength, will drown everything out bar the most flourescent oranges and greens

 

[exnisstech]

They're similar to clams and look better under whites. They don't fluoresce like many coral.

 

[modom1207]

I think you’ll appreciate their colors more if you have some whites in there.

Pure blue, especially at that strength, will drown everything out bar the most flourescent oranges and greens

How much white might I need? I do have whites on for 9 hours at 20-25% during the day, but it really only helps to brighten up the water just a tiny bit. Should I increase it? And if I increase it, should I leave my blues at 100%? I’ve read where my wattage isn’t strong enough for the depth of my tank with anything under 100%, but I guess I assumed that only applied to blues. The manufacturer says the parr is less than 200 something starting around the top of my waterline.

 

[bluemon]

How much white might I need? I do have whites on for 9 hours at 20-25% during the day, but it really only helps to brighten up the water just a tiny bit. Should I increase it?

I would mess around with your settings until you find one that you like.

It’s really impossible to tell over the internet especially with blues involved.

Also BTA do not really change color that much like other corals can, so a lot of it is just the lighting they are viewed under

 

[ninjamyst]

Low flow, high light, feed often. This is a small one that recently split.

Also, BTAs split when stressed. Contrary to what you think, they may be ticked and not loving life. Split is a defense mechanism to increase survival rate.

IMO, your light is not enough, hence the color sucks and your BTAs are not happy.

Just my opinions.....had BTAs for 10+ years and sell them splits regularly to local folks.

 

[modom1207]

Low flow, high light, feed often. This is a small one that recently split.

Pretty!! That’s the coloring I’m hoping for!

Mine only puff their tips like that with higher flows, but they also have clowns terrorizing them all day long. In my first picture, it was irritated with its tentacles retracted because its clown was trying to fluff it up right before bedtime. what parr and spectrum is this under?

 

[bluemon]

Pretty!! That’s the coloring I’m hoping for!

Mine only puff their tips like that with higher flows, but they also have clowns terrorizing them all day long. In my first picture, it was irritated with its tentacles retracted because its clown was trying to fluff it up right before bedtime. what parr and spectrum is this under?

It really slaps depends on the quality of lighting. For example, this is the mine can look under my lights are 10 year old Jessie’s with some T5s

Also stress is one factor, but if you feed it a lot, and I mean A LOT, they can be encouraged to split. Ive had around 20 on one rock at one point. Due in part to higher nutrients (stress) + broadcast feeding.

Also nobody knows why or when they bubble. Mine are more tentacly

 

[modom1207]

Low flow, high light, feed often. This is a small one that recently split.

Also, BTAs split when stressed. Contrary to what you think, they may be ticked and not loving life. Split is a defense mechanism to increase survival rate.

IMO, your light is not enough, hence the color sucks and your BTAs are not happy.

Just my opinions.....had BTAs for 10+ years and sell them splits regularly to local folks.

It became huge, like the size of a salad plate, for several months then finally split when it was roughly the size of four BTAs put together. I don’t think that it was stressed at all. It’s fed well.

 

[modom1207]

It really slaps depends on the quality of lighting. For example, this is the mine can look under my lights are 10 year old Jessie’s with some T5s

Also stress is one factor, but if you feed it a lot, and I mean A LOT, they can be encouraged to split. Ive had around 20 on one rock at one point. Due in part to higher nutrients (stress) + broadcast feeding.

Also nobody knows why or when they bubble. Mine are more tentacly

Yeah, I’d be willing to bet money that mine was not stressed when it split because it was huge. Four to six full sized clowns could’ve comfortably laid in it at once by the time it finally split. I wish I had a picture. It’s just that its color has never looked great

 

[Hunna’s Stunnas]

Mine hang out at the top of the waterline for some reason, and are super vibrant. No clue why they chose up there or why they are so bright

 

[KrisReef]

Mine hang out at the top of the waterline for some reason, and are super vibrant. No clue why they chose up there or why they are so bright

Genetics are important, these are beautiful!

 

[winxp_man]

Genetics are important, these are beautiful!

This is for sure.....

 

[ninjamyst]

Yeah, I’d be willing to bet money that mine was not stressed when it split because it was huge. Four to six full sized clowns could’ve comfortably laid in it at once by the time it finally split. I wish I had a picture. It’s just that its color has never looked great

Size does not indicate happiness. Color does. Your light is not enough.

 

[archipelago]

Low flow, high light, feed often...

Also, BTAs split when stressed...

IMO, your light is not enough, hence the color sucks and your BTAs are not happy...

Size does not indicate happiness. Color does. Your light is not enough.

This ^^

 

[modom1207]

This ^^

What lighting watt and K would be suggested for a 33 inch long tank w 15 inch depth then? I looked into AI grow. Would that be suitable?

 

[archipelago]

Hi there - wattages and color temperature vary greatly from light to light, and outside of Radions (which I use) it would be tough (for me) to correlate a wattage to a PAR value.

Ideally you will target 250-500 PAR to your nem. Some additional white light will help your nem grow the bright orange coloration you are looking for, and the blues will show the colors off.

If I were to take a guess (others hopefully will chime in) I would say you'd be pretty close to minimum PAR levels (or more) with 2 x AI blades added to your setup.

I hope this helps!

 

[ninjamyst]

What lighting watt and K would be suggested for a 33 inch long tank w 15 inch depth then? I looked into AI grow. Would that be suitable?

You can get cheap lights on Amazon. Two 90-100w will be more than enough. You can even go with two 60w but for just a little more, may as well go for two 90-100w. Because of the length of the tank, you will need two fixtures.

Smatfarm is nice. So is Nicrew.

 

[Joe462]

I would guess as others have said not enough light? Or bad water. Mine pop pretty good and they are under all blue and I do not feed them. I have never had a bta that needed feeding if the lightning and water were good.

 

[modom1207]

I would guess as others have said not enough light? Or bad water. Mine pop pretty good and they are under all blue and I do not feed them. I have never had a bta that needed feeding if the lightning and water were good.

My params have been steady and good since the tank finished cycling over a year ago, and they were some of my last additions. I’ve never really gone out of my way to feed them, but they are well fed by my heavy handed fishy feedings. Your nems look really pretty! Hope mine can look the same soon!