If BTA is white, it's bleached; FACT or MYTH?

[potatocouch]

I never dive in my lifetime so I am not sure if you folks (who has dived) ever seen white Anemone in its natural habitat.

In my experience as hobbyist, I came across some bubbly inflated white BTA (some with colorful tips) but always in my mind "Do not buy; they are not healthy; they've lost their zooxanthellae" but is there any truth in this?

I mean if the white transparent BTA is still bubbly, mouth is good, foot is sticky, tentacles are sticky, are they considered to be non healthy BTA and should not be purchased?

Picture below included just for reference; the whole discussion does not to be around the white Nem depicted in this pic.

 

[Tahoe61]

There are naturally occuring BTA that are light/whitish or beige in coloration, there are all not rose, fire,..... all the other silly names. Personally I can tell a bleached BTA from a lighter colored one easily. You just do not see the lighter colored ones for sale as often because they are not as desired. You do see bleached, anemone that has lost it's zooxanthellae, more often.

 

[madweazl]

Typically, one that displays very transparent coloration is one that has bleached. If it is still opaque, it is likely a natural color form.

 

[potatocouch]

You just do not see the lighter colored ones for sale as often because they are not as desired.

They are not desired because of the whole general perception, white transparent-ish looking Nem is a bleached Nem ...

But before I get to there ... I want to quote your statement below:

Personally I can tell a bleached BTA from a lighter colored one easily.

So not everyone can tell bleached from lighter colored one? Is it hard to distinguish between the two?

Is this BTA bleached or lighter colored?

 

[Tahoe61]

They are not desired because of the whole general perception, white transparent-ish looking Nem is a bleached Nem ...

But before I get to there ... I want to quote your statement below:


So not everyone can tell bleached from lighter colored one? Is it hard to distinguish between the two?

Is this BTA bleached or lighter colored?

Without further details like images of the column or a top down image I am not even certain it's a BTA. The appearance of bubble tips is not exclusive to Entacmaea quadricolor.

Yes, for newer hobbyist it is challenging to classify a bleached anemone versus an anemone that has a lighter coloration.

 

[potatocouch]

so teach us, master ... how do you distinguish?

 

[Tahoe61]

so teach us, master ... how do you distinguish?

First off, never claimed to be a master.

The Reef Aquarium I and II do a good job of offering physical descriptions between anemone types. You're looking for coloration and the presence of white raised bumps on the of the foot/column and markings proximal to the oral opening.

In my experience the translucent coloration of the tentacles is indicative of anemone displaying the loss of zooxanthellae ( as already mentioned).

 

[BradB]

I have seen white anemones as well as light tan, but not Btas. The picture posted, I would call a green bta, which may or may not be a little bleached.

 

[potatocouch]

The Reef Aquarium I and II do a good job of offering physical descriptions between anemone types.

Sorry, what is Reef Aquarium I and II? any URL?

In my experience the translucent coloration of the tentacles is indicative of anemone displaying the loss of zooxanthellae

So in terms of coloration, if white and you can see through, that is no good.
If white but solid color, then indicative of a good ones.

and the presence of white raised bumps on the of the foot/column and markings proximal to the oral opening.

I don't quite get this part.

 

[potatocouch]

I have seen white anemones as well as light tan, but not Btas. The picture posted, I would call a green bta, which may or may not be a little bleached.

In saying that, is there anything wrong with bleached BTA? if you consider them as NPS, then it should be okay right?

I mean we're not talking about deflated, mushy looking white BTA here ... picture a big bubbly fat sticky "white/bleached" BTA.

 

[madweazl]

In saying that, is there anything wrong with bleached BTA? if you consider them as NPS, then it should be okay right?

I mean we're not talking about deflated, mushy looking white BTA here ... picture a big bubbly fat sticky "white/bleached" BTA.

NPS meaning non-photosynthetic? There are no quadricolors (BTAs).

 

[potatocouch]

NPS meaning non-photosynthetic? There are no quadricolors (BTAs).

Let's cut the latin names .. we all know what BTA is .. Entacmaea quadricolor.

I assume you hit reply before finishing your comment? There are no BTA ..... ?

 

[Tahoe61]

Sorry, what is Reef Aquarium I and II? any URL?



So in terms of coloration, if white and you can see through, that is no good.
If white but solid color, then indicative of a good ones.



I don't quite get this part.

The Reef Aquarium volumes I, II and II by Julian Sprung and Charles Delbeek, dated by still very informative and imo a must read.

Honestly I have would have to see the anemone and type specific to make a blanket statement that all BTA this color are.....

The anemone in the image you posted I am not inclined to ID as bleached but that is my personal opinion based on the BTA I have kept in the past.

My images, take them for what they are worth, but I have kept a lot of BTA over the years.

 

[Tahoe61]

Let's cut the latin names .. we all know what BTA is .. Entacmaea quadricolor.

I assume you hit reply before finishing your comment? There are no BTA ..... ?

Are you looking for drama or discussion?

 

[madweazl]

Are you looking for drama or discussion?

He made that clear right off the bat.

 

[davocean]

Generally speaking, any host anemone should not be white or clear, beige at the very least.

This is not a death sentence however, they can be brought back, they just need help, as in spot feeding small easily digestable foods like mysis a couple times a week.

A healthy nem can exist on light alone, a bleached nem lacks the zooxanthellae they need to process that light though, so spot feeding is needed.

 

[potatocouch]

I have no intention for that BTA to be ID .. more so for my understanding, that's all.

I have no intention of turning this into a drama, which part of my post was rude and offensive? I simply don't understand what @madweazl have written.

So are you trying to say that, if bleached BTA treated as NPS .. feed them on regular basis, with lighting .. it still wont' survive because it is simply an Anemone and shouldn't be treated as NPS?

 

[potatocouch]

thanks @davocean

am still confused but it's okay .. i'll read Reef Aquarium volumes I, II and II by Julian Sprung and Charles Delbeek

thanks folks !

 

[davocean]

Don't be confused, avoid white "host" nems if you can, or be prepared to help them regain health if you do.

Sometimes it's hard to find specific species, so some of us are willing to go the extra step, and will take on a bleached nem.

Someone new to anemone's may want all the advantage they can get by starting off w/ a healthy one

 

[Johniejumbo]

I have a bta right now that is slowly turning whiter. I think I overestimated the light on that tank. I do feed it a lot and it has maintained ok. But it isn’t thriving. My hope is that it can sustain long enough to get placed in a tank I just got that has some metal halides over it. While I think the food is keeping it alive, I don’t believe it could live indefinitely on feedings alone.