Mixing different bubble tip anemones

[JoJosReef]

Excuse me, what type are those BTA's?

two rainbow BTA on the left and one black widow BTA that won't split on the right.

 

[OrionN]

I am very confident that is a smart toxin that hurt one BTA and not affect another BTA is essentially impossible. BTA is not that complex of an animal. The ocean is such a huge place that the practice of releasing toxin to the water to hurt your neighbor is not going to be much of an offense strategy, especially if the toxin release would also hurt the animal that releasing it. It is kind of like blow up a bomb at your house to hurt the people live next door. Nature is never that dumb.
Direct sting when it come in contact with the other animals is another matter, which is the strategy of all the reef animals when it wants to hurt the animal next to it in a tuff war. We do not see BTA sting each other, so we can conclude that they will live fine with each other. Other things can cause demise of an anemone, include infection that it is immune by some and not others. If there is death of one/several in a group of anemones that is not due to shading or to tank conditions (fault of the reefer), this is it.
We see this when populations mixed all the time. Introducing an animal that carries a disease that it is immune to but wipe out the native population (or vice versa).

 

[sfin52]

I am very confident that is a smart toxin that hurt one BTA and not affect another BTA is essentially impossible. BTA is not that complex of an animal. The ocean is such a huge place that the practice of releasing toxin to the water to hurt your neighbor is not going to be much of an offense strategy, especially if the toxin release would also hurt the animal that releasing it. It is kind of like blow up a bomb at your house to hurt the people live next door. Nature is never that dumb.
Direct sting when it come in contact with the other animals is another matter, which is the strategy of all the reef animals when it wants to hurt the animal next to it in a tuff war. We do not see BTA sting each other, so we can conclude that they will live fine with each other. Other things can cause demise of an anemone, include infection that it is immune by some and not others. If there is death of one/several in a group of anemones that is not due to shading or to tank conditions (fault of the reefer), this is it.
We see this when populations mixed all the time. Introducing an animal that carries a disease that it is immune to but wipe out the native population (or vice versa).

Usually a toxin that one release wouldn't hurt that organism since it's the one that produced it. Leathers can release toxins. In the wild your right not much but it can be a few inches thats all the space the coral needs. As it grows a few inches gives it more space to grow. Who's to say bta don't do the same thing.

As soon as I put a rose bta in my tank my thriving green bta started fading. Now all I have are roses and 2 black widows.

 

[OrionN]

@sfin52
How can a toxin affect one BTA and not the other? Any toxin affect one animal will affect the same to another of the same species, because for all practical purpose they are the same. Even human with all out genetic knowledge cannot produce a toxin that affect one person not the other. This is only stuff of science fiction.
In order to be able to do this, the toxin need to be "smart" and differentiate anemone from the other.
We have cells in our body, not molecules, that recognize self vs non self. These immune cells would attack and neutralized cells in our body that it sees as "non-self". This is too much to pack into a molecule of toxin. Anemones have nematocysts that recognized non self and would fire them when it come in contact with other animals. Anemone does not sting itself because of this fail-safe mechanism. This in in direct contact, not release into the water.

 

[sfin52]

@sfin52
How can a toxin affect one BTA and not the other? Any toxin affect one animal will affect the same to another of the same species, because for all practical purpose they are the same. Even human with all out genetic knowledge cannot produce a toxin that affect one person not the other. This is only stuff of science fiction.
In order to be able to do this, the toxin need to be "smart" and differentiate anemone from the other.
We have cells in our body, not molecules, that recognize self vs non self. These immune cells would attack and neutralized cells in our body that it sees as "non-self". This is too much to pack into a molecule of toxin. Anemones have nematocysts that recognized non self and would fire them when it come in contact with other animals. Anemone does not sting itself because of this fail-safe mechanism. This in in direct contact, not release into the water.

Because not all bta are the same species.

Humans are all the same species we are different ethnicities.

I'm telling you I had a thriving green bta. Nothing changed in the tank accept I added a rose bta. The decline of the green was as soon as the red entered the tank. They never touched. The only thing that changed was the red. There's plenty of people who have had the same experience.

 

[OrionN]

Because not all bta are the same species.

Humans are all the same species we are different ethnicities.

I'm telling you I had a thriving green bta. Nothing changed in the tank accept I added a rose bta. The decline of the green was as soon as the red entered the tank. They never touched. The only thing that changed was the red. There's plenty of people who have had the same experience.

There are plenty of people with multiple green, red and different cultivar that live together.
The data we have are:

In some tank, various BTA clones live well together.
In some tank, some of the BTA clone died or not doing well.
There is no control in conditions of these tanks or how they are kept like feeding water change, light, current, tank mates, clownfish..... There is no control regarding various pathogens in these systems.

With these data and observation, it is illogical to conclude that these anemones that are not doing well or died as the result to chemical warfare, and not due to the numbers of variables.

Another piece of data that I have from experiences is that my anemones of various species are doing well in the same system. I even have Gigantea and Magnifica in the same rock for years.

These observations, they are doing well together, proof that there are no unseen undetected aggressions between them. The opposite observation, they did not do well together, does not proof that there is aggression between them because anemones can do poorly and died due to a number of causes.

 

[OrionN]

Because not all bta are the same species.

Humans are all the same species we are different ethnicities.

I'm telling you I had a thriving green bta. Nothing changed in the tank accept I added a rose bta. The decline of the green was as soon as the red entered the tank. They never touched. The only thing that changed was the red. There's plenty of people who have had the same experience.

A much more logical reason can be that the Red BTA carries a pathogen that it is immune to, but the green one is not. The pathogen infected the green one and it got sick and either recover or died.
That is why we don't release aquarium animals, or pets back to the wild, even in the same geographical area.
Release animals back to the wild required extensive quarantine and observation and testing, to minimize the problem of introducing pathogen to the native population.

 

[Hooz]

Here is my 8" Acid Rain next to my 8" Black Widow.

Also in the same tank are a Colorado, Nexus Burst, Rainbow and Ultra Rainbow.

I kept the Acid Rain in a 10g tank with a mix of Rainbows and Ultra Rainbows for 3 years.

 

[jormanvf]

Here is my 8" Acid Rain next to my 8" Black Widow.

Also in the same tank are a Colorado, Nexus Burst, Rainbow and Ultra Rainbow.

I kept the Acid Rain in a 10g tank with a mix of Rainbows and Ultra Rainbows for 3 years.

Hello! Can I ask how do you run your system? Do you have carbon, UV Sterilizer?

 

[Hooz]

Hello! Can I ask how do you run your system? Do you have carbon, UV Sterilizer?

For 3 years in the 10g, all I did was a 1g weekly water change and run carbon. That's it.

Now that I've upgraded the anemones into a tank with more space, I'll still be doing the weekly water changes, and still running carbon, but I'll also be adding a skimmer. Once I get a skimmer up and running, I might look into ozone as an eventual replacement for the carbon, but we'll see.

 

[TheNemDude]

Yes you can mix but be prepared with cipro. I currently have 3 Chicago's, 2 nexus, 1 purple passion, 2 random green bta with orange tips, and 4 regular rose anemones. All have been together for 3-4 years but I did have issues in the beginning. All of them are in a 25 gallon aquarium with only a refugium as filtration along with carbon here and there.

From all my reading the chemical warfare deal didn't sit well for me. Just doesn't make sense when most every other same species can be with the same. But what does make 100% percent sense is a bacterial infection. Let's face it, sunbursts are weak when it comes to the immune system. So when ya introduce a bacterial bomb via a regular anemone it can overwhelm what is essentially a "bubble boy" anemone.

All to often I see people taking out the infected anemone, treating it, then putting it back into the aquarium. That's solving one percent and leaving the 99 back in the aquarium. So just dose the whole aquarium and knock down the harmful bacteria. Anytime I add a new anemone I can count on it like clock work that my sunbursts are get hit within a couple of days. So I dose the whole tank with cipro and sure enough they bounce back. I do like to feed them on the regular too when dosing so they have extre energy to fend off the bacteria. Also do plan on doing a water change after each treatment cycle if ya don't have a good skimmer.

So yes you can mix but just be prepared before hand and expect that you are gonna have to take a deeper dive to remedy the problem that will arise.

Current photo after adding reef roids. Will add more when cleared.

 

[aqua.family365]

Hello, I was curious can you add a chicago or colorado sunburst anemone to a tank that has rose bubble tip and a green bubble tip?
I've heard that they will have chemical warfare and kill each other slowly. I'm curious on everyones take on this subject.

I want to add a chicago or colorado to my main tank but i have a rose and green. I do have a second tank though I can move these 2 "common" nems into if needed.

Well I’ve got a original sunburst and a rose bubble tip and they sit right next to eachother, the tentacles don’t touch and they’re doing fine

 

[ontarioreefer]

I have read many reports across many threads. My two cents.

I think we can assume the following statements to be true:
1. Any BTA may or may not be from the same species, eg a black widow may be a different species (see Dr Ben Titus video on Cryptic species)
2. Species may have different genetic immunities to various pathogens.
3. A different colour anemone/ species may naturally harbour symbiotic or other pathogens.
4. This naturally creates a situation where introducing an anemone to a tank is applying a new bacterial dose to each of the existing anemones in a tank

This neatly explains the different outcomes
1. Some anemones mix- they can genetically tolerate the different bacteria or develop immunity over time
2. Success stories involve cipro, UV and carbon -> these methods all lower the bacterial load permanently or at least initially giving the anemone protection or time to develop immunity
3. Water mixing and acclimation as recommended by Bob Fenner also aligns with this theory. This is giving the anemone a minimum dose of the pathogen and enough time to develop immunity.
4. Higher volume systems seem to do well, water changes weekly -> this again lowers bacterial concentration

Therefore I believe one could develop a playbook for mixing nems based on principle of reducing the initial bacterial load so the anemones can develop immunity without being overpowered. Carbon, UV, water changes etc

Caveats
1. The timeframe for developing immunity to each other is unknown
2. Immunity may never develop

 

[Reefer_Hommie]

It's entirely possible people diagnose the demise of their BTA as "warfare" when in fact it's just the BTA unhappy with its location or water conditions or specific lighting needs or whatever. Lots of reasons why a BTA can die.

Is this a rainbow and a black widow together?

 

[JoJosReef]

Is this a rainbow and a black widow together?

It was. I moved the rainbow to my nano because the widow grows really big and the rainbow splits very often--easier to manage the splits in the nano.

 

[I3rendangalloway]

I have read many reports across many threads. My two cents.

I think we can assume the following statements to be true:
1. Any BTA may or may not be from the same species, eg a black widow may be a different species (see Dr Ben Titus video on Cryptic species)
2. Species may have different genetic immunities to various pathogens.
3. A different colour anemone/ species may naturally harbour symbiotic or other pathogens.
4. This naturally creates a situation where introducing an anemone to a tank is applying a new bacterial dose to each of the existing anemones in a tank

This neatly explains the different outcomes
1. Some anemones mix- they can genetically tolerate the different bacteria or develop immunity over time
2. Success stories involve cipro, UV and carbon -> these methods all lower the bacterial load permanently or at least initially giving the anemone protection or time to develop immunity
3. Water mixing and acclimation as recommended by Bob Fenner also aligns with this theory. This is giving the anemone a minimum dose of the pathogen and enough time to develop immunity.
4. Higher volume systems seem to do well, water changes weekly -> this again lowers bacterial concentration

Therefore I believe one could develop a playbook for mixing nems based on principle of reducing the initial bacterial load so the anemones can develop immunity without being overpowered. Carbon, UV, water changes etc

Caveats
1. The timeframe for developing immunity to each other is unknown
2. Immunity may never develop

Well summarized and I appreciate the time you've spent looking into this - and this makes a TON of sense. When it comes to Entacmaea Quadricolor, I’m not convinced “cryptic species” is the most useful framing. It recognizes that differences exist, but it doesn’t fully capture what we’re actually dealing with in our reef tanks. A more practical way to think about BTAs is as genetically distinct holobionts -each anemone is the host plus its associated symbionts, including Zooxanthellae, and a broader microbial community. That combined system influences color, growth, stress tolerance, and disease resistance.

Given their range across the Indo-Pacific—from the Red Sea through Southeast Asia to the western Pacific—it’s reasonable to view BTAs as a genetically diverse species complex with strong phenotypic plasticity, even if they are still classified as a single species. They are highly microhabitat-specific, and differences in light, depth, flow, turbidity, and nutrients likely support different symbiont and microbial assemblages shaped by both environment and host genetics.

In the wild, different morphs can occur within the same reef system, but they are not typically homogenously intermingled like in reef tanks at home. What’s more often observed is clustering of similar morphs, likely from clonal propagation, along with microhabitat-driven separation and only occasional overlap. Even where coexistence occurs, it happens under gradual, buffered exposure conditions that are fundamentally different from what we create in closed systems.

In our reef tanks we are abruptly merging distinct microbiomes in a confined environment with limited dilution. That shift in exposure dynamics may help explain the wide range of outcomes hobbyists report when mixing BTAs. Success or failure likely comes down to host resilience, microbiome compatibility, and system-level dilution capacity. Interventions like UV, carbon, antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, and large water volumes may not eliminate incompatibility, but instead reduce microbial pressure and slow interactions enough for the system to stabilize, preventing one microbial community from overwhelming another.

I guess what I'm saying is rather than focusing on whether BTAs are different species, it may be more useful to view mixing through the lens of whether two holobionts can achieve microbial stability in a closed system. That framing seems to better explain why some combinations work long-term while others decline unpredictably.

As for me - I run a 20g and I enjoy the Red Green Combo. I just chose to go the Nexus Route to ensure a level of microbial - or cryptic species compatibility. If only I could get my clown pair to host their geographically non compatible substitute species - the tank would have achieved its goal.