Rainbow Bubble tip pricing questions????

[ReefWitch]

Hi. I just bought my first nem yesterday. She is a rainbow bubble tip and is settling in nicely. I bought her from my LFS for $150 and that raised some questions with me.

I've seen and heard about rainbow bubble tips that cost upwards of 10 grand and other bubble tips that have ridiculous costs. My question is, Why is that? What sets those thousand dollar nems apart from the LFS $100-$200 variety?

I know my boss has one in his tank that costs 7k but he got it as a gift and can't remember the exact name of it. Any explanation would be appreciated.

 

[Eric Cohen]

Good question! I think the rainbows are cheaper because they have less color and aren't as rare as others...

Color, lineage, size.....and of course who is selling them all play a role in the price game. Someone who has a tank full of these isn't as likely to go too crazy high on the price.

Look up Colorado Sunburst or Chicago Sunburst and you'll see some variances in these nice anemones. There are a bunch others too I'm sure.

You got a nice anemone for a fair price.....right on!

 

[LeannaBanana]

Hi. I just bought my first nem yesterday. She is a rainbow bubble tip and is settling in nicely. I bought her from my LFS for $150 and that raised some questions with me.

I've seen and heard about rainbow bubble tips that cost upwards of 10 grand and other bubble tips that have ridiculous costs. My question is, Why is that? What sets those thousand dollar nems apart from the LFS $100-$200 variety?

I know my boss has one in his tank that costs 7k but he got it as a gift and can't remember the exact name of it. Any explanation would be appreciated.

Hey neighbor, do you mind me asking which LFS you go to? (Feel free to DM) I only know of Reef Room in the area now, but I'd love to hear where you go!

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

From what I can see, there is very little difference between them. The "fancy" varieties tend to have brighter colors, and some have slightly different patterns. However, the color of BTAs changes a fair amount based on lighting and parameters. This article shows the differences between a "Chicago Sunburst" kept under LEDs, and one under halides.

Chicago Sunburst Anemone is Yellow Under LEDs and Red Under Halides | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

The Chicago Sunburst anemone is the most recognizable strain of bubble tip Entacmea quadricolor after the Colorado Sunburst which kicked off the RBTA craze. Compared to the intense mostly orange…

reefbuilders.com

The anemones in the article look very different, but are of the same lineage and would look identical after a few months in the same tank.

I wouldn't worry about names when it comes to anemones. They change color so much in different tanks that you never know what you will get. I once got a "rainbow" that was kept under Radions, and it turned into a "rose" under my old ReefLED. Just buy whatever seems like a fair price, because it will look very different in your tank than in the LFS.

 

[ReefWitch]

Hey neighbor, do you mind me asking which LFS you go to? (Feel free to DM) I only know of Reef Room in the area now, but I'd love to hear where you go!

I go to Legendary Aquatics in Chesapeake VA. It's a bit of a drive but they have a bigger selection and better customer service than the Reef Room.

 

[LeannaBanana]

I go to Legendary Aquatics in Chesapeake VA. It's a bit of a drive but they have a bigger selection and better customer service than the Reef Room.

Awesome! That's a hike for me, I'm further up the peninsula from you. But I grew up in VA Beach and have my go-tos there, as well. I wish we had somewhere ... good ... closer. There's a "fragfest" in RVA I'm going to drive up for on the 21st in case you haven't heard about it!

 

[OrchidMiss]

A shame you live so far. See if you have any local reefers nearby.
I bought my 1st rainbow BTA for $25 from a local here and now I have like 15 and am gonna sell them back to my LFS