RBTA gone ugly

[alliecat]

So I've had this beautiful rainbow rose bubble tip since a October. About a month and a half ago it split. Ever since it split it's gone from rainbow to brown and the tentacles are all lumpy and demented looking instead of long and bubbly. What's going on? Do they do this when they split?

 

[Texas Reefer]

I'm definitely no expert, but I've read they may split when they're not happy. I'm sorry for your BTA, I hope if feels better soon!

 

[alliecat]

It definitely looks happy though. It was huge- 8" before it split and it's almost always out. I know they bleach when they're not happy. I've never heard of them getting darker though..

 

[Texas Reefer]

Oh, good, lol, I guess I only read demented and lumpy.

 

[rworegon]

Could be that the zooxanthellae has changed in some way, either the numbers of the composition. I've seen a lot of nems that are bleached (purged zooxanthellae) giving them a really exotic look and later when they become healty they become darker because the algae rebuilds. I'm not saying this is what happened to yours but nems are a high percentage of water and algae gives them their color. I would guess that its something in your system that has booseted the brown zooxanthellae over other colors and the nem has absorbed it. Not very scientific but its my guess.

 

[alliecat]

Yea I guess the tentacles get a little lumpy after a split. I'm annoyed because I just saw the clone I sold in it's new tank and that has since colored up and it's a lower light tank than mine. Hmmm...