I had a Rose BTA in my tank which was really doing really well. During the day it was about the size of a dinner plate, and stretched out from a nice little anchor spot right in the middle of my tank.
Then came summer, and being new to the aquarium hobby I had no chiller. I went away and had a friend feeding my fish. When I got back the BTA had bleached and split in two. Both were completely white with the exception with the very tips. It turns out that my tank got to over 30 ºC (approx 86 ºF), which explains the bleaching. I lost several corals, but my beloved clowns came through just fine.
My question is this... Is there any way I can help the BTA's replenish their Zooxanthellae? They have been slowly wasting away over the past 3 months, even with me feeding regularly (table shrimp, blood worms and brine shrimp). I'd really like to save them if possible, but at this stage its not looking good.
well, i dont want to say they can be saved. but i do know a person who had the same thing happen. and she managed to keep hers alive for years after the bleaching
i had a picture of it but cant seem to find it.
cant really say for sure what she did either..
im sorry, i wish i could be more helpful
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2 T8 fluros. One white other actinic (think they're 12 inches long, cant remember wattage) Salinity is 1.027. Just got a refractometer and am bringing it to 1.026. I generally top off twice a week based on sump water level.
450 ppmCa
9 ºKH
Temp 26 ºC Ammonia undetectable Nitrite Undetectable Nitrate about 10 ppm (could be as high as 15 as test is difficult to read)
These have been kept as constant as possible, with the exception of the high temp event in Jan. BTA was growing well up to that point... almost too well. Tank been up for a year now.
I now have a chiller fitted, although not needed at this time due to autumn having set in.
well, i dont want to say they can be saved. but i do know a person who had the same thing happen. and she managed to keep hers alive for years after the bleaching
i had a picture of it but cant seem to find it.
cant really say for sure what she did either..
im sorry, i wish i could be more helpful
No problem... I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that they're on their way out, but I'll keep trying to help until they finally give up.
i wish i could find the picture.
it was beautiful.
it was white/clear, with bright purple ends.
i had questioned her on it, then she told me the story, very similar to yours, and that it had been like that for over a year, and still doing good
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There are two reasons anemonies split. First because they are healthy and second, because they are not. The healthy split should be self explanatory. When stressed anemonies often split in an attempt to self preserve the species, eg, that one will drift off and find more favorable living conditions and survive.
I couldn't find where you posted the size of your aquarium but two 12" - T8 bulbs, regardless of the wattage, can not support an anemonie. Maintaining the proper parameters is important and you are doing this. More important for an anemonie's long term survival is a high energy light source such as MH or possibly, VHF or T5s with sufficient wattage.
Hope this helps.
Dick
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Reaching my 70th BD, I realize that I cannot help but grow old. However, I refuse to grow up!!! My wife would tell you, "He may be 70 but, He's going on 17". Life is wonderful with a woman like that.
Thanks for that. I went back and checked my lights. They're 24", not 12. My bad.
The lighting was definately sufficient because when we bought the BTA it was about 10 cm in diameter. Within a month it had doubled in size and just before I went away for Xmas, it was over 30 cm in diameter and apparently still growing. It just kept growing and I was starting to worry about the shadow it cast over my other corals.
I also have a doughnut (sometimes refered to as a meat coral) I was told that this needed medium to high light intensity. So far it was also bee going great (with the exception of when it lost half of its tissue after the BTA wandered over it). We nursed it bach to health and it is now about 15 cm in diameter, with good colouring.
After the temperature got so high, the BTA's (having split) are a shadow of their former self. It would be nice if there was a way to provide a fresh dose of Zooxanthellae to repopulate the tissues. Judging by the feedback I've had so far, that seems unlikely.
Incidentally the doughnut survived the heat without trouble.
to TR!! 
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