paging all Anemone experts

[lilrobb]

Do the common bubble tip anemones (Entacmaea Quadricolor) have a photo saturation point?
Or are they like clams?

 

[jj ocean]

BTA's do have a limit to the light they can handle. They should be acclimated to new lights. The good news is that they are very mobile and will move to a spot they like - generally at the right light level, place to hide foot in rock hole/indention, with current flow at full extention, but mild current when the retract towards their base.

BTW - if you have powerheads, the best bet is to leave them off until the BTA settles in their spot. They have a knack for finding the blender.

 

[lilrobb]

Thanks,
Not quite an answer to my question.

I wonder whether there is a certain limit of light exposure for anemones after which their zooxanthellae cannot handle anymore photosynthesis.

 

[cr500_af]

I think that may be the answer.... BTA coloration doesn't come from zooxanthellae, does it? I was going to hazard a guess that the answer is "no" for that reason.

Of course, I've been wrong before.

 

[jj ocean]

If your question is if you can bleach an anemone (BTA) by too much light - yes, you can. Yes, they also do have zooxanthellae within their tissue. Different species have different light tolerances (low & high).

IME, the nems always move down or under a overhang before they get bleached though.

 

[lilrobb]

My question is,
SPS have a certain time (around 6hrs) after which their zooxanthellae cannot perform photosynthesis anymore. They first need a dark period to re"charge".
Clams do not - you can blast a clam 24/7 with high lights and their zooxanthellae will absorb the light.
What does an anemone do?

 

[cr500_af]

I said it was a guess.

That said, I'd say yes to your question.

Now, I'm interested in if the zooxanthellae somehow communicate (for lack of a better word) with the host animal. I've noticed that mine starts its nightly retraction well before lights out.

 

[jj ocean]

If your asking about the length of photo period a BTA can handle. I know I've kept them at full light levels with MH & T5's for 14 hour photo periods and they thrived. Never tried longer photo periods and never ran par numbers on where they were located.

Mine stay at 10 hour full light photo periods with 1.5 hour transitions on either end of the 10 hour period ... LED, MH & T5.

 

[cr500_af]

I was going to suggest karensroseanemones.com as the best source of info I'd ever seen, but sadly the site is no more. :sad:

 

[jj ocean]

Never heard of a point in which anemone zooxanthellae cannot perform photosynthesis.

 

[cr500_af]

JJ Ocean;673412 wrote: Never heard of a point in which anemone zooxanthellae cannot perform photosynthesis.

Me neither... but if they don't, then IMO a BTA has a really good "internal body clock". If I'm using a long-ish photoperiod, my RBTA will begin to close up for the night with a good hour of lighting left. Either it knows it's bedtime, or it knows it's had enough suntanning for the day.

 

[mikew]

I have never tried to keep one under lighting more than 7 hours.