Holy Cow! What is this?

RanRoc

Member
I've had my BTA for over two years now and was walking by my tank when I noticed white stuff coming out of the mouth. It looks like smoke coming out of a chimney or off of a cigarette. Should I be worried that everything will be dead by tomorrow morning? I messed with the photos so that you could see the "smoke" better. Thanx.
-RY
 

RanRoc

Member
Here's the first pic I took with the actinics. Theses were the only lights on when I noticed the stuff.
 

RanRoc

Member
Just to update, the anemone is still spewing out the stuff. I read on wetwebmedia that it is probably gametes. The tank is very cloudy, like someone poured a quart of milk into it. I'm preparing water right now for a water change and will likely do more changes throughout the week. I read that although the good bacteria will likely break this down, there will probably be some sort of spike in the one of the water parameters. i just hope nothing dies. I'll keep you posted.
-RY
 

NaH2O

Contributing Member
Ranroc - sounds like a good plan to do water changes. Keep checking your parameters, and have your skimmer set to pull wet skimmate.
 

RanRoc

Member
Getting ready to do a water change this morning and change out the carbon. Water is still a bit cloudy, but nothing is dead. Will update again.
-RY
 

Boomer

Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
Yup, it is a male releasing sperm. The females release small egg capsules, one right after another. And it is
a go idea to change water.

Technically speaking;

The spermatogonia ( immature germinal male cells) arise in the mesenterial endoderm, from the gonads, and migrate singly or in groups into the mesogela, where they are enclosed in cysts or vesicles. As the cysts or vesicles enlarge, the maturation of sperm then proceed from the centre to the periphery. The cysts are often surrounded by a layer of endodermal cells, which acts it is believed as a nutrient. When ripe, the cysts are filled with sperm and at spawning the cysts and surrounding endoderm rupture, releasing sperm into the coelenteron.

This should help. It is labeled here as septa, which is incorrect, they are called mesentery. In short, the are incomplete walls/ partitions.

Ok, so what the h^ell is mesogela ? It is an elastic composite material of fibers in a liquid matrix of protein polymers, which help support the anemone. The endoderm is the innermost body layer. Most animal have 3 layers but corals and anemones only have 2 layers. The mesogla is what is used as the "fill" between these layers.

Cnid5.jpg
 
I would have never thought of the water change...great idea. I had a love fest go on in my tank not to long ago. The snails were spearm'n and egg'n beyond belief.. and to join in on all of the fun I do believe that every bristle worm in tank either was sperm'n or egg'n right along with them. The water was so clowdy that I could not even see through the tank. I figured that that is part of nature and the fish will get fat and sassy with the eggs and as far as the other the skimmer and the AC filter will get most of the rest. The water was clear by morning time.
both the skimmer and the AC filter did need to be cleaned. I guess with a large system I dont realize what something like that can do to a smaller system.
I will have to say that your 'Bill' must be pretty healthy right alkong with your tank...great going!!!
Sorry, tho, it sounds like you only have one...lust like the blue dress...just went to waste, no little 'Bills' running arround...lol
 

RanRoc

Member
Well, "Bill" went at it again last night after the lights went out. The water is clear thi morning, but I am going to do another water change this afternoon. I just wonder how often/long it has been doing this. Nothing has died (yet), and nothing seems out of the ordinary this morning. Orvin brings up a good point. If I had a much larger system, I probably wouldn't be so concerned with the effect on water quality as I am with a 55g.
-RY
 

Frankie

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
I had this happen to my RTBA about 6 months ago. Didn't know what was happening either. The sperm (thanks Boomer!) didn't kill anything but soon after the anemone split. Now i have two RTBA's. could one of these now be a female? there both doing fine and I haven't seen that stuff yet.
 

RanRoc

Member
The BTA did not share its love potion last night (sigh of relief). I am getting ready to do another water change anyway. No signs of death in the tank.
FFrankie: I'm not sure if you get an opposite gender from a split. It seems to me that they would be genetically identical, and therefore both male. I have been wanting mine to split for a long time now, but now I'm not so sure I would be excited about that happening considering the possible pollution problems. Plus I have very little real estate available in the tank.
After all this, I think I now understand the reaction George Costanza's mother had in that one Seinfeld episode.
-RY
 
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