Anemone theory...artificial colouring...
 

In theory, do u think it's possible to take a tan or green bta, dye it's water red until it turns that colour (i'm assuming that's how they're dyed), and sell it to a store for $100 as a rose bta? How "realistic" do u think it would look?

...and no...i'm not thinking about it :razz:

[edit] Maybe not possible, but how easy it would be...

It's a deplorable practise, but sadly, it does happen sometimes.

Is your rose BTA losing colour Mason?

I've seen it a lot with pink and yellow, but not red (yet). I do notice the shipping water is also the same color as the animal though, so you can tell when it arrives. Now if I took a green BTA and soaked it in red food coloring, and took it a short distance, you may not see any trace in the shipping water.

Nope...mine's doing great!


Just wondering...

How about a pale rbta with an alarming tinge of green in it?

Hmmm.....

I was under the impression that they would inject them with the colouring

I have no idea what it would look like, but the leathers and anemones I've seen were very solid bright pink or yellow. I understand they soak them, as this critters fill their tissue with water and recycle it. This "inhalation" of the water gives them color and I suppose some goes deeper into the tissue. They do eventually go back to the normal color if they don't die first.

I see...

Well I only ask because I recently saw a couple of pale rbtas with a tinge of green to them. Is this normal?

I think there are a lot of people out there trying to cash in on the rose BTA fad by telling aquarists that a brownish-green anemone is a rose anemone. Some of the images posted on RC are pretty unimpressive. Of course some are very nice as well.