9 months.... clowns still won't associate!!

[Tmoriarty]

Alright so as directed I have been very patient. My clowns have been with the same RBTA for almost 9 months through two different tanks and still refuse to associate with it.

My clowns are the ones in my avatar, a set of great true perculas. I know that RBTA's and BTA's are not natural hosts for them but I am a fan of true percs and know that some will associate with BTA's with time.

Should I just keep up the waiting game or should I start searching for a new set of clowns? If It comes down to it I will eventually swap out my BTA's for magnificas but as of yet I can not seem to find a Mag with colors I wan't.

Is there another tactic I can try to tempt them to associate? I have tried a picture of them in the BTA (photoshopped), a seperate set of clowns in a BTA, and moving them towards the BTA with my hand to "scare them" to want to hide in it. None have showed any signs of success.

 

[jt_milstead]

The best success Ive had with getting Percs into a BTA is putting the nem, and clowns together in a critter keeper for a couple weeks. This is a pain in the butt because you have to feed them separately, but I have had about 70% success doing it this way, even with tank raised clowns.

 

[sjt6494]

Is there another tactic I can try to tempt them to associate? I have tried a picture of them in the BTA (photoshopped), a seperate set of clowns in a BTA, and moving them towards the BTA with my hand to "scare them" to want to hide in it. None have showed any signs of success.

When you tried to scare them in did you do it during lit hours???

 

[Tmoriarty]

Tried lit and dark...I was nice about it. They would hover over it but wouldn't touch it. Guess its time to build a critter keeper to put them in than. I don't want to disturb the current nems either so looks like I need another bta lol. Any other options. I'm going to try spotlighting the bta tonight.

 

[jbax]

where do they sleep at night?

 

[bues0022]

I would not endorse the two methods mentioned here: scaring them into the nem, or keeping them together in a critter keeper in close proximity. Both could potentially lead to the fish being eaten. Clownfish must build up their slime coat to an anemone. Forcing a fish into an anemone prematurely runs the risk of the fish not having the natural slime coat and could become an expensive meal. How high is the risk? With a BTA I'd say it's relatively lowish, but I still wouldn't risk it.

I haven't seen anything reliable to endorse as real options to convincing a clown to take residence (I think much of what is posted is mere coincidence after attempting something). As you stated, you already know BTA's aren't a natural host for true percs, and to be perfectly honest that's one of the risks you run when you try to make unnatural pairings. You already gave yourself the 3 correct options in your post. 1) wait longer, 2)change clowns, 3) change nems.

 

[Tmoriarty]

They sleep in the top back left hand of the tank in the corner or a little more towards the center behind the return line. I would relocate the sea anemone to be under where they sleep but it is not really an option with my aquascaping. The main RBTA is in the center top of the tank, maybe 8 inches under water. The clowns normally do not venture that far over in the tank.

Also to note there are no aggressive fish in the tank. There is nothing to keep them contained in the corner other than their own choosing. They have ample opportunities to associate with any BTA in the tank but have just chosen not to so far.

Last night they did decide to rub a bit on a piece of monticap I have in the tank, but that lasted around 10 seconds and was followed by them returning back to the corner of the tank for the night.

I have been quite patient so far, but after 9 months I am definitely seeking a solution to this problem. Neither of the clowns are irreplaceable but I would prefer to keep them if they will associate with any of the nems in the tank.

 

[emdr888]

I had 2 tank bred common clowns for nearly 2years, never went near my nems, tried lots of methods. I saw a pair of baby clowns in a bleached carpet in a fish shop, bought them and introduced them into my tank, they went into my carpet within minutes....my original pair looked on for about 2 weeks before the female moved in, the male moved in a week later. 2 weeks later they kicked out the new pair.

 

[dh350twin]

Not to jack your thread but what type of anemone host percular clowns,,,,tank raised. Bta are host for maroon clowns?

 

[Tmoriarty]

True carpets. Magnificas. Sebae. Those are all natural for true percs. Btas host maroons in nature. The sticky pdf has all that info ...start there

 

[jbax]

are your clowns juvi's or mature paired clowns?

and you don't have a coral banded shrimp or anything like that right?

 

[Tmoriarty]

nothing in the tank is an aggressive factor for the clowns. No coral banded shrimp, clowns are paired.... not juves but not full adults. I have had them for almost a year, so they are not that young.

 

[clowns4me]

I have caught clowns in a net and held them in the nem for 10seconds or so with great success
It will appear as if the clowns get paralyzed but that will go away in minutes

 

[chrisv]

are your clowns juvi's or mature paired clowns?

and you don't have a coral banded shrimp or anything like that right?

Do mature clowns have an increased propensity to pair with an anemone/coral (spawning site), or do juvis (protection)?

 

[iMob]

I Am 90%sure this will work.
I use this technique for all the clown pairs I've had,all but one pair hosted out of 12.

Get a breeder box,put the nem in there with the clown(s),I find it better to put one clown in as I saw a better chance.
Make sure you put them in when LIGHTS ARE OUT ,keep the nem and clown in there for upto a week but they usually tend to host in a matter of a few days.
If you try it,make sure you pm me if it works!

 

[bues0022]

I have caught clowns in a net and held them in the nem for 10seconds or so with great success
It will appear as if the clowns get paralyzed but that will go away in minutes

I would not endorse the two methods mentioned here: scaring them into the nem, or keeping them together in a critter keeper in close proximity. Both could potentially lead to the fish being eaten. Clownfish must build up their slime coat to an anemone. Forcing a fish into an anemone prematurely runs the risk of the fish not having the natural slime coat and could become an expensive meal. How high is the risk? With a BTA I'd say it's relatively lowish, but I still wouldn't risk it.

I haven't seen anything reliable to endorse as real options to convincing a clown to take residence (I think much of what is posted is mere coincidence after attempting something). As you stated, you already know BTA's aren't a natural host for true percs, and to be perfectly honest that's one of the risks you run when you try to make unnatural pairings. You already gave yourself the 3 correct options in your post. 1) wait longer, 2)change clowns, 3) change nems.

I hate quoting myself.... :rolleye1:

 

[Tmoriarty]

Status has not changed... neither of my clowns will associate. I lost the male clownfish around a month ago (literally lost him, not carpet surfing, no predators, just poof). I have since replaced him with a False perc (matched up with my true perc female in two days). They have since been paired and happy, both swim around the tank far more than when my other male was in the tank. But alas still my bubble tips remain empty.

Im almost at the point where im about to either put them in the nem and give the nem an expensive meal, or they host the clown.

 

[nicodim55]

Status has not changed... neither of my clowns will associate. I lost the male clownfish around a month ago (literally lost him, not carpet surfing, no predators, just poof). I have since replaced him with a False perc (matched up with my true perc female in two days). They have since been paired and happy, both swim around the tank far more than when my other male was in the tank. But alas still my bubble tips remain empty.

Im almost at the point where im about to either put them in the nem and give the nem an expensive meal, or they host the clown.

I hear your frustration but I wouldn't feed them to the nem though I will adopt them. I have blk/wht occis for about 6 months now and they still haven't hosted any of the nems in the tank. They rather hug the back wall at night and during the day they all cruise around the tank not even looking at the nems:headwally:

 

[Tmoriarty]

I dont want to "feed" them to the nems but im almost willing to try a 5 gallon tank with a nem and the clowns in it until they chose to associate. They have plenty of oppurtunities to go in the nems and just choose not to.

On another note maybe if I add a lion fish they will have some incentive to go in the nems.... just a thought

 

[CaptainLumber]

My Percs prefer my hammer to the two RBTAs in my tank. Male never leaves it. The female has checked out the nems, but always goes back to the hammer. My ocellaris however live in a rbta. Their tank is also much smaller. 20L vs. 120. I find the Percs in the hammer to be more entertaining than the ocellaris in the rbta.