Alternative Hosts for my pair of Ocellaris

[prodman]

I have a pair of Ocellaris and am setting up a new tank. They were raised with BTAs. Whats the likely hood of them hosting in a LTA or Sebae? I was hoping to get an anemone that will stay on the sand bed.
Thanks

 

[bugbdon]

i believe carpets are the natural host.....that would work

 

[Toddrtrex]

A gigantea carpet is a natural host --- beside being difficult to find a healthy one/keep, they prefer the rocks over the sandbed.

prodman --- I have had two different pairs of Os ( one pair being B&W ) hosted by LTAs.

 

[prodman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13215416#post13215416 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bugbdon
i believe carpets are the natural host.....that would work

I would be worrined about my other fish with the carpet.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13215468#post13215468 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
A gigantea carpet is a natural host --- beside being difficult to find a healthy one/keep, they prefer the rocks over the sandbed.

prodman --- I have had two different pairs of Os ( one pair being B&W ) hosted by LTAs.

Ok thanks thats what I was hoping to hear

 

[elegance coral]

I agree with Todd.
Here's a couple of shots of my Ocellaris in their LTA's. They seem pretty happy to me. I moved the Ocellaris to a Magnifica, and now the LTA's are host to a pair of GSM's. I've also had Clarkii's in these LTA's. I think a LTA would be a good choice, because in my experience, they seem to be easier to care for than Seabae/Crispa.

 

[prodman]

elegance coral- thanks I was hoping to get a sand dwelling type of nem so as to have more room for other corals in the upper parts of the tank. Is a couple inches of sand ok as long as it can strech uder a rock?

 

[Toddrtrex]

I have found that the bigger the LTA gets, the more sandbed that they prefer. IMO, a couple of inches will work for a while, but might have to deepen that area as it grows.

 

[prodman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13222757#post13222757 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Toddrtrex
I have found that the bigger the LTA gets, the more sandbed that they prefer. IMO, a couple of inches will work for a while, but might have to deepen that area as it grows.

I can do that as I have more sand ready to go. I could wait and see where it settles and add it right away. I am just no sure that I want 4+ inches everywhere in the tank

 

[Toddrtrex]

Yea, there will be ways to have enough sand in that area, but not the whole tank. Could even use a piece of wide PVC buried in the sand and place some rocks around it.

 

[elegance coral]

This is what I did when I had to temporarily move a LTA to a BB tank, to help calm down a frightened female GSM. While I understand that you don't want a Country Crock butter bowl in your display, you can do something like this. The anemone will conceal the top of the container when it expands and you can bury or stack rocks around the bottom, like Todd suggested.

 

[crmjacks]

the best advice i could give would be to give it TIME for the clowns to accept the host. I have seen black ocellaris take 3+months before deciding to host in a non-natural symbiote. patience here, would be required.

 

[Titus77]

Why not get a tube anemone? That should solve your problem.... Just kidding. Go with the LTA. And what I did with my tank is that I made the live sand substrate 3 inches tall on the left side of my tank, and 1.5 inches tall on the right side. I used to get a lot of LTAs for free from my LFS, and I was told that they needed a deep sand bed, so try this idea.