anemone recommendation for percs

[DrDNA]

I had the chance to pick up a nice pair of percs yesterday and would like some input on a host for them. I currently have a haddoni (which they are totally not interested in) and an RBTA that is home to a pair of gold bar maroons. Right now they are hosting a hammer coral...
I am trying to decide between 3 different species (I have never raised choices 2 or 3) before I start hunting for one:
1) another RBTA/GBTA
2) M. doreensis, preferably one of the purple ones
3) H. crispa

water flow is pretty good (moderate?) with a wavebox and tunze stream. lighting is consists of 2 x 250w 10K, a 250w 14K, and a 250w 20K. also have a DSB that varies from 2" - 6".

what do you all think?

 

[GSMguy]

H crispa is a great choice

S. gigantea as well

 

[cschweitzer]

I've found that clownfish, especially percs and especially tank bred(don't know if yours are or not) will host whatever they damn-well please, pardon my French. I wouldn't think a different type of anem would change their mind about the hammer. Try what you will, but if there is an unhosted carpet and they won't touch it, sounds like their heart is set on the anchor, or maybe they're jealous of the BTA.

Being top-tank swimmers as percs are notorious for, I would think a BTA would be good for them(although not natural cohabitation). All of mine are completely stoked on their BTA's and their frogspawns...

 

[DrDNA]

The percs I got are wild. I had been given the impression from my LFS that tank-bred percs typically don't host.

They probably are jealous of the BTA, the maroons are pretty protective of their 'nem

If they are happy hosting the hammer, then that's just how it goes. Hopefully they don't harm it!

 

[DrDNA]

I would like to try a S. gigantea someday, I guess I am hesitant to try one because of their track record in captivity and don't know if I can find a healthy one anywhere.

Maybe H. crispa might be an option to try.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9474334#post9474334 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
H crispa is a great choice

S. gigantea as well

 

[GSMguy]

DrDNA you live in california you can find a healthy gigantea but it wont be easy

there are some success storys most come from people with a tank like yours lots of clean water
and big volume

 

[cschweitzer]

From my experience with percs, they do not harn the host spawn. I have one that gets pretty rough, but once the spawn is used to it, they are usually pretty copasetic. Wilkersons reasoning behind the benefit for the anemone in the clown/anem relationship has to do with the fish's waste being a benefit for the zooxanthellae that happens to be a major food contributor to the anem and also the color the anem shows. The same could be considered true for a frogspawn if this is truely the reasoning behind the symbiotic relationship.

A little off-topic...if the clowns feed nutrients to the zooxanthellae, the zooxanthellae provides nutrients to the anem, and the anem provides its many resources to the clownfish, would this still be a symbiotic relationship or would it be a tribiotic relationship (tertiary, three-way, whatever the term if there even is one)?

 

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9474334#post9474334 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
H crispa is a great choice

S. gigantea as well

I wouldn't recommend a S. Gigantea to anyone unless they have kept many anemones with success and know what they are doing.

 

[StunnaShadez]

yeah, tank bred clowns most likely wont host any nems

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9477426#post9477426 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by m1enbo1
yeah, tank bred clowns most likely wont host any nems

that is totally false, tank raised clowns host just as redily as wild caught

 

[55semireef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9477426#post9477426 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by m1enbo1
yeah, tank bred clowns most likely wont host any nems

Interesting, can you show me a reference that makes that claim?

 

[Slakker]

I have one hell of a time convincing a friend of mine that her tank bred percs are capable of hosting, but she insists that since they have been without an anemone for more than 6 months and since they're tank bred they just won't be able to do it.

 

[DrDNA]

I don't know where the idea started that farm-raised percs won't host, I was told that by one of the reef guys at my LFS and so far, my farm-raised perc I have (I started with two, lost one to ich or some other external parasite) shows no interest in hosting anything.

GSMguy-
I talked to one of our "hobbiest-owned" good LFS shops about gigantea anemones and he said can find some healthy ones, but they are few and far between and it will take him awhile to find one. does $75-100 sound reasonable?

 

[SEAFLOWERS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9477560#post9477560 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GSMguy
that is totally false, tank raised clowns host just as redily as wild caught

I totally agree with you, I have two tank raised perc's that love their BTA in one of my tanks.

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9480115#post9480115 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DrDNA
I don't know where the idea started that farm-raised percs won't host, I was told that by one of the reef guys at my LFS and so far, my farm-raised perc I have (I started with two, lost one to ich or some other external parasite) shows no interest in hosting anything.

GSMguy-
I talked to one of our "hobbiest-owned" good LFS shops about gigantea anemones and he said can find some healthy ones, but they are few and far between and it will take him awhile to find one. does $75-100 sound reasonable?

My tank raised percs love to host more than anything.



that sounds like the right price you were quoted.

 

[DrDNA]

Well my tank-raised perc has started associating with the wild percs that are hosting. If this is a "learned" behavior, maybe he/she/it will start looking for something to host it.

Not sure about trying a giant carpet. I do have the space for one and my tank design may be more appropriate for a gigantea than a haddoni (high flow, etc), just not sure I really want to risk it yet. If my clowns will be fine hosting a hammer coral, then there really isn't a need to push my luck.

GSMguy- have been following your new carpet thread, looks good so far, hope you got a good one this time.

 

[GSMguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9483835#post9483835 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DrDNA
Well my tank-raised perc has started associating with the wild percs that are hosting. If this is a "learned" behavior, maybe he/she/it will start looking for something to host it.

Not sure about trying a giant carpet. I do have the space for one and my tank design may be more appropriate for a gigantea than a haddoni (high flow, etc), just not sure I really want to risk it yet. If my clowns will be fine hosting a hammer coral, then there really isn't a need to push my luck.

GSMguy- have been following your new carpet thread, looks good so far, hope you got a good one this time.

its no learned behaivior but they do get interested i what the other clowns are doing luckily in your tank it can get away from the pair if it needs too

my clowns are very happy in the frogspawn im not quite sure why i care so much about them being in an anemone i guess it just seems more natural .

 

[55semireef]

My farm raised Clarkiis host any anemone in the tank.

 

[mbunaman]

I have wild percs and tank bred. My wilds actually took to a RBTA. That is not their natural host. I have tank bred clowns that host in my micormussas and BTA anenome. It all depends on the clown and what it likes IMO.