artificial anemone?

[sassyfrassy]

I know this sounds like a dumb question, but will a pair of Ocellaris Clowns host to an artificial anemone? At present they hang around the glass cleaner and sleep nestles up against it, soooo? I even thought about getting one of those squishy balls that have tentacles that kinda looks like a anemone & cutting it in 2 and putting it around the glass cleaner, but don't know what it might leach into the water. The last anemone I got was shredded by Koralia.

 

[BonsaiNut]

There's no such thing as a dumb question, just dumb statements (and I have made more than my fair share )

I do not think that any artificial anemone would serve as a true "host" to clownfish - if what you are looking for is the behavior of clowns rolling around in tentacles. I may be wrong here, but I just have never seen it. Clown behavior is triggered by olfactory and tactile cues that would be completely absent with an inanimate "host".

You may already know this, but clowns do not NEED an anemone host to be healthy and happy and lead long fertile lives. If you don't feel you can maintain an anemone I wouldn't be too worried about having to provide an alternative host.

 

[Nannook]

Artificial Anemonation? Try some rock anemones or frilly mushrooms. Lighting needs much less and still give the comfort to the Clowns. My gold stripe Maroon prefers the frilly mushrooms to my LTA

 

[AcroporAddict]

Here is a saltwater safe anemone replica...maybe they'd like this if you cannot provide the real thing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PENN-PLAX-A...ltDomain_0&hash=item519aa4b76a#ht_2263wt_1398

 

[SRT80]

When I first got into SW, I had all artificial stuff. I had a fake anemone similar to the ebay link above. Mine actually came from aquariumbeauty. My clown didn't actually host it, but at night it would go and lay inside it.

That clown now has a mate and they host hairy mushrooms in a 20 gal.

Steve

 

[OodleyBoodely]

I've heard of them using Coosh balls like anemones...those are the really soft rubber balls with the long soft 'tentacles'. If you can go live, the hairy 'shrooms are excellant alternatives. If you want to try a fake, make sure it is soft. Probably will be more attractive to the fish after bacteria coat the surface so it is more like a living 'nem.

 

[dknydiep]

Not exactly hosting but my pair of clowns chill in a frogspawn together.

 

[SRT80]

Video on youtube. There's more too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqZ7C9vjRAs&NR=1

Steve

 

[Paul B]

I have clowns that host in a plastic anemone, but they are plastic clownfish in an artificial tank. Besides that, I don't think an artificial anemone would work. But I have never tried it.

 

[BonsaiNut]

Video on youtube. There's more too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqZ7C9vjRAs&NR=1

Steve

Very cute I think they are probably in that plastic anemone because it is shelter for them in an otherwise empty tank. My baby koi look just like that in fern roots I don't observe anything that I would consider hosting behavior there - you'd see the same thing with a group of juvenile hawkfish.

 

[sassyfrassy]

My clowns seem to want something to hose to. At night they snuggle up to the glass cleaner. During the day they hang w/one rock alot. The plastic anemone fake or a squishy ball sems like it'd be better than the glass cleaner. I'm going to have a macro algae tank and concerned the anemone would get overshadowed by it.

 

[velvetelvis]

You could also try a toadstool leather coral (Sarcophyton sp.). They're hardy and attractive (some species are bright green, and many have long, flowing polyps). A lot of clownfish will adopt them as surrogate hosts--if you do a YouTube search you'll see video footage. I used to have a pair of Clark's clownfish who loved their toadstool coral and treated it just like an anemone.