Best clown for a carpet

shaggydoo541

shaggydoo541

New member
It was recommended in another thread that a clown is a good guard to keep fish out of a carpet anemones clutches. I was wondering what would be the best guardian of my green carpet anemone? He just ate my foxface and I would like to prevent any further casualties.

I know maroons are fairly agressive/protective about their host but will they even host in a carpet? If not what would be a better choice? I really do not want to get rid of my carpet but I can't afford it having any more $50 snacks.
 
Saddle back (A. polymnus, A. clarkii, or Clarkii (A. clarkii).
Here is the full list of other clowns that naturally live in Haddoni carpets:
A. akindynos, A. chrysogaster, A. chrysopterus, A. sebae
 
Great advice Minh. Carpets have been known to eat clowns too so stick with clons that are natural hosts to minimize the chances of that.
 
FWIW: I have never had any clowns defend their anemone against fish in my tank. IME, clowns pretty much ignore other non-clownfish.
Adding clowns won't save any fish from your anemone. I'm sure that rumor started by watching wild clowns, but it doesn't happen in an aquarium very often.
 
Well I have seen maroons (and only maroons) in a few local reefers tanks really guard their respective hosts. They nip at any fish that gets within a six inch range and one time a guy was going to frag a coral that the clown thought was too close to his home (a large frilly mushroom) and he starting biting the guys hand.

So maybe it is only maroons that are this agressive but I will just have to try my luck and go with one of the clowns you guys have listed. Maybe it won't work out and I'll have to sell the carpet but I would like to explore other options first.

Minh - Which of the clownfish you listed are the most agressive? Also how do I tell which type of carpet I have? If I can classify it a little better; hopefully I can find a better match.
 
I only keep Polymnus with my carpet before, never keep Clarkii. Polymnus are aggressive.
IMHO, most fish lost to carpet anemone is from the fish picking on the carpet, pulling food out of them ect... I think Polymnus will keep this from happening, at least mine did. Other fish blunder into the anemone because of close space of a small tank or because they got started. I think moonlight maybe helpful.
I did not have my Carpet and Polymnus for very long before I took down my tank. I am about to get a Carpet now with two Black Polymnus in the next week or two. These will be in a species tank (24 g) with a few coral. My SPS are doing very well right now in this tank. I will put the Carpet (small bright green keep by a friend of my in his tank) in it in a week and the fish in once the carpet settle.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8029034#post8029034 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thor32766
my sebea loves his carpet.
Click to expand...
Do you really have a Sebae? Do you have a picture of hime?
Thanks,
 
Well I bought two sebaes... well the store sold them as sebaes but they look like clarkiis to me. They are wild caught(I think) so hopefully then know to host an anemone. How long does it generally take before they move in? I know it can be a long time but what has been others experience as far as timeframe?

Thanks again everyone for the helpful advice.
 
Well the larger of the two clarkiis is already hosting. Swimming around in that carpet like he owns the place. He makes sure everyone keeps their distance (even the smaller clarkii). This should work out well.
 
Dan - Do both your clarkiis stay in the anemone at the same time? Mine slept it in together overnight but today the big one will not let the little one in. Sometimes they are both in it (the carpet is so big the larger clarkii doesn't notice the little one is in there) but as soon as the larger one notices he chases the little one away. I'm hoping this is just normal behavior.

I know my percs in another tank fought for a long time before they began to get along. I hope that is the case here.
 
They are inseparable. But they are a spawning pair. Until they form a pair bond she'll likely kick him out. Once they form a pair bond she'll corrall him back in when he tries to leave :D
 
Well I hope they do pair up. It may not happen but if not the smaller one has plenty of tank to go live in. What are the chances of them pairing up? They are wild caught. There were 4 in the same tank at the LFS and I picked the biggest and the smallest with the thought that this will make the pairing easier/more likely.

Even if they do not pair the big one is already doin the job I wanted and it is fun to watch her lounge in her home. There are a few fin tears in both the large and small clarkii so I will keep an eye on these injuries to ensure they do not become life threatening.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8028551#post8028551 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by phender
FWIW: I have never had any clowns defend their anemone against fish in my tank. IME, clowns pretty much ignore other non-clownfish.
Adding clowns won't save any fish from your anemone. I'm sure that rumor started by watching wild clowns, but it doesn't happen in an aquarium very often.
Click to expand...

My female clarkii intensely gaurds her bluecarpet from any fish.
 
Yep clarki gets my vote for the best host for a carpet hands down. My buddy 55semi put one in a while back and dove directly into the carpet.
 
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