Black Ocellaris pair won't host carpet anemone

[JMLewis]

Just as the title says.

I've had a pair of black ocellaris clowns for about a year now and about 2 weeks ago I purchased a carpet anemone for them in hopes they would host it but nothing they don't even go near it.

Is there hope? Are they just taking there time? Or should I go pick up a pair of another type of clowns that will host it?

 

[AndrewAP1]

What kind of carpet anemone is it?

 

[shifty51008]

well it is the carpet that will host the clowns not the clowns.

and it can take anywhere from a few min. to never for clowns to go into an anemone, mine took 1.5 years before they finally went in the RBTA's

 

[JMLewis]

It's a green carpet.

I realize who hosts who...you got the point though

 

[DarthNater]

i have heard that some people have had success by taping a picture of clownfish hosting a nem to the tank.

 

[elegance coral]

There are two "common carpets" in the hobby. Haddoni and gigantea. Gigantea is the natural host to ocellaris, but haddoni is not. You most likely have haddoni. Like the others have said, they may, or may not choose to use the haddoni as a host. If they do, I may take a long time. If you had a gigantea, they would be in the anemone in no time.

 

[SomeDude12]

I have seen folks take a spaghetti strainer, float the anemone and the clowns in it until the clowns moved into the anemone.

 

[Neogenocide]

It's all hit or miss. My clowns took to my Hadonni within days of introduction. Others may never host. I've heard the picture theory, I've heard of mirrors, but what it boils down to is that it's up to each individual fish, they will move in when they are ready.

 

[OKCchief]

i have heard that some people have had success by taping a picture of clownfish hosting a nem to the tank.

:lmao: Is that a joke? Give them some time.

 

[OrionN]

I have seen folks take a spaghetti strainer, float the anemone and the clowns in it until the clowns moved into the anemone.

Absolutely don't do this. You most likely have a Haddoni carpet. Do not force the clown into the Haddoni carpet. This would result in the Haddoni eat the clown more likely than not.
Give them some time. Most likely, the Ocellaris will go into the Haddoni in the future (weeks) after it get acclimated by it.

 

[elegance coral]

I have seen folks take a spaghetti strainer, float the anemone and the clowns in it until the clowns moved into the anemone.

This is what can happen if you try to force ocellaris into haddoni like that.

 

[Anarchy18]

Yeah pretty much what everyone says it all depends in the fish themselves. I have a pair of tank raised ocellaris clowns that I've had about 9 10 months I kept buying anemones but no luck the nems kept getting chopped up by the power heads. About 2 months ago I purchased a gig carpet anemone and it took servel weeks for them to go in. I think instincts will kick in. In my case I think what happened was when I added a small lion fish it triggered them to find proctecton in the nem. Since then they never leave.

Be paticent

 

[Anarchy18]

Yeah pretty much what everyone says it all depends in the fish themselves. I have a pair of tank raised ocellaris clowns that I've had about 9 10 months I kept buying anemones but no luck the nems kept getting chopped up by the power heads. About 2 months ago I purchased a gig carpet anemone and it took servel weeks for them to go in. I think instincts will kick in. In my case I think what happened was when I added a small lion fish it triggered them to find proctecton in the nem. Since then they never leave.

Be patient

 

[JMLewis]

Thanks for the great info and some crazy suggestions..lol

I think ill just wait it out, the taping a picture to the tank sounds hilarious and the strainer idea just sounds cruel.

Hopefully they take to it, i love symbiotic relationships in a reef like my pistol shrimp/watchman goby relationship so well see its only been a couple of weeks hopefully they'll hop in there.