Clown fish hosting

[Finsky]

I have a pair of Cinnamon clowns who have been hosting in a Red Rose Bubble Tip anemone for two and a half years and a pair of Clarkii clowns hosting in an Orange "Rose" Bubble tip anemone for a year and a half. I have put in a Green Long Tentacle anemone and two Tan Long Tentacle anemones which have settled along the front substrate and shear live rock crevises.

I have noticed the clown fish will rub on the smooth column underside of the anemones as well as the tentacles and I was wondering why they rub on the underside of the anemones in addition to the tentacled side? I have never read anything about this specific behavior of rubbing themselves along the smooth column.

The Cinnamons were rubbing along the tentacle covered top of the six inch GLT and RBT and then switched to the rubbing on the underside of both the GLT and the RBT? The Clarkii clowns have done the same thing with their Orange "Red" Rose Bubble tip and a new Tan Long Tentacle anemone?:hmm2:

 

[WDLV]

Often when you first introduce them to a new anemone you will see them rub the column before they rub the tentacles in order to acclimate painlessly. As you may or may not know, they are only protected from an anemone's stings because they are able to integrate the anemone's natural slime coat into their own so as to remain undetected. The anemone does not "know" they're there. The symbiosis results from the fish's droppings and bits of food they might miss as well as the protection the clowns and anemones offer each other.

 

[Finsky]

Thank you for the heads up on anemone hosting

Thank you for the heads up on anemone hosting

I made a mistake. I purchased one green bubble tip and two tan long tentacle anemones from the LFS. The Cinnamons are really rubbing away in the green bubble tip which is left of the red rose which is high up about a foot in from the right end. It was shear luck I did not put a long tentacled there. Now I have three bubble tips, a six inch green bubble tip from LFS, a six inch orange bubble tip(sold as a red rose from Dr. F & S), a ten inch bright neon pink bubble tip(sold as a red rose from Dr. F & S). The orange hosts the pair of Clarkii clowns and the bright neon pink and green bubble tip host the pair of Cinnamon clowns.

The Clarkii clowns are also hosting in the left side five inch tan long tentacle anemone.

The middle tan long tentacle anemone gets a rub now and then by the Cinnamon clowns.

Everybody ate razor clam on Sunday, including fish and hermit crabs.:spin3:

 

[WDLV]

Did you feed the fish first?

 

[deangelr]

pics?

 

[Finsky]

Five Anemones

Five Anemones

I have the new green bubble tip and one tan long tentacle staying firmly attached where I originally placed them on Saturday evening. The second tan long tentacle is in a cave with the opening partially covered with a piece of live rock after it went afloating against my Hydor Koralia 8 which I turned off immediately and then put it back in its cave with just enough opening to stick its tentacles out and not just float away. I came home from work and saw the second long tentacle in full bloom with its 6" inches spread out over the entire cave opening on the left end of the tank. When I came home from my 40 minute walk it was stuck to my right Hydor Koralia 8.

Feeding:

First I cut a chunk off the frozen block of 1/2 inch sized pieces from a pound of razor clam and then I thaw. After this I take a 30" piece of hard plastic air line tubing with the end bluntly sharpened. I spear a piece of two pieces at a time for the ten inch Red Rose. The fish do not bother as I have the clam in the tentacles before they have a chance to smell clam. The anemones will close around the clam and the thin plastic tubing allows pulling out without the tentacles having a death which can happen with feeding tongs although I do use them at times.

After I feed the anemones I tear small pieces of clam and throw them into the tank for the fish to eat. I usually feed the anemones on a Sundat, the fish on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturdays, and liquid coral food Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

From right to left(sizes when fully opened):

Neon pink bubble tip 10"
Green bubble tip 7" with female of Cinnamon clown pair
Tan long tentacle 6"
Orange bubble tip 6" with male of Clarkii clown pair
Tan long tentacle 6" hiding in cave with a man made narrow opening after near death floating experience last night