Clown keeps grabbing food from anemone
- Thread starter Mako72
- Start date
SlukBunWalla
New member
haha That's funny...I have a breeding pair of clarkiis that try to steal silversides from their sebae, so I give them one of their own to eat on the otherside of the tank...
And they bring it back to be stolen by the anemone...haha
I have found that if you put some floating food on the surface, it distracts them. I float a freeze dried krill on the surface and while they peck at that, I feed the nem.
And they bring it back to be stolen by the anemone...haha
I have found that if you put some floating food on the surface, it distracts them. I float a freeze dried krill on the surface and while they peck at that, I feed the nem.
patsfan1130
Premium Member
Very common problem. Feeding them away from the Nem can work but I have found all too often the clown will go back to the Nem and end up stealing it anyway. I place a strawberry basket over my Nems while I feed them. this keeps the clowns at bay for the nem to eat undisturbed.
mobert
Active member
Feed smaller pieces. I feed blended food:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ImQqjuU8m4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ImQqjuU8m4
Baltimore Bryan
New member
My clowns used to do this when they first started hosting a bta but stopped after a few weeks. I found the best way to avoid this was to dump some food into the tank and while the clowns were feasting on that I fed the nem. Once the anemone started to close up to eat it I knew it was safe from hungry clowns.
apexstrafer
New member
I have this same problem. Extremely frustrating. I have an old maroon clown (had it for 10 yrs now) hosting with a GBTA (that I just got a month ago) that will not let the nem get a single bite of food. I always try to feed the other side of the tank with mysis first to distract the clown and fill it up before squirting some on the nem, but without fail, the senile/severely retarded old clown will brush every bit of food off the nem and then eat it. As a result the GBTA isn't doing well and is getting smaller and smaller. And not to mention, I have to do a lot more water changes due to all the excessive feeding.
Again, extremely frustrating. The GBTA is in a place on the rock that makes completely covering it with a basket impossible. At this rate, it will likely starve to death.
Again, extremely frustrating. The GBTA is in a place on the rock that makes completely covering it with a basket impossible. At this rate, it will likely starve to death.
marc price
Active member
this is what i have to do -
marc price
Active member
sedor
New member
Another thing you could do is feed with a turkey baster (you probably already are). And cut the top off of a 2 litre bottle, then place that down a little over the BTA (enough to keep the clown from getting all up in it), and just squirt the food down through the hole in the top.
Pacific Reefs
New member
Nice A. Nigripes! They are my favorite clownfish!
chingchang
In Memoriam
all you gotta do is make sure that the clown is eating on the other side of the tank while you feed the nem!
apexstrafer
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15404092#post15404092 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by marc price
That's a great idea. I'll try that this weekend.
Did you read the thread...?
Big E
Premium Member
You might try a chunk of food too large for the clowns to eat. My maroons would grab a chunk of food, retreat to the nem to eat & then spit it out which the anenome grabbed.
It looked like the clowns were feeding the nem on purpose. My anenome was eating every day when it was with this pair.
Could some of that behavior be because they are competing for food with hungry tankmates? My clowns never had much competition for food.
It looked like the clowns were feeding the nem on purpose. My anenome was eating every day when it was with this pair.
Could some of that behavior be because they are competing for food with hungry tankmates? My clowns never had much competition for food.
Mako72
New member
Thank you for all of the feedback...will try the suggestions...I have only one fish in the tank due to the size of the tank...just the clown...I have had to sit there for 20 minutes and baby sit the anemone when it eats...I stand there with a pair of long tweezers and gently swat the clown away when he comes near...he still gets at it!
