Clown picking at anemone

[slickace17]

I have a snowflake ocellaris clownfish that is it's finally starting to swim close to my in my anemone but it is picking at the center of it sometimes it looks like he wants to bond with it but my anemone is too small I believe but what does this picking at it mean?

 

[worm5406]

Picking means it is getting something out of its mouth, feeding it, or sometimes just trying to get the anemone to NOT close on it when it does.

It is a test the water relationship. It is not always just swim in and live. Since it is a shared relationship the clown will take food from the anemone, this picking will also stimulate the anemone to close/eat the food in its mouth.

If it bites the tentacles it is normally getting used to the anemone cells.

I have seen these actions from rbta to my ritteri.

 

[slickace17]

Thanks much for the response

 

[D-Nak]

How long have you had the nem? Is is sick or acclimating? IME clowns only pick at the nem's mouth when it's sick. Unless it's a huge piece of food and the reason for picking is obvious.

If the anemone is too small, the clown to "love" it to death.

 

[musicsmaker]

I've seen them do it when they first get introduced to each other. Sometimes they can pick the tentacles right off the anemone, leaving it almost bald looking. My clownfish did this to my RBTA, but the RBTA never acted like it was bothered. The tenticles grew back and they lived together for 6 years.

 

[ThRoewer]

A Clownfish that has been without an anemone for a while or that was treated with a medicine that made it loose its slime coat needs to get the protective coat of the anemone on itself so it doesn't get stung or worst case eaten. The latter happened to one of my clownfish that tried an exited head dive into a newly introduced carpet anemone.
But usually they try to snuggle up with the foot of the anemone first as that is the least dangerous place. They also may nibble carefully at the tentacles.

 

[slickace17]

I believe he was just getting used to the anemone because now he has hosted it he now sleeps in it at night and swims around it sometimes during the day