Clowns won't host.

[fattyratrat]

Here is the order of things... I bought a heteractis malu about a full month ago. He is doing awesome and eats very well and has found himself a nice shaded spot in the tank and not moved in about 3 weeks. About a week after I put him in (three weeks ago) i got two false percs, who are fairly small, maybe an inch and a half each, and they are doing great. About a week later i came across this completely badass Phymanthus sp. anemone, and had to get him. So he has been in my tank for about two weeks, and is also doing awesome. but...

MY CLOWNS WILL NOT HOST EITHER OF THEM!! or my frogspawn, or gsp, or xenia, or anything!! if there something wrong with them? are they too young? have the forgotten this instinct or something? Is there anything I can do to get them to host?

thanks.

 

[77railer]

Just asking out of curiosity...are they tank bred clowns? They dont have the instinct often to host...if not give em time...I have seen clowns host in montiapora before since there was nothing else in the tank...


Leroy

 

[AD87]

I would give it some time, some clowns just take there time.

 

[Slayer311]

they should given time, I cheated a bit and guided my male clown towards the anemone with my hand, i made a quick motion when he got close to it and he flicked his tail against it and realized..oooohhh i like that was too funny, next day female was in sharing with him

 

[Toddrtrex]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12907617#post12907617 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 77railer
Just asking out of curiosity...are they tank bred clowns? They dont have the instinct often to host...if not give em time...I have seen clowns host in montiapora before since there was nothing else in the tank...


Leroy

Being tank bread has nothing to do with it. Instinct doesn't work that way, it is a born behavior. Would take many several generations to breed that instinct out of them -- if at all possible.

Part of the issue is that a malu isn't a natural host for Ocellaris, and a Phymanthus surely isn't either.

All you can do is give them time.

 

[salty316]

Are they hosting anything else? I had a maroon start hosting my squamosa. I moved it closer to my anemone and eventually she switched. It did take a few weeks though.

 

[fattyratrat]

Toddrtrex, its weird, because none of the books say in writing that those anemones are natural hosts of ocellaris, but i have seen more than one picture of wild phymanthus hosting ocellaris. one thing is for sure, that is one awesomely evil looking nem.

Salty, they aren't hosting anything else. There is a frogspawn, and a huge colony of GSP that i would think would attract them if anything, but no.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the help. I will shoot some pictures !!!WHEN!!! they decide to host.

 

[dchec]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12908857#post12908857 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fattyratrat
Toddrtrex, its weird, because none of the books say in writing that those anemones are natural hosts of ocellaris, but i have seen more than one picture of wild phymanthus hosting ocellaris. one thing is for sure, that is one awesomely evil looking nem.

Salty, they aren't hosting anything else. There is a frogspawn, and a huge colony of GSP that i would think would attract them if anything, but no.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the help. I will shoot some pictures !!!WHEN!!! they decide to host.

It also may never happen. I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's the truth. I have 2 tomato clowns that didn't even go near my LTA for 7 months. Then, all of a sudden, they were in. Now that don't go far from it.

 

[slipondajimmy]

I have had a clown for 8 months. While he finds things interesting, he never makes it permanent. He will get in my zoas and lay in the from time to time but then avoids them for days, weeks, months

I recently put in another clown and my first one is more interested in the new tank mate then anything now.

 

[Zaita]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12908857#post12908857 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fattyratrat
Toddrtrex, its weird, because none of the books say in writing that those anemones are natural hosts of ocellaris, but i have seen more than one picture of wild phymanthus hosting ocellaris. one thing is for sure, that is one awesomely evil looking nem.

Salty, they aren't hosting anything else. There is a frogspawn, and a huge colony of GSP that i would think would attract them if anything, but no.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the help. I will shoot some pictures !!!WHEN!!! they decide to host.

Did you try yelling at them?

Seriously, the clowns may never host. I have a 125g reef with a BTA and a Malu. Numerous LPS, Xenia, GSP etc. My clowns have no interest in any of it (B*W Occ). Yet my other pair of Occ (RSM) took to an anem after only 1 day. I don't ever expect my B&W to host.

 

[davocean]

Occs are just goofy on what they take to, or never take to.
Maybe in time.
Pics of phymanthus please.

 

[salty316]

Oh, and one other trick that works (sometimes) print off a picture of another clown, preferably bigger than yours, and put it against the glass. I put a picture of of my clarki in front of a stubborn occ. She dove right into the BTA in the tank. This was after 3-4 months without hosting.

 

[JLopez]

well...my clowns jumped in my Gigantea after 2 long, excrutiating, suspensful seconds. however, i had a gbta, and a rbta and they would swim around them but never in them.

 

[Slakker]

I'd like to see these pics of clowns hosting phymanthus in the wild if you can find them.