Condy as a host

[Ron Reefman]

OK, I'll try and be a specific as I can here because I think this is pretty uncommon. I posted this up as an answer in another thread in the Reef Discussion Forum and somebody suggested I post it here as well?

I have a mated pair of Tomato clowns and I've read that they are more willing to take something other than their South Paciific anemones to host in. My female has been enjoying an 18" Green Long Tentecale anemone for 4 or 5 years. The smaller male was just introducded to the tank in February.

Our LT died a few days ago (badly torn side) and as an experiment I pulled a medium sized Condy out of my frag tank (I've been keeping it there until a new, bigger aquarium is ready) and put it where the LT anemone had been.

The clowns swam around it and looked at it very closely for several hours until the lights went out. The next morning they were sticking their faces in it and pulling back out, or swimming through it so just the bottom 25% of their body came in contact with the Condy. That afternoon when I got home from work they were both resting inside the Condy and now spend their nights there.

Here is the photo I took the afternoon I came home and found them inside. Anybody want to see a video? Has anybody else had any luck getting a clown to use a Condy as a host? If so, what kind of clown?

 

[Damsels R Cool]

i had a pair of occ clowns host one

 

[Ron Reefman]

Interesting! I'm going to try and raise some Tomato clowns and bring home a couple of Condys from the Keys and try to get some young mated pairs and have them host in the Condy and sell them as a mated pair with a host anemone.

Here is a video I shot this morning.

 

[nikon187]

remember that condy's sometimes eat the clownfish trying to host. ( or other fish)

 

[jdizzle707]

Had my maroon clown host a condy before. He annoyed it to death...

 

[garygb]

Though things might work out fine, I think your condi is on the small side for clowns that size. The natural host for tomato clowns is the bulb tip anemone (Entacmea quadricolor) which is quite hardy (easier than an LTA many would say). Since the natural host is readily available and fairly easy to keep, I would suggest you go with that instead of the condy.

 

[flyyyguy]

Ive had a pair of occelaris hosted by a condy for many years

 

[briankmarsh1980]

Clarks will host condys. But condys are not a hosting nem but clowns will live in them but they can kill fish

 

[Ron Reefman]

Well, my Tomato pair and their condy got moved to a frag/holding tank for a week while I put together a new 180g reef system. Yesterday all the corals, fish and other critters got moved in. Last night the clowns slept in the Condy. It's been over 6 weeks now and everybody seems happy. The female clown still takes bits of food back to the anemone and leaves it there.

Ron

BTW, here is the new set up in progress.

 

[Dave@ARA]

I have had almost every anemone fish including Domino damsels host Condys and have NEVER seen a fish eaten once that relationship has been established.

The Key West aquarium has a great exhibit, (if you can stomach mixed ocean stuff) of Condys with different species of clowns.

I will try and take a picture of it this week and post it here for you.

 

[cody6766]

I had a pair of bicinctus clowns living in my condy for over a year until a tank overheat killed them off