Dascyllus in magnifica?

[brad]

I am buying a Heteractis magnifica Saturday. It has been on my wish list a long time, it is rare someone sells one that has been in captivity for years.

Unfortunately, I am afraid to add clownfish. I've tried 3 times, and my Harlequin tusk won't leave them alone, and I have a wife who gets attached to new fish. Damsels (even very small ones) are fine.

If I have to keep a Heteractis magnifica without anything in it, I am fine with that, and will probably do that the first month or so. But has anyone tried getting Dascyllus or anything other than clownfish to host? Does it have to be trimaculatus or will any Dascyllus species do?

 

[davocean]

You see damsels accepting anemone hosts more so in the wild, but I think that has more to do w/ most nem keepers keeping clowns w/ their nems, but it can and does happen.
I actually had a group of chromis that would enter both a crispa and doreensis.

I would be inclined to pull that tusk and rearrange rock, add the mag w/ clowns, then add the tusk back later, not sure if that works for you or not.
Post pics of the mag, you're right, don't see many established ones up for grabs, I would not pass on that opportunity either.

 

[ThRoewer]

To my knowledge Dascylus trimaculatus is the only damsel that really takes on anemones as hosts, and it's only the juveniles that do this.
You should also not expect the anemone fish like cuddling up with the anemone. These guys will more hover above it and only dive into the anemone when feeling threatened.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Bob Fenner says it will. I PM'd you a link with that info.

 

[davocean]

I have seen pics of various damsels in nems in the wild.
These are my chromis I had for 6 years, they adapted and took host from both my crispa and doreensis, and it was a couple years after I got them, so they were beyond juvy, I actually watched them as they first ventured in, thought they would be toast, but no, just fine.

 

[DanDashO]

I don't have any pics, but I had a Banggai Cardinal a while back that would dive into a crispa from time to time.

 

[ThRoewer]

I have seen pics of various damsels in nems in the wild.
These are my chromis I had for 6 years, they adapted and took host from both my crispa and doreensis, and it was a couple years after I got them, so they were beyond juvy, I actually watched them as they first ventured in, thought they would be toast, but no, just fine.

Do they actually intentionally touch the tentacles like clownfish or do they just stand between them.

I don't have any pics, but I had a Banggai Cardinal a while back that would dive into a crispa from time to time.

Banggais are known for that - one of mine did it as well.

 

[davocean]

These were from about 10 years ago, and they definitely touched tentacles, but the relationship was not quite that of a clown fish, but swimming in and though them and holding up inside for long periods.
Chromis have different mannerisms, so I would not expect it to be same as a clown that may just lay down in one and rub around.
This began to slow down as the maroon eventually matured and became fussy, but my nems were bookended in a 180g, so they sometimes just went to the other nem.
I had an equipment failure and they were in a holding tank w/ a heater that failed, so I lost them, bummed I had those chromis 6 years

 

[Sk8r]

Golden domino will, in multiples: there's a clip of a group wallowing in a magnifica over in 'Scuba' forum. They grow 4.5" long, and before challenging the tuskfish, I would suggest bringing one up to some size. They enjoy really high flow, and mine sleeps in the outflow from a powerhead until all the lights in the room go off. They are rough on sandbeds: they periodically do housekeeping with a powerful tail. And when angry they buzz so loudly you can hear them across the room. They hate chromis. Really hate them. But get along with with other dascyllus and with chrysipteras.