Hammer for clowns?

kstallbe

New member
So, I have two percs in my lil' 20g. I don't want to/can't put a BTA in there. I am only lighting the tank with a 96w PC half actinic/half regular bulb.

I think I have seen pics of clowns hosting in Hammer corals... do you think a Hammer would survive without much lighting? If not, any other recommendations for low light, relatively small coral that the clowns might likely host in?

TIA
 
an idea would be to put the hammer up close to the light at the top or at least mid range of your rock work, replace your bulb with something that isn't actinic and yields more PAR and have a good reflector on it. Otherwise, You might consider a torch coral. It is the same family of coral as the hammer but might require less light and may also serve the purpose of a host for your clowns. It also kind of resembles an anemone when its fully extended. Check it out. Good luck.
 
FWIW i added a green bta, took about two months for the clowns to notice it, then hurricane gustov killed it, got another green BTA clowns hoasted it almst instantly, it comited haricari in the power head, so i got a hammer thinking the same thing you did, its been a month and a half since i added it and the clowns couldnt care any less about it, so it really is hit and miss

and remember that the watt per gallon is a verry loose rule of thumb if your 20 gal is only 15 inches deep say....and since the anenome will want to stay up on the rocks figure it will be 8" away from 96 watts that should be more than enough the only real problem will be water quality wich your going to need for a torch and/or hammer coral anyways
 
I had frogspawn under 2X65w PC for 8 months no problem in a 29. Now I have one under 3X65W PC in a 20L, also have a RBTA and other LPS, no problem.
 
Yeah, it's probably about 12" deep at the top of the sandbed.... so, maybe I'll give it a whirl... and I will cross my fingers for hosting!
 
it is possible that the clown will host in a torch but it is hit or miss that the clown will host at all, in anything. Sometimes they just don't take to what you offer as a host. You can entice the clown to host by putting food in the coral. Sometimes they will go for the food and realize they like being in the coral and start hosting. but its always a big maybe. good luck.
 
my clown hosted immediately on a small hammer coral, soon as the clown was in the tank. He's been torn a bit between the hammer coral and a large piece of GSP next to it, but prefers the hammer coral.

t
 
had 55w PCs in my 29 - daylight and actinic. 2 ocillaris clowns and Euphylia anchora took about 2~3 months but the clowns decided they liked it. Introduced a frogspawn [another Euphylia sp. ] and then they got confused :( tended to prefer the hammer though after awhile. no guarantees, however. others have had no success with that arrangement, others have. no telling what they'll take a shine to - leathers, mushrooms, intake weirs, etc. - or nothing. give a shot - no harm will come of it even if it doesn't work - and both the clowns and hammer are beautiful animals anyway
 
My clowns bounce from my LTA to my frogspawn to my hammer over and over all day. I think a frogspawn would be fine in your setup.
 
My clowns also bounce around from their two hosts. The first is a pink/purple goniopora and the second is a hammer. I kept the goniopora under a 96w PC before I got my 150w halide. You should be fine, but as others said, keep on top of your water quality.
 
I would be weary w/ a clown hosting a hammer, torch, or frogspawn coral. Clowns can be very destructive to adopted hosts who arent meant for that and hammers, etc. especially are very susceptible to brown jelly disease cause by injury which would be easy to sustain with a clown rubbing all over it. Some people have had luck w/ it but its not something i would advise. And clowns can adopt corals that dont have long tentacles. Mine adopted a pectinia coral. No tentacles on it whatsoever. Good luck w/ whatever you choose.
 
It took my clown about 6 months to host in anything, but now he hosts in a large frogspawn and they are both happy. Good luck
 
Okay, so it seems like the torch is the least favored by you's guys's pet clowns.

And it also seems that water quality is more important than lighting for the hammer and frogspawn. Hmmm.... not sure if thats gonna work for me! Ha! I don;t really keep this tank up to sps quality. It's definitely my low maintenance tank (i.e. - i never dose calc or alk). Just regular water changes and skimming.

Most levels test just okay. Alk is usually a bit low, at 8. Calc maybe like 360. Nitrates prob at 20ish. No phosphates.

So, is the low calc and alk okay for these guys or no? TIA, again
 
I keep a frogspawn in a 10 gl tank w/ 2x20 T5's and it does great. It had a perc hosting in it, but I got a pair of Rod's onyx and they host it now (got rid of the perc)
 

And it also seems that water quality is more important than lighting for the hammer and frogspawn. Hmmm.... not sure if thats gonna work for me! Ha! I don;t really keep this tank up to sps quality. It's definitely my low maintenance tank (i.e. - i never dose calc or alk). Just regular water changes and skimming.

I might just be lucky, but I don't dose anything and water changes are about 20% once a month. My frogspawn is in a 20 gal tank and it does great. I don't test for calc or alk or anything other than nitrate. I would say if you like the coral go for it. Your clowns probably won't host it though.
 
clowns will host in just about anything!
xenia will work... which should do well w/ the amount of lighting you have... also we have a pair of percs hosting a green brain - in our fuge w/ only power compact lighting (the brain was put in there about 6 mos ago after being munched on by copperband butterfly - its our first coral and still one of my wifes favs)... it seems to really like it in the fuge and doesnt seem to mind its new 'hosts' either!... they sleep in it at nite and guard it fiercely whenever one of us puts our hands in it... the percs are still juveniles and it didnt take but short time for them to start hosting it (cant remember maybe a week or less)


heres a few pics
the white spots seen on the one photo is just sand from the bottom as tried to shoo away the planaria and i just wiped off the front glass for the photos - the planaria (mosquitos) dont bite either so dont be afraid to get in the water!
:D


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