Hosting / Not Hosting

[Cbravo212]

I put a RBTA in my tank. About two weeks went by and my female ocellaris started to host the nem. She stayed with it for about two weeks and then started swiming under it rubbing the bottom side. That lasted about a week and now she does not go in it at all. She defends the nem, but doesnt care to host in the tentacles.

Is this normal for them to host and then sort of ignore the nem.

Thanks

 

[clowns101]

Do you have more then one clown?

 

[Cbravo212]

I have two. The male has never went to the nem. Only the female started hosting it before she quit.

Any thoughts?
Thanks

 

[clowns101]

Are the clowns cleaning the rock?

 

[Cbravo212]

Not the rock, they pick at the substrate every now and then. Dang pigs they are.

 

[clowns101]

Have you noticed any eggs in the tank yet?

 

[Cbravo212]

No, the two did their little pecking order thing when they were first introduced to the tank, - the nem.

Honestly, they don't even act like a pair, much less a mated pair.

 

[clowns101]

Are they the same size?You say they dont even act like a pair.Do you mean they don t swim together?

 

[Cbravo212]

One of them is bigger. Its in a 38 and they swim all over so it is sort of hard to say do they swim together. They do sleep in the same area of the tank. They just act like any two fish in the tank, they dont really swim side by side.

 

[clowns101]

They are a pair because they are sleeping together or they are forming a pair.But im stumped on why they will not host.

 

[Cbravo212]

Clowns, Thanks for all the help over the past couple of days.

 

[clowns101]

Your welcom.

 

[Cbravo212]

OK, Here is an update that has me stumped. As I mentioned above, the female was the only one to host my RBTA. She then quit and payed the nem no attention at all. This went on for about a month.

Now, she is back in the nem and low and behold, so is the male. Is this symbiotic of anything in their relationship, now that both are hosting?

Thanks for any help.

 

[clowns101]

Could be.If they are sleepng in it together they are forming a pair...

 

[davocean]

Pair or mating pair means they spawn.
Hanging together is usually called bonded.
As often as I've seen occs not go into a nem, or take forever to accept nem host, I'd consider yourself lucky they are doing this much.
They should develop a better relationship w/ each other/nem in time, but it can take a while, patience is key.
Also, it's the nem that hosts the clowns, not other way around.

 

[Cbravo212]

Thanks davocean. I was not aware that the nem hosts the clowns. Guess I had just heard so many times people say their clowns were hosting something else, ie other corals, so I thought the fish actually hosted something. But what you say make perfect sense.

 

[davocean]

It's a common terminology mix up.
I'm usually not the terminology police, but since going down list...
Some peeps get really ticky on little stuff like that here.
Looking at your pic I think you're doing pretty good so far, just give it time.
Occs are a bit slow on accepting host, or at least what you want it to take host from.
Seems many times a veggie clip takes priority!LOL