How do I get Ocellaris/False Clown to host GTBA?

[Siapin]

That's exactly what I want to know...I have a pair of Ocellaris clowns and a Green Bubble Tip Anemone, and I'd like to spark interest in the clowns to go to the anemone...how do i do that?

I've heard that if I use a toy clown fish, it will get them jealous and they'll go into the anemone.

Please Help!!! Thanks.

 

[Slakker]

Well...I'm not sure that the BTA is a natural host for A. Occellaris, but either way it's probably best to be patient and let them go to it on their own time. It could take hours, days, or even years. Not all particular clowns will host, and not all particular clowns will host any particular anemone. Best of luck!

 

[rockwyld]

get a neon light that says "sleep here" lol

 

[AquaReeferMan]

Pull them out of the water and be like
"Hey if you wanna live go swim in that anemone"
Otherwise there is really nothing you can do. Sometimes they will take to an anemone, sometimes they will not.

 

[dc]

Just be very patient! It can take a very long time for them to decide to go in. It's their choice, not your's.

 

[grinch77]

Mine host in everything but my anemone.There new favorite is the candy cane mushrooms and the star polyps.I think my clowns are mentally challenged though.

 

[the other tang]

I have a " wild caught" percula that hosted my gbta the first day, so you have the right combo. My question is is your tank raised or wild caught? My thinking on this is purely theory. Mine was wild caught, and I bought him a day or two after arriving at the lfs. He probably lived in an anemone before and wanted a new home. Maybe it has nothing to do with it. I'd try feeding the anemone with a baster, the clowns will go there to get food, and have to make contact. The way I understand the process of hosting is as follows. The anemone will slightly sting the clown, causing him to create mucus over that spot, then go back. Over time the anemone will sting the fish all over, thus the sting proof mucus coating to protect from that anemone. Then he comes and goes at will. I don't know if that is proven or theory but i read it here on rc and it does make sense, and explain why they don't host multiple anemones.

 

[dragonforce]

Clowns and anemones are always a crap shoot in captivity.

 

[Slakker]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8963393#post8963393 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by the other tang
I have a " wild caught" percula that hosted my gbta the first day, so you have the right combo. My question is is your tank raised or wild caught? My thinking on this is purely theory. Mine was wild caught, and I bought him a day or two after arriving at the lfs. He probably lived in an anemone before and wanted a new home. Maybe it has nothing to do with it. I'd try feeding the anemone with a baster, the clowns will go there to get food, and have to make contact. The way I understand the process of hosting is as follows. The anemone will slightly sting the clown, causing him to create mucus over that spot, then go back. Over time the anemone will sting the fish all over, thus the sting proof mucus coating to protect from that anemone. Then he comes and goes at will. I don't know if that is proven or theory but i read it here on rc and it does make sense, and explain why they don't host multiple anemones.

That is one of the more common theories on how they keep from being stung, but from much of my reading it's still largely unknown exactly why they don't get stung. I remember reading somewhere that the mucus coat of an anemonefish contains some kind of simple sugar or something that prevents the sting, but I can't remember where I saw that.

Also, I do seem to recall reading a post or two from an RC member talking about their clown hosting in two or more anemones. Maybe they go through the hosting process repeatedly or something...I'm far from an expert on such things.

 

[mario_07963]

I had a percula Clown Fish that didn't want to host a GBTA. I put the anemone on a colender inside the tank, then I placed the clowns in there and turned the lights off, left them there thru the night....and that became their home since then.

 

[Slakker]

I'm not sure how I feel about forcing clowns to host an anemone...if they do, in fact, host by being stung repeatedly and "building up a tolerance," so to speak, seems like it could potentially cause them pain to acclimate to a host anemone, and it just doesn't seem right to me to basically lock them up in close quarters and make them host when they're not ready to. But I guess everyone's gotta make decisions like that for themselves...if it works and you're THAT antsy to have your clowns host, then maybe it's the right path for you.

 

[Siapin]

what's a colender

 

[Mariner]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8966252#post8966252 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Siapin
what's a colender

From dictionary.com:
col·an·der -- n. A bowl-shaped kitchen utensil with perforations for draining off liquids and rinsing food.

FWIW, My tank bred ORA Ocellaris was in my 75g tank for over 3 years with no anemone but lots of soft corals to host in .... never hosted. I bought a little tank bred Ocellaris last year and it started hosting in a Sarcophyton after about 6 months; stays there all the time now; occasionally the older Ocellaris joins it.
A couple of weeks ago I bought a tank raised maroon and a BTA (for my other tank) and the maroon hosted immediately. Go figure.

Mariner

 

[Siapin]

marroons are notoriously known for hosting bta's...i've had that same thing happen. the second i put my fish into the tank, it went to the bta.

I began this thread before I was able to get the bta and fish in teh tank...assuming that it may not happen (hosting bta)...but I put in the fish and anemone in the evening (bta about an hour b4)...by 530am, i checked it out, and the pair was hanging out in the anemone. a couple days later, and they are in and out of the anemone. I love it...such eye candy!!!

This afternoon, I bought a firefish, and now it's the three beauts in my 29g tank (along with gtba, clam, shrooms, zoas, candy canes, neon green sarcophyton, feathers, etc.)

So everything is looking so awesome now. I thought that I can start stocking my tank w/fish now that I have my Tunze Osmolator auto top off and new 250w phoenix Hamilton Reefstar setup.

???????????????So one more question????????????????????

What other fish should I add to the tank? I was thinking about a mini cheveron tang. I was thinking about a yellow tang, but there are other pretty fish taht I can add. I'm looking for something friendly, having similar temperment to my clowns and firefish.....any help? I'd love a mandarin or 6 line wrasse, but I dont think I have a big enough pod count......