How to get a clown fish to host a anemone?

[Toddrtrex]

....
There have been a few people lately really encouraging irresponsible practices because they got lucky once, or their brothers friend saw this happen once, blah blah...
I don't understand the lack of patience or disagreements w/ people who have been on here for a while reading as much or more than posting.
.....
Patience is your best friend in this hobby.

I have noticed that a lo too lately, and it is a bit disheartening, and frustrating.

 

[davocean]

Yeah it is, and maybe my example was extreme, but my point is don't be a cheerleader for the rare exceptions, especially to newbies asking for safe and sound advice.

 

[Toddrtrex]

Yeah it is, and maybe my example was extreme, but my point is don't be a cheerleader for the rare exceptions, especially to newbies asking for safe and sound advice.

And that is the reason I keep banging my head against the wall -- don't want newbies to take this as gospel.

 

[kingfisherflesh]

And most of everyone that asks this question has not been in the hobby very long. And that is part of the fun is learning about the life that you take into your hands to care for it the rest of its life. So your trying to say is that if you lived out in the wild you wouldnt look for a place that you could call home. Some where that you felt safe and sound. Yes for awhile you would wander around but after you figure out that hey a roof over my head sure does make things nice. Even humans have the feelings. Even though we dont really use them as much as we should because we learn from our parents and they learned from theres and so on and so forth.

The fact that tank raised clowns do not associate with hosts is strong evidence that this is a "learned" behavior. So is the fact that "showing" clowns images of others hosting will encourage them to do the same. Learned behaviors are intrinsically, non-instinctive. The fact that you are trying to give clowns human emotions is pretty un-scientific, along with the rest of your statement. Fyi...not a newb in this hobby...not a newb clown or anemone keeper either.

Yeah it is, and maybe my example was extreme, but my point is don't be a cheerleader for the rare exceptions, especially to newbies asking for safe and sound advice.

I dont think, and have seen no evidence, that this is a rare exception. In fact so far I think the evidence would support the opposite claim. In my thread, there are more success stories than there are failures.

 

[Toddrtrex]

The fact that tank raised clowns do not associate with hosts is strong evidence that this is a "learned" behavior. So is the fact that "showing" clowns images of others hosting will encourage them to do the same. Learned behaviors are intrinsically, non-instinctive. The fact that you are trying to give clowns human emotions is pretty un-scientific, along with the rest of your statement. Fyi...not a newb in this hobby...not a newb clown or anemone keeper either.

The fact that tank raised clowns do not associate with hosts is strong evidence that this is a "learned" behavior.

Where is this "fact" coming from? If they don't associate with hosts, how come numerous members (( myself included )) have (( either currently or in the past )) tank raised clowns hosted by anemones?

So is the fact that "showing" clowns images of others hosting will encourage them to do the same.

How is this a fact??? The "fact" of the matter is if the clowns were actually effected by the picture, they would be more apt to attack the clowns in the picture.

The fact that you are trying to give clowns human emotions is pretty un-scientific, along with the rest of your statement

How can you accuse someone of being un-scientific when you you have stated 2 things as "fact" that are no where near being facts?

 

[kingfisherflesh]

Where is this "fact" coming from? If they don't associate with hosts, how come numerous members (( myself included )) have (( either currently or in the past )) tank raised clowns hosted by anemones?


How is this a fact??? The "fact" of the matter is if the clowns were actually effected by the picture, they would be more apt to attack the clowns in the picture.


How can you accuse someone of being un-scientific when you you have stated 2 things as "fact" that are no where near being facts?

How arent they facts? Tank raised clowns dont host. That is the whole reason these posts exist.

If showing a picture of a clown hosting...encourages clowns to host (as is evidenced by numerous stories of people doing so on this website, and advice from others to do so on this website)...so how is that not evidence of them "learning" that behavior.

I like your style of science, no experiment, no control, no evidence. All "He said I couldnt do it so I cant". The point of the matter is that most of the people that are talking this idea down, havent ever tried it.

Your clownfish is going to spend a lot of time in the tentacles of the anemone. If that anemone gets hungry, and the slime coat is weak it wins. Doesnt matter if it is in DT, or anywhere else.

 

[Toddrtrex]

My replies in red

How arent they facts? Tank raised clowns dont host. That is the whole reason these posts exist.

First, the clown is hosted, and doesn't do the hosting. YOUR tank raised clowns weren't hosted in the amount of time that you wanted. That does not mean that all tank raised clowns aren't hosted. If that was the case, why were my tank raised A. polymnus hosted by an S. Haddoni, my A ocellaris hosted by an M. doreensis, and A. Clarkii hosted by both (( at separate times )) an E. Quadricolor and an S. Haddoni?? I am not the only one that has had tank raised clowns hosted, so therefore your "fact" isn't a fact at all.

If showing a picture of a clown hosting...encourages clowns to host (as is evidenced by numerous stories of people doing so on this website, and advice from others to do so on this website)...so how is that not evidence of them "learning" that behavior.

How do you know that they clowns weren't about to be hosted anyways? There is no control, so therefore there is no proof that a picture is the reason the clowns were hosted. Also, above you stated taht tank raised clowns aren't hosted, if that is true, a picture wouldn't matter anyways. Again, if the clowns were truly affected by the picture, they would attack the intruding clowns

I like your style of science, no experiment, no control, no evidence. All "He said I couldnt do it so I cant".

pot, met kettle

Your clownfish is going to spend a lot of time in the tentacles of the anemone. If that anemone gets hungry, and the slime coat is weak it wins. Doesnt matter if it is in DT, or anywhere else.

So, now a "hungry" anemone will eat the clowns it is hosting? Shocking that, even though I have gone months without feeding my anemones the clowns weren't eaten.

 

[xtlosx]

I have a tank raised saddleback that after 5 months, is now being hosted by both my RBTA & GBTA....

seems like the one posters statement has now gone out the window..

next....

 

[jimmy_beaner]

I'm not sure if this will help the thread... but my tank raised Percs get rather upset when I put pictures of other clowns by the tank. They swim more aggressively and retreat away from the pictures. They do this to an even more extreme degree with a video placed against the glass.

 

[this is me]

Tank raised clowns dont host. That is the whole reason these posts exist.

WTH?!
My Rod's Onyx hosted the first day I put it in the tank! They are about 2.5yrs old now and still being hosted in every anemone I put in the tank.

 

[SkullV]

How arent they facts? Tank raised clowns dont host. That is the whole reason these posts exist.

Your reasoning could not be more false. The reason people have an issue getting clowns to host is because they do not offer their clowns the correct type of host anemone. Go get yourself a pair of tank raised maroon clowns and a BTA. I can almost guarantee you that when you wake up the next morning the maroons will be happily sleeping in the BTA. Or try a pair of Clarkii and any host anemone.

Your issue was that you were putting clowns who do not normally associate with a BTA together with a BTA. The only fact in your posts is that what you are doing is bad advice and should not be emulated by people who read your posts in the future.

 

[garygb]

You wrote: "How to get a clown fish to host a anemone?"

If you're up for the challenge, get an anemone like H. magnifica, a natural host and provide it with the conditions it needs. The mag will be playing host to your percs pronto.

 

[Patrick Cox]

I currently have two percs and a BTA. The percs have not shown any interest in the BTA but I should also disclose that it has only been a week or two. So, how long should I wait before I consider trading out my percs for a maroon or clarkii?

Thanks!
Pat

 

[SkullV]

I currently have two percs and a BTA. The percs have not shown any interest in the BTA but I should also disclose that it has only been a week or two. So, how long should I wait before I consider trading out my percs for a maroon or clarkii?

Thanks!
Pat

If you like your percs, then never. If you are more interested in a hosting relationship then your percs, I would trade them immediately.

 

[garygb]

Patrick, often times BTAs will serve as surrogate hosts for percs in tanks, but it's hardly a given. I don't know if there is any way to say, "give it x amount of time, if it hasn't happened by then, go with a natural combo."

I can say, tomato, clarkii, maroons, etc. would likely go to your BTA in hours, if not minutes.

 

[Patrick Cox]

Patrick, often times BTAs will serve as surrogate hosts for percs in tanks, but it's hardly a given. I don't know if there is any way to say, "give it x amount of time, if it hasn't happened by then, go with a natural combo."

I can say, tomato, clarkii, maroons, etc. would likely go to your BTA in hours, if not minutes.

I called the LFS where I bought the percs and the BTA and he said that a maroon would "wreak havok on my tank." Are maroons or clark's really that bad? Right now I have no other fish in my tank and I don't plan to have a lot of fish. Mainly the clown(s) and one or two more at the most. But if I could get a really good hosting relationship, I may be satisfied with only the clowns.

Thanks
Pat

 

[garygb]

Maroons are aggressive (the most) clownfish toward other fish. Clarkii isn't much better. If you have no other fish, then it shouldn't be a problem. If your BTA is toward the bottom of your tank and you have a sandbed, then the clowns might dig. To solve that problem, locate the rock the BTA is attached to mid-way up, the fish will be less inclined to leave the anemone and go to the bottom of the tank and move sand around.

Once the maroons, clarkii, tomatoes, etc. get established in the BTA, they become very territorial and will attack larger fish and you if you put your hand near their anemone. They're especially aggressive when they have a batch of eggs that they're guarding.

You definitely wouldn't want to mix your percs with maroons or clarkii. Percs are the gentlest species and maroons are the most aggressive. You can imagine how that would end. In general, you never want to mix different species of clownfish together. They're especially aggressive when they have a batch of eggs that they're guarding.


If you do decide to go with one of the natural clownfish species for your BTA, you will want to get small fish and let the anemone/clowns grow together. A maroon or clarkii that is too large for the anemone can wreck havoc and ultimately kill an inappropriately small BTA. The rule of thumb is 3 times the diameter of the anemone/inch of fish (e.g., 2 inch fish, 6 inch anemone).

 

[davocean]

How arent they facts? Tank raised clowns dont host. That is the whole reason these posts exist.

That's ridiculous, my piccaso's are obviously tank raised, and um, look at my avatar...

 

[davocean]

I currently have two percs and a BTA. The percs have not shown any interest in the BTA but I should also disclose that it has only been a week or two. So, how long should I wait before I consider trading out my percs for a maroon or clarkii?

Thanks!
Pat

A week is nothing, just be patient.
If I were to go down my list of personal experience and my reading here, Clarki's and maroons do seem to be the most eager to take to a host, but also a couple of the most aggressive.
Occs seem to be the slowest.
Your percs will almost certainly find your BTA and accept that in due time.

 

[jimmy_beaner]

A week is nothing, just be patient.
If I were to go down my list of personal experience and my reading here, Clarki's and maroons do seem to be the most eager to take to a host, but also a couple of the most aggressive.
Occs seem to be the slowest.
Your percs will almost certainly find your BTA and accept that in due time.

I hope you're right... I have tank raised true percs and the RBTA I got in hopes for a symbiosis was added 4 months ago. I've seen them touch it and there's no stinging involved any more (assuming initially there may have been). Now they will rarely brush against it and it just slides off them. But, they just don't seem interested in it.