How to get a clown fish to host a anemone?

[davocean]

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.

Sometimes fish are just weird man, my picasso's took to frogspawn quickly, then bounced from that to a monti cap, then an LTA, then I did a nem specific w/ all BTA's, and everyone of those nems were accepted by them very quickly.
The bummer was the BTA's made them lose black color, so I pulled all BTA's.
Then I replaced that w/ a single Malu.
They seemed a bit confused after that, but that was greatly my fault on the musical chairs thing.
It took 4 months for them to finally take to my Malu(and I'm not changing anything now) but now that is home, and they almost never leave it.(and they've been spawning for some time now underneath it)

 

[garygb]

It's been my experience on multiple occasions, that Percs and occelaris (tank-raised included) go to mags immediately--not even minutes. I've heard that sometimes if a perc or ocellaris is already being hosted in a surrogate, sometimes it takes a few days for the clown to abandon the surrogate for a mag, however.

 

[aperry2728]

Ok I'm gonna try a few of these techniques. Am having trouble with the hosting too. Kind of tried the food technique squirting food next to it but there was already food in the tank. Ill wait till tm to try it again. In 15 mins I'll try the flashlight trick.

Keep you all posted with what works.

 

[aperry2728]

Ok that failed miserably, tried the flashlight trick and couldnt even get the clownfish to move. Next move I printed 2 pictures of clownfish hosting anemone and taped them to the the front and side of the tank. I kind of feel silly doing this but oh well worth a shot. We'll see what happens tomorrow when the lights come on.

 

[nicodim55]

Sometimes fish are just weird man, my picasso's took to frogspawn quickly, then bounced from that to a monti cap, then an LTA, then I did a nem specific w/ all BTA's, and everyone of those nems were accepted by them very quickly.
The bummer was the BTA's made them lose black color, so I pulled all BTA's.
Then I replaced that w/ a single Malu.
They seemed a bit confused after that, but that was greatly my fault on the musical chairs thing.
It took 4 months for them to finally take to my Malu(and I'm not changing anything now) but now that is home, and they almost never leave it.(and they've been spawning for some time now underneath it)

Ok I guess I'll share my frustration too:sad2::blown: Mine rather host this than the rbta. Not the best pic but you get the idea:sad2:

 

[psusocr]

patience is a virtue

 

[aperry2728]

well the pictures on the wall aren't working yet. I'll leave them up for a while more.

I ran into another problem. yikes!! someone please help me here. while trying the technique of doing the flashlight on the anemone to try and get the clownfish there. I shined the flashlight on the anemone for a while when all the lights were off and the clownfish wouldnt even go next to it. well today the anemone is looking really weak. before, it was a beautiful anemone so healthy looking and now it is all shrivled and weak. did i mess up my anemone by shining the light on it? hope not. maybe there is another explanation. if there is im not sure what it would be.

2 more updates. i just got a powerhead i installed 5 minutes ago so maybe that will help. another thing is i tried to feed the clownfish today near the anemone so they would get used to one another. I thought this might work cuz when i put the turkey bastor with food in it in the tank the clownfish immediately go near it in search for food. They still wont go all the way down near the rock for some reason. This could be because i have a damsel in there that i used to cycle my tank. i tried to catch it but i can't he is too quick and too smart. he is toying with me, that little ****er. anyways maybe the clowns are scared of it im gonna try and get it out of there by taking out all the rock and getting it with the net. unless there is a way someone knows how to get it.

please help me, the main concern is getting the anemone healthy.

 

[garygb]

nicodem, that elephant ear will eat your clown. You should get it out immediately.

 

[nicodim55]

nicodem, that elephant ear will eat your clown. You should get it out immediately.

:fun2: haha yeah I know that's what I thought too but the elephant ear I think realizes that its clowns rubbing on him and its fine. Thx for the concern though I just wish they would just move 2' to the right on the nem rock:fun2:

 

[garygb]

Ok, I hope you're right. I don't think that species would care if it's a clownfish or not, since in nature they never host clownfish, but at least you're aware that one day you might wake up with no clownfish.

 

[nicodim55]

Ok, I hope you're right. I don't think that species would care if it's a clownfish or not, since in nature they never host clownfish, but at least you're aware that one day you might wake up with no clownfish.

:lolspin: haha ok I'll take that under advisement. I think the clown thinks its a carpet nem coz when its fully open it flattens out like a carpet. All day its like that never closes until night time when lights go out then the clown leaves and hugs the back wall:lolspin:

 

[garygb]

Ocellaris will occasionally take up with a variety of things that aren't natural hosts. Here's a link that discusses that species of mushroom. It even mentions that clownfish are lured in and then eaten.

http://animal-world.com/Aquarium-Coral-Reefs/Giant-Cup-Mushroom

 

[aperry2728]

alright, an update on my experiment in case anyone cares. All the techniques so far have failed. I tried taping pictures of an anenome hosted by a clown over the tank for a few days now and nothing happened. the flashlight trick definately didn't work as well, nothing happened. i tried squirting food next to the anemone but the clowns still wouldn't go near it. im going to try tomorrow the technique of putting them both in a smaller tank and see if that works, i guess its the last one left. i know it doesn't disprove anything but at least in one situation these techniques are bogus.

 

[psusocr]

Its much easier to just wait it out and be patient, no stress on any of th animals. They will go in eventually with some luck sooner than later. But to move them around is only going to stress them, when they are ready and comfotable they will go in esp. if its one of their natural hosts.all of the "tricks" your trying are hit and miss some work some wont but its worth the shot since your not hurting anything, but i disagree with people trying to "force" there clowns in the nem by secluding them in a small space with the nem. It could end up in death

 

[M Woodhill]

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.

the chance is really 50/50, if not slim

one pair of my percs spent a few months findin the RBTA nothin

then jumped into the gig after i traded that RBTA for it

probably for those BTA's with less bubble shape tips, the chance becomes bigger, since in that appearance it looks more like a sebae or mag

 

[C5flyboy]

I'm rather new to keeping nems and clowns, that being said here is my story. I started out last July with two very small(hadn't turned to male and female yet) tank raised orange occs because my wife wanted two Nemo clowns. About two months ago I added a green BTA to my tank and I didn't do any of the number of different ways that I have read on just this thread of how to get the clowns into the nem. Within two days my two clowns were inseparable with the BTA. So anyone who says tank raised clowns won't host is crazy. I will and do believe that tank raised may be more difficult or take longer than wild caught clowns to host because they have never seen an anemone before but I have living proof that tank raised clowns host just fine.

 

[Bdeppen]

I tried target feeding my BTA the clowns food and they were shy but went in slowly to eat. Problem I'm having is my cleaner shrimp has no issue diving right in and getting the food. So in trying to keep him at bay while feeding. I'm more worried about him ending up an a meal for my BTA. This method seemed to be the safest and make the most sense.

 

[nimrod_69r]

success

success

hi all this is my first post I am new to keeping a reef and I have found this site invaluable with lots of helpful advise and I just thought I would share my experience. I have a Green BTA and two tank bred perc clowns that I desperately wanted to host and tonight Success.

I have been feeding my nem direct via a syringe, (one of the ones out of a test kit), Whilst doing this I have been puffing small amounts in the clowns direction. After a few weeks of the clowns starting to associate the syringe with food they start to follow it. Last night I managed to get one to follow it all the way to the nem, the clown and the nem touched. Tonight I have come home and the nem is hosting the clown. It takes a bit of perseverance however I cant believe that its a coincidence. I hope this helps anyone looking for the same result.

 

[nemmy]

Man this thread was brought back from the dead a few times. While clowns residing in an anemone is freaking adorable it kinda ruins the fish. Clownfish become extremely boring once the put up residence in an anemone. They don't explore much and just sit there like bums. Don't rush your fish into becoming bums.

 

[sh0ck]

They will associate with anything else later anyway and sit like bums there protecting their home. At least in anemone they are looking cute.