I know its up to the fish but.....

[dalilgriffith]

Put the anemone and the fish in a small container with a air stone (if you want). The fish will find the anemone

 

[CoralReeferGal]

I didn't read through every post, but a few things caught my eye and had to comment... #1 the anemone hosts, not the clown. #2, it can take anywhere from 30 seconds to several months before they form a relationship... it took our clown about 2 weeks for her first nem, then when we had to get rid of it due to size, it took her about 1 week for the next nem, and after that one died, we just put a new one in tonight, and she was in the poor nem before we could even let go of it. #3, if the nem is not ready for the clown, it will not sting and eat it. The clown has a certain slime (or something) that prevents them from being stung; its not that the anemone decides it won't sting just clownfish. There are also some types of nems that are just not clown fish compatible, like condylactis nems.

 

[D-Nak]

I bought a BTA last week and it looks pretty happy to me. My ocellaris clowns havent even noticed it yet. now i know that its up to the fish if they want to host but ive read on here a few times that if you print out a picture of clowns hosting in anemone that the clowns figure it out faster

is this true? has anyone had experience with this?

All you will get as an answer is anecdotal evidence. I haven't read anything to prove this to be true via the scientific method. This is assuming that clowns use visual cues to chose an anemone -- I simply don't believe this to be the case. I tend to think the process is chemical, not visual.

Put the anemone and the fish in a small container with a air stone (if you want). The fish will find the anemone

As I've said many, many times, I don't encourage this. Depending on the type of anemone, it may choose to eat the clown. Haddoni are notorious for this. Just because you're putting the fish and anemone close together, doesn't mean either will take to one another.

If you want to see hosting happen with a higher rate of success, choose the natural host for your clown. In the case of ocellaris, your choices are H. magnifica, S. gigantea, and S. mertensii. Out of the three, magnifica are more common in the trade, but are hard to acclimate. Gigs are hard to find, especially healthy specimens, and mertensii are not widely available. I don't think I would consider them rare, but many come in mis-IDed as another anemones, so luck comes into play when trying to find one.

BTAs are natural hosts for many different clowns, ocellaris and percula not being included. Most common in the trade are Premnas and A. clarkii.

In terms of speeding up the process -- there isn't a proven method. Just be patient and cross your fingers. Good luck!

 

[sail33]

I didn't read through every post, but a few things caught my eye and had to comment... #1 the anemone hosts, not the clown. #2, it can take anywhere from 30 seconds to several months before they form a relationship... it took our clown about 2 weeks for her first nem, then when we had to get rid of it due to size, it took her about 1 week for the next nem, and after that one died, we just put a new one in tonight, and she was in the poor nem before we could even let go of it. #3, if the nem is not ready for the clown, it will not sting and eat it. The clown has a certain slime (or something) that prevents them from being stung; its not that the anemone decides it won't sting just clownfish. There are also some types of nems that are just not clown fish compatible, like condylactis nems.

You say Condi's are not compatible with clowns ? I wish the LFS had told me that. Does that mean they will not host or that the clowns are in danger ?

Thanks

 

[sail33]

I think I need to do this for my kids at home...

1) Clean Room
2) Take out trash
3) Do Homework
4) stop stealing money from my wallet when I sleep


Can you make that up in a continuous loop... I want the whole thing to be about an hour long though.

an outloud laugh and knowing nod ! Why can't they be like we were?

 

[CoralReeferGal]

You say Condi's are not compatible with clowns ? I wish the LFS had told me that. Does that mean they will not host or that the clowns are in danger ?

Thanks

Ours ate our clowns. My LFS didn't tell me that either though (Petco) and they had them in the same tank, so I figured it was safe. I bought the clown and the nem that were together at the store, and after doing research at home, found that condy's arent clownfish compatible.. sure enough within a week, it ate both our clowns.

 

[BonsaiNut]

My ocellaris clowns havent even noticed it yet.

E. quadricolor is not a natural host for A. ocellaris in the wild. Clowns locate anemones by smell. If they do not recognize the smell of a potential anemone host, they do not know it is "ok" to go into it without getting eaten.

There are a lot of "tricks" to get a clown to accept a non-natural host. Sadly there is no automatic solution. One method that WILL work is to introduce another clown that is already familiar with E. quad. Nothing will get clowns into an anemone faster than seeing ANOTHER clown in the same anemone. Unfortunately clowns are also terrritorial, and do not take kindly to another clown being plopped into their tank... so only do this cautiously. But it WILL work (if you know another reefer who will help you out).

 

[sail33]

Ours ate our clowns. My LFS didn't tell me that either though (Petco) and they had them in the same tank, so I figured it was safe. I bought the clown and the nem that were together at the store, and after doing research at home, found that condy's arent clownfish compatible.. sure enough within a week, it ate both our clowns.

YIKES !! Back to the local fish store. Get thee to a nunnery, take a bus if you must just get out of here !! Good bye Condi !

 

[sail33]

Well, that didn't prove true. I didn't return the Condi. It grew quite large with 10 inch tentacles. I was given, among other things, a Clarki and a very small ocellaris clown.

Within three days the Clarki was buried in the Condi. They fell in love with Clarki stealing food from anyone else and delivering it to the Condi.

I had intended to return that condi for other reasons. Too big, too mobile, stinging everything. So I did return him, replaced it with a bubble tip and the clarki jumped right in. Fickle guy is now in love with the bubble tip. The young ocellaris isn't ready for that and remains alone.

So what shouldn't happen sometimes does. What should happen, often won't