LTA and maroon clown - rough love

[Darkstar04]

I have a newly established LTA (in tank about 1 week). I can't get it to fill out as much as it could, and I am convinced it is because my maroon hangs out in it too much. It has gone wandering (floating in the current, really) a couple times, settled in a few different places, and seems to be set for now (I hope). It is currently in a rock depression halfway up my tank, but I have heard that they prefer to be by the sand.

Any suggestions? I don't know how to make the clown leave it be, or to get it to stick in another spot since it doesn't "grab" for a while.

 

[timrandlerv10]

a) its going to go where it wants to go
b) size ratio between clown and nem?
c) well fed clowns in high quality water tend to be happier. happy clowns dont jump out of small cars and rob banks.
d) women will always want to kick somebody's ***...have you thought about getting her a new *** to kick?
e) i dont know squat, but if you wait long enough, phender will show up

tim

 

[Darkstar04]

If the LTA sucks in all its tentacles, the clown is as long as its body, or slightly longer.

 

[timrandlerv10]

without pics its tough to say, but from what i've heard you are looking for a 3:1 size ratio...9 inch anemone, 3 inch clown.

you sound like you are almost 1:1

 

[Darkstar04]

Yeah 1:1 is probably close. I have had the clown for 2 years, but just now decided to get a nem. I guess I should have searched for a larger one, although I heard somewhere that medium sized ones typically do the best when transported to captivity (saw that somewhere on here). Maybe I just need to swap out my clown, or the nem....

 

[davocean]

You could cover the nem in a strawberry basket or something similar until it grows/acclimates.
Feed it a silverside a week, and maybe some mysis to fatten it up.
What light do you have?
They do prefer sand, but mine did climb up rock a little back when my lighting was weak.

 

[Darkstar04]

I have a T5 fixture, don't remember the wattage. 4 lamps, Current USA.

I have been giving it a small chunk of shrimp every 3 days or so (fed twice so far). Yesterday when I got home, it was looking pretty good, but then the clown got extra friendly again. I covered it in a fish-catching net for a while when I first introduced it, but the clown would push it off.

 

[timrandlerv10]

'the clown would push it off.'


you're a civil engineer, right?

 

[acrylic_300]

lol....

 

[Darkstar04]

Them fish is smrt!

 

[acrylic_300]

I'm going through the exact same situation...only a bta. Same size issues with the two year old clown thats about 5.5 inches long.

I will tag along.

 

[Darkstar04]

Well he is on the move again. I am going to let him do his thing. We will see where he has settled when I get back into town on monday. Right now it is hanging out back behind my rockwork where I can barely see it.

 

[timrandlerv10]

you mean behind the rocks where the clown can't really get to it?

 

[Darkstar04]

That clown is persistent. He would find a way to get to it no matter what.

Anyway, when I left for the long weekend, the nem was floating free. Now that I am back... it is in the same spot I have been trying to get it to stay all along, and looking rather happy. I guess this one was easier than expected.