Making Clowns Host With Anemone?

[scrumpto]

An important point to remember is that there are specific clownfish which naturally pair with specific anemones and then there are other specific anemones which again, specific clownfish "might" accept but which are not natural in the wild.

It's been a while since I've read Daphne Fautin's book, "Anemone Fishes & Their Host Sea Anemones" but it has the compatibility list based on what she observed in her research. If I remember correctly, Entacmaea quadricolor (bubble tip anemone) is not "a" natural host for A. ocellaris (common clownfish).

There are websites which list that they are compatible and indeed they are as is evidenced by the fact that we've been able to accomplish this in our tanks. However, that does not mean they are a natural pair.

What I believe (IMHO) is that if you put a clownfish in a tank with its natural host then instinct will take over and they will quickly pair. I found this to be true with my A. frenatus (tomato clownfish) and my bubble tip anemones where pairing was instantaneous.

However, if you put a common clownfish in a tank with a bubble tip anemone they "might" pair naturally or "might" pair if you "encourage" them. Sometimes the variance here might be the color and type of BTA as there are a variety of different types and colors.

What would be dangerous is to force the relationship of a specific clownfish which does not pair naturally with one of the anemones which has as more nasty sting such as forcing a A. frenatus (tomato clown) together with Stichodactyla gigantea (giant carpet anemone) which has a very nasty sting. Honestly, I don't know what would happen but trying it could possibly kill the clownfish. Then again, maybe it won't.

My point is -- encouraging a common clownfish and a bubble tip anemone together isn't dangerous as far as I've seen as the BTA doesn't have a nasty sting and we know the two can pair if encouraged. That's as far as I'd take the argument though and you'd better be sure you have a BTA if you're going to try it.

 

[BigEZ77]

I think you are taking things way more harsh than intended.

Yes, I'm sure you're right. But, there have been a few somewhat harsh responses for the "other team", just playing devil's advocate . I don't agree with squirting a clown onto an anemone but I think if I had a new anemone, I might try a hang on box and put the clowns in for a bit (not 3 days), as long as I was there to supervise the entire time. If it didn't work in a few hours, I'd probably give up and put them in the tank. My 2 cents.

 

[davocean]

Very much agree w/ Scrumpto on most points, and yes the Fautin Allen list/book is the most up to date info on natural pairings.
I understand there are tricks posted on youtube, understand those people are going to show success, and you're not going to see the times it goes bad posted usually there.
In the nem forum we document and post what we do w/ follow ups, w/ the good and bad of it, so we can learn, we're not trying to boost our site or sales.
I'm just saying put some thought into what you plan to keep, if you provide your animals w/ what they are seeking there is no reason to force anything. The most common thing I see happening is everyone just grabs a bubbletip, as they are forgiving, easy to come by, cheap, and then grab whatever clowns, and then post why does my clown not pay attention to that nem.
We've made leaps and bounds in the ability to keep the much more difficult species, your Magnifica, Gigantea and others.
That invites what I see as the next level of progression in this hobby in keeping anemone's and clowns and natural pairings.
When paired properly, you don't see posts about the clowns not accepting the host, because they pretty much dive straight in, regardless of being tank bred or wild caught.

 

[infpalex]

This was my wife's one request for our tank, she wanted a clown that would host in an anemone. I had to tell her for a while there was no guarantee... and she was not so excited about that. So I told her to pick awesome clowns, (we ended up winning some Snow/Picasso clowns at a reef show.) And I told her to get an awesome anemone, which we ended up getting a couple different variations of color, but 2 BTA's. I said just let it happen, but since you got cool stuff, just be happy with the things themselves and see what happens.

It took 6 months, but one of our BTA's split, and the next day the clown was all over both of them together. She now has a home right in between two of them and loves them to death. She however, does not let the male near them yet, I have no idea why, so he has decided to host in a nearby Duncan coral.

But before that, they both hosted the wall, or overflows on separate sides of a 6' tank. I have no idea why the split made the one trigger that oh, this looks like a good home, but they are inseparable now. Before that, neither of them ever looked at them for 6 months, I never thought it would happen.

So I guess the point of this ramble is, just wait it out... it will happen when it's meant to happen. And you will be stoked just like me when it does... not to mention my wife. She loves that more than anything else now!