Occ. Hosting BTA questions

[afm32607]

After two long years I got the chance to put a clown and a larger nem in an acclimation box at the same time.

It finally worked, the clown was sleeping in nem this morning. I tried this method before when I first put the nems (about two years ago). I had them together in the box for 3-4 weeks last time towards the end the clowns were getting accustomed to the nem so I let them out but the hosting immediately stopped once they went back into the tank.

Since the last time I haven't been able to get a large nem off the rocks as they did not move. When I rearranged rock work to remove sand (black sand that was magnetic) the nem split and moved about so I could catch it.

Any thoughts or suggestions for releasing the Nem and clown (only managed to catch one of the pair) so as to not ruin this activity? Should I let it continue for a while before releasing them?

 

[Tkieu78]

Print out a colored picture of similar clowns hosting a bta and tape it facing the tank. The clowns will mimic and try to establish territory. Or you can do the same with a iPad and play a video. I myself personally got some pink skunk clowns. They hosted the nem immediately. Which caused my snowflakes to "œ claim" their territory. So they ending up chasing out the skunk clowns and stayed in the nem. Once that happened I pulled the skunks out and back to the lfs they go.


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[afm32607]

I tried the photo last time. It did nothing. The small container worked now, I just want to have the behavior continue once I release everyone to the entire tank (they are in an acclimation box now).

 

[mnchartier]

I wouldn't confine the clowns and the anemone like that, bad things can happen when you do this. With a non-natural host anemone for your clowns, they may not take to the anemone. One way that you can try and help them find the anemone in the tank is when you feed do so at the anemone. This may help them find it quicker and explore the anemone. This is a safer approach and wont cause stress to the anemone or the clowns

 

[Melfy77]

I tried the acclimatation box méthode. Worked but as soon as they went back in the tank they left it. I ended up moving them in an another tank and the female occy took the rainbow bta back 2 days later. That was at least 2 months ago. There's also s small rose bta in the tank, and the male just took it. They're just weird and picky lol. I have a Clarkii that took less than 30 minutes to go in my Heteractis malu. But those clownfish would host a broom so doesn't count lol.

 

[afm32607]

Too bad. They have hosted already so I guess I’ll see what happens when I let them back out into open water.