Pink Anemonefish pushing away GBTA's food

reefallen

New member
I'm having a problem with my Pink Anemonefish intentionally pushing away food from my GBTA. I am feeding my Pink Anemonefish first. They don't do it as much when I feed the GBTA mysis, but when I feed it Krill or Silverfish, they push the food away before the GBTA can get it in her mouth. It takes a while to feed this way.

Both of the Pinks are small, one is about 1" and the other 1 1/2". So, they are only eating Hikari Marine Small sinking type pellets which I "hand feed" through a tube. They also get Red Sea Marine Gro. Occasionally I will let them have a LITTLE brine shrimp. They are too small to eat the mysis yet.

Any ideas? The GBTA is doing well. It just takes 10x the amount of time to feed her because I have to feed the same piece about 10 times!!

Thanks so much for everyone's experience and advice in advance!!
 
Hey, if you find a solution to that, please let me know. My WSM seems to have issues, and I'm not sure if she's doing it for the anemone's benefit or her own. Generally, she's OK with me feeding food sizes up to about a half a silverside (and that's hit or miss). Anything bigger and seemingly just when she feels like, she'll either move the food away from the mouth to the outer edge of the anemone or off the anemone completely. On the other hand, she'll actually take the food to the anemone at other times. There are many who say that clownfish don't actually feed their anemones, but just bring food that's too big for them to eat right away, hoping to finish it off later. The anemone just happens to sometimes eat it before the clown. My new personally theory on this is that my clown has just nominated herself my BTA's personal nutritionist.

Oh, you were looking for advice too. I'd suggest a couple things if it really gets to be a problem. Either physically keep the clown at bay with your hand or something else until the anemone swallows at least half of whatever your feeding (any less, and the clown will probably pull it right out of the anemone's mouth). Second, and a better option if it's practical would be to put something over the anemone, like one of those baskets strawberries come in to keep the clown away while the anemone eats.
 
Thanks. This may be a strange question, but HOW do I get the clowns AWAY from the nem?? They don't ever leave it!! They eat in it, sleep in it, swim in it.... It's like they're surgically attached!! Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they're happy and all, but I don't understand why they don't like the BTA to eat! I physically have to use the siphon to get between them and the nem to put the food to the BTA's tentacles. And then, they quickly get between the food and the nem and push it away as fast as they can. Sometimes the BTA is fast enough to eat it, but not most of the time. Lately, I've been trying to aim closer to it's mouth so it has a better chance!! LOL! The strange thing is that the Pinks don't have any interest in the shrimp or the silversides, but they just don't want the BTA to eat it!
 
I use a chopstick to keep the shrimp away from my anemone while it eats. You have the advantage of being bigger, smarter and did I say bigger?

I'm sure there are better things than a chopstick, maybe a collander:)

Good Luck,

Corey
 
This may be a strange question, but HOW do I get the clowns AWAY from the nem??

Not a strange question at all. My anemonefish is the same. She's also extremely curious, though. If I start fiddling with anything in the tank near her, she immediately swims over to investigate what I'm doing. If that doesn't work, you should be able to just gently shoo them away with your hand or some other object. Just go slow so you don't actually hit them (not that that would do any real harm unless you really whack one).
 
I have a pair ( maybe I didn't say that) and unfortunately, my GBTA is at the BOTTOM of my 75 gal attached to a rock cave. (a little difficult to get at. I'm going to try to do the strawberry basket/collander thing, but I'm not sure how I'll get it over the nem without the anemonefish getting back in. They are very small. I guess it'll be trial and error. Maybe if I cut the basket just right to fit around the rock... I just worry so much about hurting the fish... I can't even push them away long enough with the siphon feeder to get the nem to be able to get a mysis or two in her mouth!! Poor thing!! We must look like the 3 stooges!! I was SO sick last night and I was SO frustrasted!! It took me almost 30 minutes to feed her!! (blasted anemonefish!! - but, I do love them too!) I will get a strawberry basket and try it out!! Thanks everyone!
:mixed:
 
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