Plate Coral and a Clownfish

[StarGazer_1]

My cinamin clown has taken up residence in the plate coral
i have 2 very small bTA from a split but they are not big enuf to host
but th eplate doesnt appreciate the clown and retracts
any suggestions?
would rather let the BTA's Mature instead of buying a new BTA
and dont say plastic placebo ill chuck my lunch
thx

 

[jenglish]

You can cover your plate with a plastic strawberry basket. Honestly I have seen a clown host a filter intake with its natural host anemone in the tank and never look at the nem. There is no telling where a clown will decide to host. Clowns can hurt an LPS by pushing the polyp against sharp edges of the skeleton.

 

[Scoobaman17]

I have had a small perc for about a week now. Tonight I noticed he "sleeps" in my frog spawn. LOL

 

[L98-Z]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14797605#post14797605 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Scoobaman17
I have had a small perc for about a week now. Tonight I noticed he "sleeps" in my frog spawn. LOL

My clowns only sleep/stay in the frogspawn, despite the fact that a BTA is about 10" away from them.

 

[Rjukan]

Clowns are strange, I wouldn't worry about it though. Just let the anemones grow out and hopefully it will make the switch. Won't the clown realize it's not getting the same relationship out of a plate coral eventually? I have the same type of clown as you and for the past 3 years it hasn't had an anemone and it seems fine. It does like a brain coral I have but it's not hosting in it.

 

[snorvich]

Actually, I WOULD worry about it as clownfish can destroy various LPS corals. That is one of the reasons I do not recommend clownfish except as a species tank. Clownfish will NOT recognize different benefits from an anemone, frogspawn, or elegance; if the anemone is young, even that can be damaged with exuberant clownfish.

 

[ser_renely]

How do you know when it is hosting something?

 

[jenglish]

yes, clowns can snuggle things to death. A large hairy mushroom is as good of a host as a nem in most cases IMHO. IME bubble corals are especially likely to be hosted to death due to the sharp edges, thin tissue and a texture that seems to draw in the clowns. Your mileage may vary

 

[Rjukan]

Would moving the coral be another option over covering it if possible? I see what your saying about it being a problem in this case. Don't different types of clowns have different hosting characteristics? For some reason I thought I remember reading that tomato clowns aren't as over the top with their hosting behavior as percs. Mine hasn't damaged any of my corals and seems to like a cave and hovering over the brain. It doesn't touch it much at all.

If it's actually damaging that plate coral I would follow their advice of covering it or figure out another solution. Good luck! I'm interested to hear the outcome since I have this type of clown.

 

[Anemonebuff]

My clown is hosting in a bubble coral with no issues, but I did have to get rid of a H.crispa years back because this same clown was beating it to death.