Tank raised clowns and hosting nem

[Adam624]

Hi all just wondering if i could get some help on gettin my tank raised clownfish to host my rose tip anemone???

Any tips would be much appreciated, although i have numerously tried the video of clowns hosting infront of the tank...id like to keep clear of putting them in a smaller container as catching may cause too much stress in the tank

Thanks

 

[Dans85]

Why don't you just leave them alone and let them do their thing? Depending on what kind of clowns you have, they may not host a BTA in the wild, so it could take some time or it could never happen. It took my ocellaris pair about 3 months to go into my RBTA, but now they very rarely leave it. IMHO trying to put them in a smaller container will probably do more harm than good.

 

[garygb]

Always the best bet is combining anemones and clowns that naturally associate with one another in the wild. For a rose anemone, tomato, maroon and clarkii are a few commonly available species that are naturally found in Entacmaea quadricolor. I'm assuming you have a species that isn't naturally found together, thus the reluctance of the clown going into the anemone. Usually in time they will end up going to the anemone, but not always. Some people say shining a flashlight at night on the anemone will draw the clownfish to move into the anemone. I have no idea if that really works.

Btw, tank-raised doesn't matter as far as going into the anemone. If you have a natural clown/anemone combination the tank-raised clown will often go to the anemone immediately. The different clownfish species are attracted to the scent of specific species of anemone. Clarkii clownfish are naturally attracted to all of the host species. Others, like maroons, are very specific and found only in Entacmaea quadricolor.

 

[Adam624]

Thanks alot guys...il just leave them to do their thing!

 

[m0nkie]

IF you really want it to happen...

1) put the BTA in an acclimation box and leave the clowns inside. They will start hosting. or scare them into it with your fingers..

2) leave the anemone as is.. Use a large acrylic tube, long enough to reach your anemone from surface. Put clowns in the tube and let them swim down.. on the bottom will be the anemone.

if you match the right clown with the right anemone, it shouldn't be any problem. A lot of people are against this because there is a chance your clown may be stung. so up to you.. just don't put some poor ocellaris clown into a carpet or something.. it will just eat the clown

I've also read people putting pictures of predator fish (lionfish) on tank glass. opposite from the anemone. it scares the clown into finding protection, which is usually the anemone. However this trick didn't work for me. my pair of snowflakes never got hosted.. eventually i sold them for some Spotinctus and Maroon (multiple tanks) .jumped right into the anemones. Bought a black snowflake just now.. no hosting

 

[davocean]

You should never force a scare a clown into a nem before it is ready to enter, and I agree non natural match can take much longer, or may not even happen.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

IF you really want it to happen...

1) put the BTA in an acclimation box and leave the clowns inside. They will start hosting. or scare them into it with your fingers..

2) leave the anemone as is.. Use a large acrylic tube, long enough to reach your anemone from surface. Put clowns in the tube and let them swim down.. on the bottom will be the anemone.

if you match the right clown with the right anemone, it shouldn't be any problem. A lot of people are against this because there is a chance your clown may be stung. so up to you.. just don't put some poor ocellaris clown into a carpet or something.. it will just eat the clown

I've also read people putting pictures of predator fish (lionfish) on tank glass. opposite from the anemone. it scares the clown into finding protection, which is usually the anemone. However this trick didn't work for me. my pair of snowflakes never got hosted.. eventually i sold them for some Spotinctus and Maroon (multiple tanks) .jumped right into the anemones. Bought a black snowflake just now.. no hosting

Carpet anemones are natural hosts to both Ocellaris and Percula, there is less chance of either being hosted by a BTA!

 

[davocean]

Of the carpets I don't thing hadonni is a natural host for percula, I know that list above needed some corrections and I'm pretty sure that is one of them, not certain on occs and hadonni

 

[oh207]

Play some YouTube videos on a Tablet or smart phone and tape it to the tank. Or in the absence of that, past some pictures on the tank of nems hosting clownfish.