Torch good host?

[cyeast97]

I have two torches and an orange skunk clown. Do you think he will try and host them. Right now he is about an inch long , and seems to be afraid of them.

A brain coral or toad stool leather might be added next.

I knid of just want him in something so that he feels comfortable.

 

[dustin323]

Possibly, tank bred species will host with things easier than wild caught. I've heard a lot of people actually taking a picture from the net of a clown hosting an anemone & taping & it on the aquarium glass. Lots of people say it works. I got me a Trachaphyla Geoffri brain coral & my clown is now hosting with it. He just started this & I've had the brain for about a month maybe.

 

[chelskisw6]

isnt it the other way around... arent wild caught more likely to host something than tank raised???

 

[WendyMc]

If your clown starts to host in your torch, you won't be happy about it for long. Sometimes they can get quite vigorous in their 'love' of their host and can forcefully rub themselves against the stony skeleton under the fleshy polyp, causing tears which could lead to disease & death in the coral. It is much nicer to have your clown host in a soft coral, because other than irritiation to the coral which they seem to get over rather fast, they can't damage it for real like a LPS. I had my clowns 'love' a branching hammer & Alveopora to death until I finally broke down & got a bubble tip anemone - they were captive bred clowns, too.

 

[cyeast97]

nice info....

Would a toadstool leather be a decent choice?

I have heard that they produce toxins, which has me worried.

What other softies are good?

Thanks

 

[WendyMc]

I haven't ever had my clowns take to any of my softies - they far preferred my LPS and I had both available. That's why I finally got the anemone - they haven't bothered LPS since. I have seen on garf.org pictures of clowns in leathers & anthellia & various other softies. I know other people whose clowns hosted their hairy mushrooms & even Xenia. You may want to email Leroy @ Garf to see what he says about the toxicity of the leather affecting the clowns - to my knowledge it doesn't bother the clowns at all but I'd feel better if you talked to someone who has had it go on long-term in one of their systems.

 

[summer6]

I've had two sets of mated perculas and they both preferred hosting my frogspawn corals - I have three large frogspawns, and they hop from one to another. The clowns have also taken to an elegant.
Funny, but I've had no luck getting the clowns to use an anemone. Right now I've got a 4" bubble tip (grew with the rock) and they completely ignore it. I've got tons of mushrooms - and they've never had much interest, also no interest with leathers.
It just seems to me that me clowns like to really "immerse" themselves into the coral, and feel very "safe" with their current home(s).

 

[WendyMc]

I think you are very right about that; My clowns had no other LPS to go to at the time I finally gave them the anemone. They had plenty of softies, but they hadn't taken to any yet & my female was being such a tweeker after I removed the Alveopora that I had to do something fast before she gave herself a heart attack. She dived right into that poor bubble tip anemone, you should have seen it! I heard they usually 'warm up' to their host for a while but my female perc was totally immersed within a minute of putting that anemone in the tank. The male took a few days to acclimate himself to the anemone. I think it is a very individual thing with each tank/clown. I've heard so many different hosting stories.

 

[cyeast97]

anyone ever have luck with a rock anemone? That is the only one a think I could get because my lighting isn't strong enough for the other anemones.

 

[WendyMc]

Bubble tip anemones are a pretty low-light species and they are natural hosts for some species of clowns. Plus, they aren't as destructive while wandering as a rock anemone is. Rock anemones have very strong stings and a BTA's sting is pretty weak in comparison. I have kept my BTA under 3 watts per gallon for over 2 years now, and it has produced 2 babies through a split. It is happy & huge; but I feed it with small chunks of raw calamari steak. I have heard of clowns taking to rock anemones, but I personally would risk my corals with a BTA over a rock anyday. After the split, the babies wandered so much, settling right next to both LPS & soft corals, touching them. The corals obviously didn't like it & stayed closed, but nothing died or got an infection. I just moved the corals out of reach until the babies finally settled down. Plus, you can get captive 'propagated' BTAs from other hobbyists - the result of splits. This reduces the strains on our natural reefs; I don't know if rock anemones are available as anything but wild caught.

 

[dustin323]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8731240#post8731240 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chelskisw6
isnt it the other way around... arent wild caught more likely to host something than tank raised???

No, to my knowledge tank raised are more likely to host with something that it wouldn't in nature.

 

[Thhitman]

I've heard of them even hosting a powerhead.

 

[cyeast97]

Ok.....
I think I got it..

I am gonna put whatever I can that I can successfully take care of,
and cross my fingers that my clown will atleast like one of the corals.
Seems to me this clown/hosting business is a crap shoot.

I am new to salt water and am learning everyday . And most of what I am finding out is that anything is possible

 

[lovelylinda]

My two onyx clowns host the cleaning magnet- follow it around the tank.

 

[mallyk]

Seems some clowns will host in anything...

I've seen a pair of ocellaris 'host' in hair algae at my LFS..

 

[WendyMc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8746593#post8746593 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cyeast97


I am new to salt water and am learning everyday . And most of what I am finding out is that anything is possible

Well, welcome to the hobby!

 

[dustin323]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8746593#post8746593 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cyeast97


I am new to salt water and am learning everyday . And most of what I am finding out is that anything is possible

Welcome to the hobby I am fairl new to SW myself. There is something to always learn in this hobby.