What comes first.... Anemone or Coral

[AngeloM3]

Hey everybody!!

I got a 50gal... only a couple of fish and 2 corals

I do plan on getting a BTA and Clown fish.... but I do want a mixture of coral too.

I know once I get an anemone its going to wander to find a good spot. Should I get the anemone first before I start adding coral? Or will the anemone leave the coral alone while it wanders?

 

[Sk8r]

It is very, very tricky to keep both. They will be at war if that anemone doesn't like the flavor in the downstream. I've done it in a 100 gal, I don't recommend it. At least run carbon often to try to mitigate the chemical warfare: the moment anything pulls in or turns purple, in goes the carbon. You may have to supplement trace minerals, because carbon pulls those out. Rather than an anemone, if you are determined to have clowns, the little ones will host quite happily in long-tentacled stony corals like frogspawn and hammer---torch is a bit stingy. That might be easier for you.

 

[AngeloM3]

Oh really?? I never knew that about hosting in other "stingy" coral. I have a Hairy Mushroom right now, think I would host in that?

Maybe I'll try and get some "stingy" coral instead of an anemone.

 

[Amphiprion]

I think what he meant was that the torches tend to have a potent sting when they are contacted. He is basically saying you don't want a "stingy" coral.

 

[AngeloM3]

ohhhhhhhh... i gotcha

can anyone type out a quick list of corals that would host a clown fish???

is it common that if no anemone is present but there are those certain corals, they will host the clown?

 

[SEAFLOWERS]

I have had them host:

Xenia
Hairy mushrooms
Leather corals(Bali & Finger Leathers)
Frogspawn

I once had one live in a Pink Colt coral ( go figure)
If I can remember anymore that I have witnessed I will let you know.HTH

 

[Amphiprion]

I have also seen them reside in:
Hair algae
air bubbles
fake resin anemones
powerheads
Goniopora sp. (not something you want to get in this case)
Catalaphyllia sp.
Sarcophyton sp. leather corals

 

[AngeloM3]

hmmmm.... thanks for the info

 

[rubysmomma1]

We had our clown first and then added the GBTA. She wants nothing to do with it. She has hosted in our green star polyps and has recently taken to the pulsating xenias.

 

[Chad Vossen]

i have 2 adult cinnimon clowns hosting in a 14 inch diameter toadstool. they love it and they lay eggs at 10-11 am every 16 days right next to it. it took awile but the toadstool stoped retracting when the clowns would cuddle with it.