Goofy clowns
 

So I decided to set up my 20H, and take down the 15. I figured my true percs were doing to much digging, so I went barebottom. Since the clowns were not hosting with anything I thought a RBTA would be in order. The tank also housed an Open Brain because my Flagfin Angel was too fond of it. So the clowns had two choices for a host. WhenI put them into the tank they right away had a look at the RBTA. The following pictures show their choice. :mad:

http://members.shaw.ca/rcipema/stupidclowns.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/rcipema/hosting1.jpg

:rofl:

I'm sorry but boy that figures...

PS. In the first pic it looks like the boxfish/cowfish is hosting in the RBTA ... :lol:

You are right Tony, I saw that cowfish in there, so that is the picture I published. Before anyone mentions the obvious. I am not done with them yet. This is actually perfect in that it will allow the anemone to settle in. When that is done I will of course remove the brain to lessen the choice. I know the RBTA is not a natural host, but the brain is even less so. :eek:

reply
 

What does host RBTAs? I've had mine for 5 days now and I've never seen my ocellaris pair even look at it.

In captivity, the answer is "it doesn't matter." Clownfish may take to non-natural partners.

My ocellaris hosted in BTA's for a few years when they were in the same tank. It did take some 6-7 weeks (or more; I don't remember anymore, this is going back some 6 years ago!) for them to go into them.

But to faithfully answer your question, in the wild, the following species are associated with Entacmaea quadricolor:

• 
  Amphriprion akindynos
  A. allardi
  A. bicinctus
  A. chrysopterus
  A. clarkii
  A. ephippium
  A. frenatus
  A. mccullochi
  A. melanopus
  A. omanensis
  A. rubrocinctus
  A. tricinctus
  Premnas biaculeatus
  

Source: Fautin & Allen

In a pinch, clarkii clowns pretty much host in all of the hosting anemone species.

Maroons and BTA's always make a nice display IMO.

It's too bad that most of the species associated with BTA's tend to be larger, more aggressive clowns. You have to really like clownfish! :biggrin:

Re: reply
 

Five days is nothing :eek: , I have had one RBTA for more than a month, and the Ocellaris still host with the Closed Brain, and Caulastrea. :mad:

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Well, as Bob said it probly best for the anemone that its left alone for a while. I'm not worried about it, I was hoping that they'd pick the RBTA over my bleached GBTA that lives under a rock. :confused:

My guess is that the odds are that if they pick one, they'll likely pick both, and swim back and forth between them. In my case anyhow that's what happened.

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In Richtg's tank they have chosen a torch coral over both his RBTA and GBTA. The torch was there first so that must account for some of their bias.

They obviously haven't read the books. Silly illiterate fish.

Mighty nice red zoos there Bob :cool:

I like them too. Strangely enough they are one of my poorest sellers :sad:

Well it is now 24 hours later. I moved their choice out of the tank. Needless to say they looked lost for awhile, but here is the final result. Maybe they are not morons after all. :biggrin:

http://members.shaw.ca/rcipema/morons.jpg

Yeah!!! The clownfish-anemone symbiotic relationship is still one of the coolest things about keep salt-water. Still waiting for my ocellaris to pick one of 4 anemones for a home :rolleyes:

Maybe I'll tape a picture facing into the tank to give them an idea of what they should be doing since they seem to be illiterate.

You're likely aware but this has been reported to in fact work.

Gee, & I thought I had an original idea/thought :confused:

Oh well, 3 of the anemones are clones that I'm still growing out so it may be a good thing that they're not hosting in them yet.