Clown - Anemone Relations
 

So, I'm looking for advice on clowns and anemones. I absolutely love the look of a clown hanging out in a nice anemone. This is one of the things that most made me want to upgrade from cichlids to reef. My favorite clown (looks wise) is the Ocelaris.... or true Percula. I have heard that the Ocelaris can be tricky to get to take to an anemone. Specifically a bubble tip. I am looking to get a RBTA. Anyone out there have any suggestions as to what clowns will take to a BTA, and what teh best way to accomplish this is (ie. anemone first, then clown)? I have heard that the tomatos will take easily, but to me they aren't that nice of a fish. Are the true Percs less picky with what they will take to?

Thanks ahead of time!

Johnny

I have a Ocelaris clown. It took about a week for it to find my Seabae anemone. They are great little guys to watch. Also whats a RBTA or a BTA. I have wondered about this. I had my anemone in the tank first.

Matt

My occellari clownns won't have anything to do with my RBTA. They actually prefer the inflow piping for the filter.

However, I just picked up a Clarkii on Friday and it took to the RBTA within putting the fish in the tank. I've heard that Skunks will take to RBTAs very quickly as well.

Rose Bubble Tip Anenome

I have two Ocellaris Clowns that were in the tank before I introduced a RBTA. It has been a couple of months, and they still have nothing to do with it.

I have two True Perculas in another tank. I introduced another RBTA into their tank. I had to remove an Open Brain from the tank before they would take to the RBTA. They are now inseparable. :biggrin:

After the 2nd day! :biggrin:
http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/500/1376Tank6.jpg

So, being relatively new to this my untrained eye can't tell.... are those percs or ocilaris?

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My 2 percs will not go any where near my RBTA. I also have a long tentical one and same thing.

If any one knows if you can encourage them to host I would be interested as well


Robert

Ocellaris Clowns. That was on the second day. You should see the colour of them now!

I also added 2 RBTA's and they just keep going from one to the other. :smile:

Doch,

I find that Percs usually have more black markings on them, while Ocellaris have only fine black lines outlining the white bands. This however is not 100% method of differentiating the 2 very similar spp., just a tendency I've noticed.

Anthony

Of course that was deliburate. :razz:

:redface:

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For more information,
http://biodiversity.uno.edu/ebooks/intro.html

Danny

Nice primer/compatibility matchup.

http://www.carlosreef.com/AnemoneFAQ.pdf

also
http://wish.wodonga.tafe.edu.au/~kwaldon/species.htm

My two bits- I have pink skunk clowns that went right into my BTA. The ocellaris wasn't interested.

Wow... lot's of info! Sounds like you may have gotten lucky with you Ocellaris' there Gary. This gives me a lot to read up on (on top of my already growing list). Anyone have any inputs about Tomatos, or Maroons?

I might be getting rid of these clowns along with 2 BTA's if I can get my hands on a pair of gold stripe maroon clowns. :smile:

Both of these are better if you want them to host in a BTA. The Maroon naturally hosts with BTA's. Ocellaris are another story. Even after a couple of months mine host with a large closed brain, and sleep in a Candycane. The RBTA is next to the brain, and sometimes touches it. The clowns are not interested To get my percs to host with a RBTA, I took all possible substitute hosts away. :rolleyes:

I would watch out for that. The occasional contact may not be so bad, but eventually the BTA can irritate the brain enough to cause tissue recession. Just something I would watch out for, if you find that the brain is not opening as much in the area that it gets contacted by the occasional stray anemone tentacle, then I would move it further away from the brain.

PS. sometyimes :razz:

:redface: . Good to see somebody besides me notices typos and spelling errors. :biggrin: :razz:

As to the brain; I have moved it to the other side of the tank, as I could see a little damage happening. It is too bad because it was the focal point of a lot of interaction. :sad:

I have a BTA for sale... if anyone is interested... its a clone .. doing good.... just don't want two in the same tank (20g...) .. anyways... I too have 2 Ocellaris... and within 3 days the female took to it... she doesn't really hang out in it during the day though... she'll peck at it, clean it, and occassionally rub up in it... but she likes to mainly sleep in it. I'd say Ocellaris will take to a BTA...... there's just no guarantee of this. Perhaps I got lucky because my tank size is so small, and it stuck out, and they found it instantly... as opposed to throwing in a tiny BTA into a 150 or 200g... or maybe I just got lucky all in all... who knows, no one... and you wont know until you try! your chances are as good as anyone elses here.

Again, if you are ineterested in a nice, healthy BTA let me know, I need to get rid of it ASAP.... it's got a very nice, brown/neon green tint to it. Under Actinics this thing really glows... very pretty.

Scott

Waking up a dead thread... but it's my own, so I'd say it's OK!

Anybody have opinions about maroon clowns in LTA's? I was at the LFS the other day looking for my next fish, saw a pair of maroons in a BTA, got to talking to the staff there and decided that I was ready for an anemone... and the clowns to go with it. While talking I was told that the maroons will take to either the BTA that they were in, or the LTA that was beside it... so I picked the LTA which had a little more colour. Got them home, acclimated them, put them in the tank, and.... no dice. Clowns don't even look at the LTA. Not very happy. Is this a lost cause... should I be looking for a nice BTA, or is there some way that I can assist? Does this relationship take time sometimes, or instant (like my last BTA/maroon)?

Any help would certainly be appreciated... thanks all!

Don't know about LTA but I have a Maroon pair that's been hosting in a BTA for some time now. IIRC it did take a week or so for my first Maroon to dive in and call it home. I added the second (Maroon clown) a few months later and went through the harrowing pairing process. Again that took a few weeks. Anyhow, if it's only been a few days, I suggest waiting at least a week or two to see what happens, no hurry, be patient. I've read some folks have had success sticking a picture of a clown hosting an anemone to the tank, so you could give that a shot. Other than that, as mentioned somewhere in this thread already, a BTA is the Maroon's natural hosting anemone, so you may have better luck trying one of those.

LOL... so... are you actually serious about the picture beside the tank? Or are you trying to make me feel like an idiot in a few weeks??

I'm not the best at being patient, but I plan in trying... just figured I'd ask a question or 2 while waiting.

Yes, picture, serious. I haven't tried this personally, didn't need to, but have read this advice many times on threads at RC, the forum south of the border. Might work, might not, but in today's digital age, it won't take a lot of effort to give it a try, nothing to lose really.