Confused Clownfish

[DJ88]

BEn,

My sister has two ocellaris clowns and a BTA and they dont' go near the anemone at all. That is after almost two months. Where my Perc's saw my saddleback and went crazy in it. They still do. Sometimes a clown will go to an anemone sometimes they won't, expecially if the anemone is not the clowns natural host.

Are your clowns perc's or ocellaris clowns? I am assuming perc's. Amphiprion Percula and Amphiprion Ocellaris are two different breeds of clowns. If they are in fact Ocellaris are they tank raised? if so they may never take to your host. If they are Percula then give it time. Sometimes they need to get the courage up. More specifically they need to adapt to the host anemone. Each anemone is different with it's "sting" and they need to get used to it.

As for your anemone. Can you find out for sure what it is you have? If you have a H. Crispa you have one of the more difficult anemones to keep. I won't even think of getting one. I won't get anymore period but that is my decision. What color is it right now? What does it look like? Are its tentacles short and fat? or long and extended? What color are the tips? DO you have access to a camera to get a pic?

I do need to know how much lighting you have on your tank. Lighting is crucial to an anemone's survival. To little and it will waste away. There is a great discussion on Reef Central right now about anemone keeping and one consensus' they have is that they need light. Without a doubt. Personally I feed mine as well. Not all the time and not heavy foods like solid fish or shrimp if it is a smaller anemone. When tehy can handle the larger foods I will give them some then.

You have chosen one of the hardest things to keep alive in the salt water world IMO. Sebaes aren't the easiest to keep so I wish you luck.

Right now I am fighting a losing battle trying to save my BTA that expelled its zooxanthellae after my tank crashed. It's not looking good. Hopefully yours is full and healthy so you don't need to fight with it as I am right now.