anemone and clowns hosting?

HimSelf · #1 07-22-2005, 06:43 PM

I got a perc and a black sadle back and 2 buble tip anemone. Is there any way I can force them to host in the anemone?

OCDP · #2 07-22-2005, 07:02 PM

hmm for starters you shouldn't even have those two species clown in the same tank... how big is the tank they are in? how are they getting along? are they constantly fighting?

Clownfish will host what they want, when they want. Bottom line is you can't force them to host in anything.. just hope for the best. Don't get your hopes up, neither of those clownfish are natural hosts to that type of anemone.

You should be considering removing one of those clowns from the tank IMO, before it leads to a dead clown. You can't mix species.

rickjames · #3 07-22-2005, 07:39 PM

Nope, no way to force them the decision is theirs. One difficulty is that a BTA isn't a natural host for a perc, not sure about the black saddle though. My ocellaris clowns hosted the BTA after about a month together. Now they won't leave.

Matt · #4 07-22-2005, 08:42 PM

Dopey little guys! My Ocellaris is hosting a fuzzy mushroom!

SeaHorse_Fanatic · #5 07-22-2005, 09:01 PM

My breeding pr of Ocellaris are also hosting my green rhodactis mushrooms.

Nemo · #6 07-22-2005, 11:01 PM

I have heard of people putting the BTA's in a container and then putting the clowns in, with a small water volume and little way of not touching the BTA they will use it as a host. I have not used this method, I just let them decide on there own.

BTW I have a Maroon, Skunk, and 2 percs never have had a problem having different clowns

In my tank

Maroon hosts in LTA
Skunk hosts in a seabay
Percs host in BTA

OCDP · #7 07-22-2005, 11:45 PM

I should have rephrased my post. I never meant to say you without a doubt can't mix species. But... you have to be very careful.. tank size plays a big , big factor in that.. if your clowns are cramped together, always seeing eachother.. you'll have problems. But if your clowns have lots of space, lots of territory to call their own and ESPECIALLY having each species of clown to their own natural anemone host.. your chances would be pretty darn good... depending on what species (this would also be another factor to consider when mixing)

I have just read/heard too many bad stories about people mixing species. The whole point of my rambelling is that I have not read too many successful stories with people mixing clowns.

Also.. if they are all captive bred clowns, your chances are even better yet...

Chaloupa · #8 07-23-2005, 12:23 AM

I had 3 false perc's hosting together in my BTA-when I first put them into the tank they went right to the anemone....I didn't have them long as I had so many tank troubles...so I don't know how they would have gotten along after a long period of time as my tank is not big enough for that many clowns and at the time I didn't know anything

but you CAN'T force a fish to do much of anything...if they want to they will

canuckzilla · #9 07-23-2005, 03:20 AM

My clowns have chosen to hang out in a hammer coral, then a feather duster (feather duster didn't appreciate the attention much) and now a kenyan tree.

I also have a couple of RBTA's which they haven't even glanced at, but it looks like they move around a bit so you never know.

Anyone else have their clowns change hosts on a regular basis?

- Gary

HimSelf · #10 07-23-2005, 03:54 AM

These two clown are in a small tank for my GF. They are getting along great and plays around. One's got the bottom tank to him self and the other got the top part of the tank.

In the past I find that when the clown is scared they go in to the anemone. Also I found that if you introduce the anemone first then add the fish you would have a better chance.

In my case I think the only way is to move the rocks around and make every thing looks new.