Reef Discussion

[IJG3145]

I've seen dozens of threads on different forums, asking how to get clownfish to host an anemone. Today I came across an idea I've never seen before and which should increase your success rate. Firstly though, a few tips.

1. Fish do not 'host' an anemone, just as you don't host a hotel when you stay in a hotel room. Anemone host the fish, not the other way around.
2. For years I could never get any clown to reside in any anemone. Then one day I walked into an LFS that had a tank full of BTA's with about 30 clowns in there. I watched the fish and then selected fish that were regularly entering anemone, I also bought one of the BTA because I didn't have one, but I suspect selecting the fish for their behaviour was the key. As soon as they were in the tank, the clowns were in the nem. That same anemone is now 7 anemone through cloning itself and the crazy clowns live in all of them, darting from one to another and at feeding time the famale clown grabs bits of food and feeds each anemone in turn, always in the same order. No wonder they're called clowns.
3. I've also since had some success with other clowns by squirting their food only into the anemone, forcing them to go in chasing food.

Now here's a new way to introduce clowns to your anemone.....

 

[potatocouch]

By hosting meaning that the clown 'almost constantly' stay in the anemone .. it will dart away to grab food and then dart back in ?

I have 2 clowns, 1 is big and 1 is small. The big one does the above, without any intervention from me.

It may probably bolt down to the character of the clown itself?

 

[IJG3145]

Yes they don't stay in the anemone, it's more like a safe place to run to although they often spend the night in their protection. You're right about individual personality though, there are certainly no golden rules... :)

 

[potatocouch]

Yes they don't stay in the anemone, it's more like a safe place to run to although they often spend the night in their protection. You're right about individual personality though, there are certainly no golden rules... :)

but the weird thing from your excerpt, mine never feed the anemone ... perhaps something that I never noticed but i don't think they feed anemone. i heard about it but never seen it.

 

[Aspidites]

I have had a few different occy clowns now both paired and single and have only had one pair feed thier nem. Some nems I have fed and others I haven't. It seems to be hit and miss although I feed heavily so I suspect they get food from the nightly frozen feeds.

 

[IJG3145]

Could well be a learned behaviour because I hand feed my nems, or used to until the clowns took over the job. When I feed the tank my home made mix I have to put my hand in the tank and break up the food with my fingers. Just lately when I put my hand in (even without food) the clowns come and nibble my fingers so they've also learned that the hand generally means food.

 

[potatocouch]

Could well be a learned behaviour because I hand feed my nems, or used to until the clowns took over the job. When I feed the tank my home made mix I have to put my hand in the tank and break up the food with my fingers. Just lately when I put my hand in (even without food) the clowns come and nibble my fingers so they've also learned that the hand generally means food.

Perhaps not related to making Nemo to host Anemone or vice versa .. but more on the feeding subject and fish behavior ... I put frozen cube in a small plastic container (those that used for sauce in take away) and squirt food to the tank.

When I approach the tank just for viewing purpose, the fish will just go normal.

When I approach the tank with container and squirter, the fish behavior completely change; it's as if they anticipate something (food) is coming their way. They don't know better and It might be poison coming their way LOL :D