any advice
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Ricksreeefs
Well-Known Member
There's no need for a nem but if you still wanted to get one because they are pretty cool animals, I would go with a bubble tip. they are the safest imo because they can't/won't grab on to live animals but they might still sting them.
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Clowns do not host anything. It's using the feather duster as a host.
It seems like it enjoys your feather duster 
The clowns I keep took a long time before they started swimming all over the tank, especially the smaller one took almost a full year before it started really trusting itself to swim all over the territory. They have been dancing and playing all over the tank after they started to really trust the territory as their own.
It does not have to have any anemone to feel good. The common anemones in the trade which are unsafe for clownfishes are the long tentacle anemones & the rock anemones. Generally your clown will keep other fish away from any 'nem that it hosts.
The anemones that lives in deep water are harder to keep than those who live in more shallow water conditions, so you can keep that in mind if you should decide to get one
The clowns I keep took a long time before they started swimming all over the tank, especially the smaller one took almost a full year before it started really trusting itself to swim all over the territory. They have been dancing and playing all over the tank after they started to really trust the territory as their own.
It does not have to have any anemone to feel good. The common anemones in the trade which are unsafe for clownfishes are the long tentacle anemones & the rock anemones. Generally your clown will keep other fish away from any 'nem that it hosts.
The anemones that lives in deep water are harder to keep than those who live in more shallow water conditions, so you can keep that in mind if you should decide to get one
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Calm Blue Ocean
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You can try moving your feather duster (if that's possible). When my clowns chose a gorgonian as a host they did quite a bit of damage to it. Moving it over just 6" or so made them lose interest in it.
Brit’s Fish
Valuable Member
Just wondering - is the feather duster retracting or mostly just putting up with it? My feather duster is so quick to retract that I’d be amazed if he ever hosted clowns.
I have a pair of Mocha Storms hosting in a patch of zoas. They literally don’t care where they are after they’ve picked a place to call home. Anemones are good, but one of the best purposes they serve in the wild is to protect the clowns from predators. They’re probably a lot safer in your tank than in the wild, so if you’re not ready for a nem yet, wait it out. If you are ready and want one, I agree to go for a Bubble Tip. You don’t have to get any crazy ones either... they’re all really pretty IMO and the clowns do not care if they’re living in a basic green bubble tip or a Colorado Sunburst with documented lineage.
Best of luck!!
Azedenkae
Valuable Member
Yeah I am wondering about this too.
@Birdbrains? Also, what do you mean by long tentacle anemones are unsafe for clownfish? They're the natural host for a bunch of clownfish species, and is a common host for even more species in the aquaria.
I was not referring to the Macrodactyla Doreensis, I was talking about the Condylactis
I keep a macrodactyla and it is hosting Polymnus, but where I am from, the Macrodactylas are called "corkscrew" anemones, not "long tentacle" anemones.
The condylactis (being a long tentacle anemone in its own right), is still getting sold to unsuspecting hobbyists who are looking for anemones to host clownfish. That is why I mentioned it
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I was talking about the (long tentacle) Condylactis
Macrodactylas are called Corkscrews where I am from and Condylactis still gets sold to unsuspecting hobbyists under the name "long tentacle anemones". Corkscrews only curl up their tentacles into "corkscrew" shapes under strong currents and many LFS end up calling Macrodactylas for "long tentacle anemones" simply because the corkscrew anemones does not show the classic corkscrew tentacle shape in potential medium to low current conditions in many LFS's tanks.
My Polymnus loves my Macrodactyla Doreensis and they are indeed perfect host anemones. I was even encouraging OP to go for it, since they they are much more hardy then the deep water 'nems
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Twoddler
Active Member
So why are they unsafe?I have 5 long ten nen's hosting 4 Clowns
Probably is best for new folks who have never kept anems to try bubble tips first in my opinion. I wouldn't want to be sold the wrong type of long tentacle and see my clown disappearI was not referring to the Macrodactyla Doreensis, I was talking about the Condylactis
I keep a macrodactyla and it is hosting Polymnus, but where I am from, the Macrodactylas are called "corkscrew" anemones, not "long tentacle" anemones.
The condylactis (being a long tentacle anemone in its own right), is still getting sold to unsuspecting hobbyists who are looking for anemones to host clownfish. That is why I mentioned it
NoahLikesFish
2500 Club Member
Personally I have never kept rock flowers, so I do not know the extent of their compatibility with aquarium fish first hand, and I do not think clowns are particularly attracted to rock flowers - but from what I have heard from others and read online, the rock flower anemones can potentially eat anything that touches them, which makes them live peacefully in tanks for years, only to randomly eat a fish that brushes up against it.
So I have the impression that it depends highly on how they are placed in the tank and if the fishes can move around the territory easily without getting into contact with the rock flowers. But do not take my word for it since I have no personal experience with the topic.
