CLOWN HOSTING

[Joe del Rey]

Hello guys! So far this community is great and I learn a lot of things in a short span of time.

So, a month from now, I'm going to get some False Percula Clowns (and a coral or two maybe... just maybe). How do you guys "train" your clown to host a coral? Please kindly share the methods you used and your experiences on them.

 

[Ludders]

It is something that comes naturally to them. When I first got a nem, my clowns were not interested. As soon as I introduced 3 chromis, the dynamic changed and they immediately gravitated toward the safety of the nem. I think also as they've matured they have changed to favour the safety the nems offer.

I did try net technique originally and gave up on this as a bad idea, because it just seemed to stress the hell out of my inhabitants, not just the poor clown fish I had at the time.

I guess given time and a bit of patience, nature ran its course and they eventually did what comes naturally to them.

 

[BestMomEver]

They’ll either go to it or not. Some say captive bred clowns aren’t as likely to hang out with a nem as they’ve never seen one. I disagree. I recently combined two tanks into one. The larger tank had two large Clarkii clowns and the smaller had two anemones. When I put the clowns into the new tank, they flew to the nems and dove in. They were captive bred. I think it’s instinctual. Nems provide protection and something in their little lizard brain knows it.

 

[therealman1]

The main issue in the hobby with nems and clowns hosting is what is most popular. Bubble tip nems and occolarius clowns are the most popular, but don't mix in the wild. That is where the issue is. I got mine to host after months of having a pic of a clown in a nem taped to the side of the tank. What I think did it though was the male was trying to run away from the female because she is pretty abusive. So he trained himself to go into my bubble tip after a week of going in and out to build up a tolerance. As soon as the female found out she built up a tolerance in less than a day to keep going after him.

 

[jd371]

You can't train them they have to go on their own. You can try coaxing them with a picture taped to the outside of the tank of a clown hosting an anemone, I've been told it sometimes works but when I tried it didn't. I've had my main tank running for almost 4 years now and with my RBTA splitting there were plenty to choose from but they decide to host the overflow above instead. I recently set up a 20g anemone tank with just two clowns and a couple of weeks ago they started to host the RBTA. It's really hit or miss if they'll host nothing you can really do about it.

 

[robmiller2]

I have three true percula clowns and they have been hosting a frogspawn coral for about eight months now. In the last week I was able to get a Green BTA and so far they are showing no interest. I am hoping one day they go for it but as of now they are still loving the frogspawn.

 

[jschultzbass]

Just so everyone is clear, the anemone hosts the clown, not the other way around. Other than that, I've heard of people putting the clown and anemone in a in-tank acclimation box together for a while to persuade the clown to take to the anemone, but like already said, they don't always do it. Mine liked my torch coral over the anemone.

 

[azreeftank]

They’ll either go to it or not. Some say captive bred clowns aren’t as likely to hang out with a nem as they’ve never seen one. I disagree. I recently combined two tanks into one. The larger tank had two large Clarkii clowns and the smaller had two anemones. When I put the clowns into the new tank, they flew to the nems and dove in. They were captive bred. I think it’s instinctual. Nems provide protection and something in their little lizard brain knows it.

I agree when I got my pair of “test tube engineered” black storms they were not in the water 30 seconds before they went and swam inside my gold torch. I had no anemone in this tank at the beginning. About a week later I got them a rose tip anemone and they abandoned my torch within 5 minutes of discovering my anemone. It’s now been over a year and they won’t swim away from it .

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Add a S gigantea, Mertensii, or H magnifica anemone and your Occys(false percs) will find the nem within a day. Those three nems are the only Occy natural symbionts. Any other species of nem and it's luck of the draw whether the nem is the host or a powerhead, coral, corner...

 

[eggplantparrot]

neither of my clowns were interested in the nem when I got ita few months ago. after a month away from my tank recently I came back to both snuggling with the nem. you just never know man.

 

[Joe del Rey]

Thank you for your responses. I've read all of them and came up with one solid conclusion... Let the nature take its course. I guess it's just the Clowns' instincts that decides whether to host one or not. I trust y'all since they're from your first hand experiences. All of your advices are noted

I'll get 4 Clowns and maybe either some Hammers, Frogspawns, or Bubble Tips and let everything go with the flow. Wish me luck!

 

[Joe del Rey]

Add a S gigantea, Mertensii, or H magnifica anemone and your Occys(false percs) will find the nem within a day. Those three nems are the only Occy natural symbionts. Any other species of nem and it's luck of the draw whether the nem is the host or a powerhead, coral, corner...

Thanks! I'll do further research on the nems you mentioned.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Four clowns in one tank usually results in two dead clowns.

 

[Ludders]

Four clowns in one tank usually results in two dead clowns.

Either get a pre matched pair, or if you're selecting tank bred juveniles, go for one larger than the other, get them bagged and see how they seem toward each other in close proximity. Be prepared to take your time selecting the right pairing.