Clownfish and Anemones

[Shnetts]

Hello, so I just got my first nem the other day. I got a tube anemone. My clowns do hang out around it but I’ve never personally seen them swim into it. Recently I’ve noticed some black marks on them and after digging around and looking at similar cases i think it’s from the nem stinging them.

Can I get some others opinions on this that may know more. I’m a bit paranoid because I just had to deal with flukes a week ago in the tank.

 

[Jekyl]

Seems likely but pics with white lighting will help diagnosis

 

[Shnetts]

Video

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello, so I just got my first nem the other day. I got a tube anemone. My clowns do hang out around it but I’ve never personally seen them swim into it. Recently I’ve noticed some black marks on them and after digging around and looking at similar cases i think it’s from the nem stinging them.

Can I get some others opinions on this that may know more. I’m a bit paranoid because I just had to deal with flukes a week ago in the tank.

I’ve never seen a clownfish host in a tube anemone naturally. When clowns try to host in non-normal coelenterates (some corals for example) they can develop black melanin marks. Flukes don’t cause black marks. Pictures would help confirm that though.

 

[Shnetts]

I’ve never seen a clownfish host in a tube anemone naturally. When clowns try to host in non-normal coelenterates (some corals for example) they can develop black melanin marks. Flukes don’t cause black marks. Pictures would help confirm that though.

Seems likely but pics with white lighting will help diagnosis

Sorry it’s being a pain to upload the video right now, working on it

 

[Shnetts]

Here’s a photo of the female, the male only has one dark spot but it looks exactly the same

 

[OrionN]

Tube anemones, are not anemones and will eat clown fish.

Let's talk: Tube Anemones

Tube anemones, in my opinion are some of the most beautiful creatures we can house in our aquariums. The way they flow, the array of colors they were created with, and several other factors. How many of you keep tube anemones? Please share your photos, successes, and trials. Overview from...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Shnetts]

Tube anemones, are not anemones and will eat clown fish.

Let's talk: Tube Anemones

Tube anemones, in my opinion are some of the most beautiful creatures we can house in our aquariums. The way they flow, the array of colors they were created with, and several other factors. How many of you keep tube anemones? Please share your photos, successes, and trials. Overview from...

www.reef2reef.com

Definitely a controversial aspect of them. From my research only about 1/4 of people have ever had issues with them eating fish.

 

[OrionN]

Definitely a controversial aspect of them. From my research only about 1/4 of people have ever had issues with them eating fish.

I am sure that the fish have to be small enough. The point is they are fish predators, and their tentacles expanded a lot more at nigh than what you see during the day. I keep fish predators in my tank, namely my carpet anemones. However, my predators do not take up 1/2 of the tank volume at night.
I did not do the research like you did, but if 25% of tube anemone keepers loose fishes, there is no controversy that this is a fish predator.
They are beautiful, but I would not keep clownfish with them and trying to get their stomach to host the clownfish. Not a good combination, and bad for your pocketbook.

 

[Shnetts]

I’ve never seen a clownfish host in a tube anemone naturally. When clowns try to host in non-normal coelenterates (some corals for example) they can develop black melanin marks. Flukes don’t cause black marks. Pictures would help confirm that though.

Ok this may be worse than I thought. I went to try and take some better photos and his tail is covered in white spots.

 

[Shnetts]

#fishmedic

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Ok this may be worse than I thought. I went to try and take some better photos and his tail is covered in white spots.

So - I'm seeing evidence of an issue I call "clownfish bruising". The cause isn't known, but it can be fatal. Here is a link to a post about it:

Clownfish bruising/lesion?

All, Over the past two years or so, I've come across dozens of cases on the fish disease forum here of an issue with clownfish that we have not been able to identify. I've never seen it on any clownfish I've had myself, but the issue seems most common on designer clowns, which I don't work...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

 

[Shnetts]

So - I'm seeing evidence of an issue I call "clownfish bruising". The cause isn't known, but it can be fatal. Here is a link to a post about it:

Clownfish bruising/lesion?

All, Over the past two years or so, I've come across dozens of cases on the fish disease forum here of an issue with clownfish that we have not been able to identify. I've never seen it on any clownfish I've had myself, but the issue seems most common on designer clowns, which I don't work...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

Well that is disheartening…. Do you have any advice on the white spots on the tail? Could that be the flukes making it to the clowns? Or possibly there was a different disease the whole time?

 

[Shnetts]

This photo was yesterday in the morning. All of the dark and white spots appeared over night it looks like.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello, so I just got my first nem the other day. I got a tube anemone. My clowns do hang out around it but I’ve never personally seen them swim into it. Recently I’ve noticed some black marks on them and after digging around and looking at similar cases i think it’s from the nem stinging them.

Can I get some others opinions on this that may know more. I’m a bit paranoid because I just had to deal with flukes a week ago in the tank.

Clowns will host anything you throw into tank. It may be a matter of time or an interest especially if food falls into it during feeding time.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

This photo was yesterday in the morning. All of the dark and white spots appeared over night it looks like.

In this photo, I still think I can see the bruising (but not as clearly). There is also the bump on its chin, and the mucus and spots visible on the clear portion of the dorsal fin. Here is another issue - it is pretty common for fish to have more than one problem going on at the same time. That makes diagnosis from photos, without microscopic skin scrapes, REALLY difficult.

To be honest, I've never housed a clownfish with a tube anemone, so I really don't know what kind of reaction is possible from a sting by one of them - sorry!

Jay

 

[Shnetts]

Update: the clown passed