Clownfish killing my expensive hammers

[Jonathan lee]

Well, my beloved pair of blackstorm clowns have suddenly decided they wanna bite and yank my hammers. Particularly the female. She just killed my new 150 buck hologram hammer in 2 days by biting it so much. I didnt know it was her messing with it. I thought it was just adjusting so it didn’t open fully yet. Then i saw her literally biting it and yanking on it. Hammer melted the next day. Shes now trying to make another hammer her host and it isnt happy. I dont wanna remove the clowns nor do i wanna stop keeping hammers. I love them both. I think she really wants something to sleep in. The wavemaker isn’t enough for them anymore. If i get a bta im afraid it walks and stings my corals or goes into the wavemaker. Im thinking to put the nem in a cup or nem pot and hope it stays. I also thought maybe get a fake nem but it looks terrible in a reef tank. Is there a coral i could get that the clowns will sleep in that will tolerate them? Ive seen many gonis becoming the host for clowns. But is there anything else? Or any ideas what i can do?

 

[Jekyl]

Few issues here. First a nem will almost certainly not stay where you put it. Second, there's no way of knowing for sure what will or won't host clowns.

 

[twentyleagues]

Clowns will try to host anything with flowy (is that a word?) tentacles. Not good news for most lps. Some clowns are more gentle and it can work, your are not. Either no lps or no clowns, which do you want more?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Clowns will try to host anything with flowy (is that a word?) tentacles. Not good news for most lps. Some clowns are more gentle and it can work, your are not. Either no lps or no clowns, which do you want more?

I've seen a clown host zoas lol

 

[Jonathan lee]

Clowns will try to host anything with flowy (is that a word?) tentacles. Not good news for most lps. Some clowns are more gentle and it can work, your are not. Either no lps or no clowns, which do you want more?

Thats the thing. I want both Im thinking to just get a long flowy softy like anthelia again. Or a big toadstool. Or i may just get a fake nem and see if they take a liking to it

 

[AndyS598]

I've seen a clown host zoas lol

Yeah my pair currently host my zoas! Bothered the zoas at the start but now they are thriving

 

[Jonathan lee]

I've seen a clown host zoas lol

My old pair had my gsp wall as their host. Gsp didnt care at all. I may try a softy like anthelia placed in a cup or on a small rock island

 

[vetteguy53081]

Well, my beloved pair of blackstorm clowns have suddenly decided they wanna bite and yank my hammers. Particularly the female. She just killed my new 150 buck hologram hammer in 2 days by biting it so much. I didnt know it was her messing with it. I thought it was just adjusting so it didn’t open fully yet. Then i saw her literally biting it and yanking on it. Hammer melted the next day. Shes now trying to make another hammer her host and it isnt happy. I dont wanna remove the clowns nor do i wanna stop keeping hammers. I love them both. I think she really wants something to sleep in. The wavemaker isn’t enough for them anymore. If i get a bta im afraid it walks and stings my corals or goes into the wavemaker. Im thinking to put the nem in a cup or nem pot and hope it stays. I also thought maybe get a fake nem but it looks terrible in a reef tank. Is there a coral i could get that the clowns will sleep in that will tolerate them? Ive seen many gonis becoming the host for clowns. But is there anything else? Or any ideas what i can do?

Likely they want that rock and will do what it takes to take ownership. Their attention needs to be diverted with an anemone of similar coral to call home. I have a friend that recently found floating zoa heads and placed a camera at tank and found it was his percula clowns

 

[Jonathan lee]

Likely they want that rock and will do what it takes to take ownership. Their attention needs to be diverted with an anemone of similar coral to call home. I have a friend that recently found floating zoa heads and placed a camera at tank and found it was his percula clowns

Do you think if i get a softy that is flowy like anthelia and place it on its own rock near the hammer garden theres a chance the clowns will fancy that new rock with the anthelia? I have hairy mushrooms too maybe i can mount them on a rock and see if it works. I guess theres really no way to tell if it will work till i do it and see. Bta will be my last resort if i have to

 

[Baby Damsel 219]

Get a water bottle and slice it in half and cover the coral with it remove the cap to feed it through there.

 

[Jonathan lee]

Get a water bottle and slice it in half and cover the coral with it remove the cap to feed it through there.

Sorry? Hahaha i think you replied to the wrong post?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do you think if i get a softy that is flowy like anthelia and place it on its own rock near the hammer garden theres a chance the clowns will fancy that new rock with the anthelia? I have hairy mushrooms too maybe i can mount them on a rock and see if it works. I guess theres really no way to tell if it will work till i do it and see. Bta will be my last resort if i have to

Thats up to the clowns. Clowns try to host with the weirdest specimens. If you dropped a stick of dynamite in the tank, they'd probably try to host with it

 

[reef lover33]

Mine stay in xenia and long tentacle toadstool as well as bta at times

 

[twentyleagues]

I've seen a clown host zoas lol

yup me too. I have bred quite a few clowns in my time. Best when they are in their own tank with fake nems. That way no corals harmed. I've had them destroy Torch, Hammer, Frogspawn, zoas and I've also seen these same corals be fine with the clowns constantly rubbing in them and nipping. Only time I was able to actually grow out Xenia was in a 20l with a pair of occy's. They would rip that stuff out to lay eggs and it would just spread and pulse its little heart out. They looked cool together, much better then my home made air tube nems in the other 5 tanks.