Clownfish Territorial displays

Krzydmnd · Mar 25, 2018

So I have two daVinci clowns who have decided to bond with the return flow port on my tank. Just now I heard a repetitive splashing and looked to find the female tail slapping at the top right by the return head over and over. Turns out there is a turban snail making his rounds near the head and she is NOT happy about it.

I'm wondering if I add an anemone if they'd gravitate to it, or since they're already in love with the powerhead that they wouldn't care.

Any thoughts?

davocean · Mar 25, 2018

Their instinct for a host is still there, if you went w/ a natural host match, mag, gig, or mertensi they would most likely take to it right away.
Often they will take alternatives to those, it just sometimes takes a bit longer.

Reefer Deez · Mar 25, 2018

davocean said:
Their instinct for a host is still there, if you went w/ a natural host match, mag, gig, or mertensi they would most likely take to it right away.
Often they will take alternatives to those, it just sometimes takes a bit longer.

I agree! I have herd that sometimes the clowns don’t gravitate to the anemone and they might need a little help. But once they find it instincts will kick right in.

davocean · Mar 25, 2018

Reefer Deez said:
I agree! I have herd that sometimes the clowns don’t gravitate to the anemone and they might need a little help. But once they find it instincts will kick right in.

The biggest issue is when they are given a non natural host match, like a BTA which is the easiest to come by, so they don't recognize it as fast usually.
Given a natural they usually find it pretty much right away

cracker · Mar 25, 2018

Iv'e heard this also. Never kept a Nem but expect to acquire one soon. It's a type of long tentacle anem. I'm hoping my pair of Maroons will move in.

Krzydmnd · Mar 25, 2018

My tank is about 8 months old and doing pretty well so far so I'm thinking it's ok for a nem but it's only a 32g and I'm afraid it will bother corals until it finds a spot it likes. Any thoughts on that?

Ron Jenks · Mar 25, 2018

Mine is in love with my wave pump and every time I need to get in there it head butts (possibly nips, I can't tell lol) my hand and wrist endlessly! I would love to get an anemone but BTA are pretty pricey and the condi I had was an avid traveller and would just run amuck in my corals...

davocean · Mar 26, 2018

cracker said:
Iv'e heard this also. Never kept a Nem but expect to acquire one soon. It's a type of long tentacle anem. I'm hoping my pair of Maroons will move in.

Maroons will usually be quick to take any nem given

davocean · Mar 26, 2018

Krzydmnd said:
My tank is about 8 months old and doing pretty well so far so I'm thinking it's ok for a nem but it's only a 32g and I'm afraid it will bother corals until it finds a spot it likes. Any thoughts on that?

Well, main issue I see for you is it's going to be hard to keep a nem from touching anything, you already have a lot of corals for the space you have.

Michael Llabona · Mar 26, 2018

I agree. If you get a nem, prepare to lose some of your coral. mine split a few weeks ago and killed about 3 of my sps frags when the clones were trying to find a new spot

Krzydmnd · Mar 26, 2018

davocean said:
Well, main issue I see for you is it's going to be hard to keep a nem from touching anything, you already have a lot of corals for the space you have.

Yeah that was my thought too. I'll be moving in the spring and upgrading the tank k to a larger size e so I'll wait until then.

davocean · Mar 26, 2018

Probably good idea.
In the meantime maybe add some frogspawn or hammer and they will probably go to that.

Also, maybe research their natural host match nems to see what might be best for you.
I purposely planned and scaped my tank for a magnifica for my picasso/percs
If you look at my avatar you will see the island on left, w my mag up high, that's where they like it, up high, reaching for light, and that is where they usually stay.

We don't have much issue w/ them wandering this way, and hosting happens pretty much right away w/ a natural match

potatocouch · Mar 26, 2018

Ron Jenks said:
I would love to get an anemone but BTA are pretty pricey

Isn't BTA cheap in North America & Canada?

Ron Jenks · Mar 26, 2018

I always see them for like $40...pricey for me lol

davocean · Mar 26, 2018

Yeah, normally cheap, though seems now days some vendors throw a fancy name on some and bump that price a bit.

Personally I would not have a BTA in a mixed reef, they wander too much, I'd stick to my mag, or a sand dwellar, malus are pretty cool colors and stay small, LTA would be next on the list for me.