Clowns attacking carpet anemone

[chicklets]

Hi guys! I just bought a new Haddons Carpet Anemone a week ago. He is about 8 inches across when fully extended.
I have a bonded pair of young clownfish that I have had for a few months.
I heard so many warnings before I bought the carpet about it possibly killing fish. However, I am having the opposite problem. My clownfish have not hosted with the anemone and they keep biting him. Last night I caught them multiple times biting at his mouth. The nem ended up shrinking down to about 2" im assuming trying to protect himself from them (he's back to normal this morning).
In case it's relevant, the clowns also divebomb my hand every time I put it in the tank.

Has anyone else had this experience? Do you know why they are biting him instead of hosting with it?
Thanks!!!

 

[Tahoe61]

What type of clowns? Are they mouthing the anemone, which is common or actually biting the anemone? Is the oral opening gaping at all? Are you feeding the anemone?

 

[chicklets]

 

[Waters]

Are you feeding your clowns Doritos lol??

 

[chicklets]

Added some pics of clowns (not sure what kind they are do you?)
It looks like they are actually biting right on his mouth. I'm not sure what "mouthing " is.
It's not gaping at all
And I've been feeding him the frozen whole shrimp but I don't know how much he's actually eating. It's not like curving around the shrimp like I've seen them do in videos. He's pooped twice though so I assume he's eating

 

[Tahoe61]

They may just be picking at discharge from the anemone, or even attempting to feed the anemone. In the image the anemone looks otherwise healthy.

 

[greg 45]

please let us know if clown like Doritos

 

[chicklets]

Hahhahahahha yes they are mini cooler ranch! [emoji6]

 

[chicklets]

ill try to get a video of it tonight and see. i was really hoping they would host.

 

[chicklets]

i cant get a video of it. he runs away when i get back with the camera. Do you think this is ok? I dont want the carpet to die and nuke my tank

 

[elfda]

From what I've seen, new nems can get stressed by the clowns' "motorboating" when they first enter a tank (rude!).

It looks like the nem is still healthy; it will get used to their shenanigans.

And those appear to be snowflake clowns; it's a line-bred trait, produced by hobbyists. Pretty sure snowflakes are ocellaris, but I'll double check.

Clowns are jerks and like to bite people, but they take home maintenence very seriously.

 

[Da mamba]

Saltwater piranha

 

[davocean]

Yes they are occs, and hadonni is not a natural host match for them.

My picasso's (percs, also not a match to hadonni) accepted many non natural anemone matches, but for some reason never took to my hadonni, and they would bite at it too, except they only did it when the hadonni stuck to me, like they were actually protecting me from it, which is funny because the hadonni is the only nem that actually gave me welts, so possibly they sensed that, and I had them since they were juvies and for 5.5 years, so I guess they saw me as the feeder, never once bit me, even when pulling eggs.

Yours may never accept that hadonni

 

[Victoria M]

Sounds like these clowns are smart and see this nem as a threat?
Mine mouthed my BTA and actually seemed to suck the tentacles when they were introduced to each other.

 

[davocean]

Sounds like these clowns are smart and see this nem as a threat?
Mine mouthed my BTA and actually seemed to suck the tentacles when they were introduced to each other.

That's very normal, some believe they are actually absorbing sting cells to maintain immunity by doing this.

 

[chicklets]

ugh they are still not hosting after like 5 weeks....any suggestions?

 

[davocean]

Mine went 4 months and never accepted, finally gave up and gave them a natural host match, hosting happened immediately afterwards.
Whatever you do, don't force it.
Like I said before, they may never accept it.