Designer Clowns ever HOST ANEMONES!!?

EakTheFreak · Oct 4, 2020

Does anyone have designer clownfish that have hosted their BUBBLE TIP ANEMONE’S!? Mine host my algae magnet feeders and it’s frustrating.

Anyone have successful ways to get them near or hosting with a BTA?

My only other idea is to catch them in a net then use a large tube that leads them straight to the BTA!!

Suggestions encouraged!

#reefsquad

ScubaFish802 · Oct 4, 2020

My BTA host’s both of my “designer” clowns.
They may decide to try it out in a week/month/never. I think @footgal used videos to try and speed hers up to show them how.

LIreefguy · Oct 4, 2020

Yes designer clowns do host bta.
As far as tricks. I didn’t have to do much
Just give it time they will figure it out

James M · Oct 4, 2020

No way to get them to host unless you force them..which does more harm than good. Just need time and them being designer clowns has nothing to do with the hosting

saltyhog · Oct 4, 2020

You have to remember that BTA's are not the natural host for clownfish. Some will eventually figure it out, others never will. People have claimed success with taping a picture of clowns being hosted by an anemone on the tank.

When I kept clowns they used some GSP as a host, then a zoa colony, then one of my return nozzles. LOL.

Redfoxtang · Oct 4, 2020

Having different types of clowns from Ocellaris to Storms, I've never been successful with clowns hosting BTAs unless the clowns were already hosting when purchased. I did have skunks host but that a little different. My last pair of Ocellaris clowns hosted a goniopora.

GoingBroke88 · Oct 4, 2020

Most of the designer clowns are just ocellaris clown variants. They're cosmetically different, but that shouldn't change their behavior. There are some people who claim that captive-bred clowns (which are what the designer clowns are) don't know how to host, but other people will tell you that it's instinctive on their part so it doesn't matter whether they're captive-bred or wild caught.

It's also important to remember that ocellaris don't host bubble tips in nature. They host other types of anemones. So it's not a natural pairing in that sense. Of course, in home aquariums, you'll find ocellaris that do host BTAs along with other corals, overflows, magnet cleaners, and a whole bunch of other stuff...

Once I had a pair of black and white ocellaris that wouldn't go near my BTAs for a year. I wound up throwing in a couple bullethole clowns a year later which seemed to scare them enough that they started hiding in the BTAs. Soon after, they all got along and would host the BTAs together. You'll read lots of techniques online (videos, pictures, mirrors, the tube, etc) but that's what worked for me.

RedTheReefer · Oct 4, 2020

Mine are hosting my aussie torch. It just took some time. I trust that they will figure it out.

EakTheFreak · Oct 4, 2020

Great feedback! I was considering adding 2 more clownfish!

GoingBroke88 said:
Most of the designer clowns are just ocellaris clown variants. They're cosmetically different, but that shouldn't change their behavior. There are some people who claim that captive-bred clowns (which are what the designer clowns are) don't know how to host, but other people will tell you that it's instinctive on their part so it doesn't matter whether they're captive-bred or wild caught.

It's also important to remember that ocellaris don't host bubble tips in nature. They host other types of anemones. So it's not a natural pairing in that sense. Of course, in home aquariums, you'll find ocellaris that do host BTAs along with other corals, overflows, magnet cleaners, and a whole bunch of other stuff...

Once I had a pair of black and white ocellaris that wouldn't go near my BTAs for a year. I wound up throwing in a couple bullethole clowns a year later which seemed to scare them enough that they started hiding in the BTAs. Soon after, they all got along and would host the BTAs together. You'll read lots of techniques online (videos, pictures, mirrors, the tube, etc) but that's what worked for me.

ashiWaza · Oct 4, 2020

A friend of mine has a 160 gallon tank and couldn't get his clowns near his BTA. He bought a small quarantine box type device and put the clowns and the 'nem in there, and it was fixed that same day.

GoingBroke88 · Oct 4, 2020

EakTheFreak said:
Great feedback! I was considering adding 2 more clownfish!

If you try this though, just make sure that you can intervene and separate if needed. My clowns did chase each other around a little on the first day, though by the 2nd day everyone settled in and they were fine after that. Good luck and I hope you get them to host soon!

SuncrestReef · Oct 4, 2020

My Black Onyx clowns wouldn't go near my BYA for nearly a year. They would just hover in the corner of my tank, or sometimes nestle in between the power cord for my Gyre powerhead and the tank glass. I went away on vacation for a week and had a tank sitter taking care of everything while I was gone, and when I returned from my trip I was amazed to find the clowns in my BTA. I asked the tank sitter if she replaced my clowns while I was away, or if she was simply the best fish trainer ever. She said they were in the BTA from the first night I was away and she just assumed that's where they lived.

Clowns are just weird.

OrionN · Oct 4, 2020

Clowns will accept anemone as a host (the host is the anemone, not the clown) if there is a threat to them in the tank. Often, I put a net or my hand waving into the tank, they will initially ran into the anemone to hide and will continue to accept the anemone as a host from then on.
With that said, BTA are not natural host of Ocellaris or Percula clowns so it is less likley for them to accept as host. Magnifica, Gigantea and Mertensii are the natural hosts. They should have no problem going into a natural host.

GoingBroke88 · Oct 4, 2020

OrionN said:
Clowns will accept anemone as a host (the host is the anemone, not the clown) if there is a threat to them in the tank. Often, I put a net or my hand waving into the tank, they will initially ran into the anemone to hide and will continue to accept the anemone as a host from then on.
With that said, BTA are not natural host of Ocellaris or Percula clowns so it is less likley for them to accept as host. Magnifica, Gigantea and Mertensii are the natural hosts. They should have no problem going into a natural host.

I agree with the need for a perceived "threat." A lot of times clowns can dominate a tank and they're generally pretty bold. This is especially true since many of us put clowns in as the first fish in a new tank. At that point, they have the run of the tank and become fearless. Putting in a perceived threat (in my case it was an extra pair of clowns) helps by sending them diving for cover.

ScottR · Oct 4, 2020

I had BTAs host a lightning maroon. It’s really up to the fish. Different clowns prefer different anemones. And some choose corals over anemones in many cases. Hard to force them.

Labora · Oct 4, 2020

Ocellaris and BTA are not a natural host in the wild so even though they will host just about anything, it can take longer to get them to bond with non natural hosts.

OrionN · Oct 4, 2020

ScottR said:
I had BTAs host a lightning maroon. It’s really up to the fish. Different clowns prefer different anemones. And some choose corals over anemones in many cases. Hard to force them.

BTA is the natural host for Maroon Clowns.

sfin52 · Oct 4, 2020

My bta hosts my lightning maroon. I used a video

PicassoClown04 · Oct 4, 2020

802ScubaFish said:
My BTA host’s both of my “designer” clowns.
They may decide to try it out in a week/month/never. I think @footgal used videos to try and speed hers up to show them how.

Hi! Yes, I propped an iPad against the tank and played a 10 hour loop of clowns hosting in a bta. The next morning I woke up to find one in the Duncan and one in my hammer...

So yes, the video thing got the message through, but no, they didn’t host my BTA. Hopefully soon though because they are getting a little big for their respective hosts now and my BTA is more than large enough to host both comfortably.

I hope you have some good luck with your clowns! It’s really frustrating when you have that dream of clowns happily swimming around in a nem and it doesn’t happen

sfin52 · Oct 5, 2020

footgal said:
Hi! Yes, I propped an iPad against the tank and played a 10 hour loop of clowns hosting in a bta. The next morning I woke up to find one in the Duncan and one in my hammer...

So yes, the video thing got the message through, but no, they didn’t host my BTA. Hopefully soon though because they are getting a little big for their respective hosts now and my BTA is more than large enough to host both comfortably.

I hope you have some good luck with your clowns! It’s really frustrating when you have that dream of clowns happily swimming around in a nem and it doesn’t happen

One step at a time.