Flashlight trick works again

[Dixie_reefer]

I tried tonight with my maroon and my carpet. She seemed curious of the light but kept a safe distance from the nem.

 

[Igarc009]

Tried it last night didn't work. I'll try again tomorrow morning

 

[claussen]

it works!

I didn't think it would, but this worked for me.

I have a pair of Ocellaris that I've had for years (~7 and 3). During that time I've seen them hassle soft corals on occasion, but never touch anything else. I have 3 BTA's in the tank that they have ignored as well. I spent about 5 minutes tonight lighting up the closest BTA, and the clowns ignored it again. ~20 minutes later I looked in again, and she was hosting the BTA.

I'm a believer in this process.

 

[bluzepher]

How big is your bta?

 

[Los]

That is a great tip thanks for sharing that. I used to have issues to and sometimes could never get them near the nems. I put up pictures of other Clowns hosting nems and that never worked. I'm going to have to try this!

:rofl:

 

[claussen]

How big is your bta?

The one being hosted is ~ 4-5" across. I checked tonight after lights went out, and she was back there again.

 

[Igarc009]

still no luck, ill keep trying though

 

[larangcon]

Good tip

 

[Sub]

laser and light is a no-go for my darwing an rbta. He popped his head in once using the laser but not a second time.

 

[seancc317]

They see it as a light shining down from the heavens lighting the beautiful new home and I'm sure they hear angelic music as it comes into sight.

+1 lol!

 

[match69]

Don't forget, anemones eat fish. A million candle power spotlight ain't gonna change a clownfishes mind if you try to match it with the wrong anemone. Some clownfish will use a bubbletip, others will use a carpet anemone or H. Magnifica. Make sure you know which anemone your clownfish is hosted by in the wild.

 

[Swine]

That is awesome! My house mate has a torch coral, and a clown that isn't hosting it. Maybe this trick will work with that. I'll have to try right when the lights go out before the coral retracts.

 

[reefwiser]

Here is the

FIELD GUIDE TO ANEMONE FISHES AND THEIR HOST SEA ANEMONES
By Dr. Gerald R. Allen and Dr. Daphne G. Fautin

http://www.nhm.ku.edu/inverts/ebooks/intro.html

This is a great guide to clownfish I have the original one that I had signed by jerry at a conference years ago.

 

[Steveowhits]

Awesome Idea. I never thought about a spotlight to draw in clowns. Thanks for posting

 

[HarryA23]

This is my 1st post on here. Thank you Ohio reefer! I tried the flash light trick last night, our clowns swam away from the light. They sleep on the opposite side of the tank where the RBTA is located. So I tried flashing the light where they sleep and to my surprise the swam away from the light towards the RBTA and only the big clown started to swim near the RBTA and slowly started to swim in it.

http://youtu.be/Z0LCFz3ImqY

 

[puffermike]

That's a bright idea. I'm hesitant considering my reef tank has a pretty large condy anemone in it. He might try to eat em. Although I have heard of clowns rarely hosting with condys.

 

[kacrocorals581]

Nice!

 

[Coraloliseffect]

That is a great tip thanks for sharing that. I used to have issues to and sometimes could never get them near the nems. I put up pictures of other Clowsn hosting nems and that never worked. I'm going to have to try this!

Have tried this and it worked on my first clown.

Have some mai-tai clowns that won't host. Will try this flashlight trick tonight.
Thanks.

 

[ohio reefer]

That's a bright idea. I'm hesitant considering my reef tank has a pretty large condy anemone in it. He might try to eat em. Although I have heard of clowns rarely hosting with condys.

Wouldn't recommend with a condy, there aggressive and will most likely eat the clown.

 

[match69]

Hi to All,

It has been noted that almost without exception clown fish will have a host anemone in the wild, but not all anemones will host all species of anemonefish. You can try to force them and perhaps they will use any anemone or coral or mushroom polyps if they have no choice. It has been observed that anemonefishes will use a coral as a host to the corals detriment. Also, get it wrong and put the wrong anemonefish with the wrong anemone, S. Haddoni for example, the anemone gets an expensive snack.