How to encourage clowns to host?

[reefguy40gal]

I got 2 "fancy" clowns last week. For the past ~5 days they have been hanging out in the top water column of my tank. They look out of place.

I just glanced up and saw one clown appear to briefly "host" my torch coral (tentacles are about 4" long). The torch coral is super glued onto a sheer vertical rock face.

He's doing it again as I write this post.


Should I try to put food in there? This is absolutely amazing.....my two old clowns (that got killed by the pump in my JBJ 24gal nano never did this behavior).


Right now, only one clown is doing it. Will the other follow suit?




thanks

 

[reefguy40gal]

Also, does this mean that the clowns are happy? I was starting to get worried they weren't happy because for the past 5 days they were just hanging out at the top of the water colum, along with a tiny 1" baby blue tang (that I'm baby sitting).

 

[reefguy40gal]

Sorry for multiple posts....if you look in the pic you will see an anemone to the right. Why aren't they hosting this nem for?

 

[Edudek]

I got 3 anemones in my tank right now and they won't host not a one! Lol iv even put pictures on the glass and also forced them to go in the anemone by putting the anemone and clowns in a strainer and they still won't host I guess I'm sol on them! Lol I'm about to sell them and get new ones!!

 

[NanaReefer]

Clowns don't host Anemones. Anemones play host to the Clowns and not all Nems are willing to do so.

 

[Edudek]

Well I got 3 and my clowns won't go in them I'm gonna start looking for new clowns that will

 

[BODI]

Clowns host when (and where) they want to... lol

Offer them at least 2 choices and allow them to decide which spot is their favorite!

 

[Edudek]

They have 3 lol

 

[schooncw]

My understanding is that captive bred clowns will not go readily to an anemone. I just lost my female maroon of 12 years and went looking for another pair. My LFS has a few great people and what he is going to do, is put an anemone in a bucket or container and introduce the captive bred clowns that way. They will "discover" the anemone that way. He has been doing this kind of stuff for years and is an expert with clown fish.

 

[reefguy40gal]

I guess I just got lucky this time around. My last two Da Vinci clowns (Before they jumped ship into the propeller of the pump) refused to host anything in the 8 months that I had them.

Within 6 days of getting these two "Fancy" clowns, one of them is regularly hosting the torch coral....but then swims back to the top of the water column to join his buddy every few minutes.

 

[jschultzbass]

Clowns NEVER host, the anemone does the hosting. As far as if your clowns will choose an anemone to live in, some never do.

 

[hleblanc]

My 2 Ocellaris decide to host the top left corner of my tank also... Right under the water column, I can relate on the frustrations, seems to be a waste of money

 

[Edudek]

Yeah that's why I gotta find some that will

 

[cwitt71]

Keep them in a strainer with the anemony

 

[hleblanc]

They have been there for the last 4 weeks now

 

[cwitt71]

I have no idea then the only outher thing i could think of is get more anemones

 

[Edudek]

Iv done all the tricks lol

 

[Edudek]

I have 3 lol

 

[cwitt71]

Well good luck

 

[Edudek]

Thanks