Idea for baby clownfish

[Porcupine Reefer]

My idea is that I would get a really small or baby percula clownfish, and see if he gets into the anemone faster than my bigger one, that if the baby is swimming in the anemone the bigger one would get the idea and follow suit. Would this idea work or will it not? My bigger one has not hosted the anemone in the past two weeks since I bought the anemone and my idea is encouragement.

 

[jabberwock]

Never know with fish. Might work, might not.

 

[Sharkbait19]

They really do it on their own time. My new perc took a few weeks before deciding to live in not the bta, but a toadstool. My occy pair took months before taking any host (first a torch and then a bta).
Given how variable the fish are, there really aren’t any guarantees that the new one will take to the nem at all. It’s just a matter of time until instinct kicks in (or doesn’t). If you want a pair for the sake of having a pair, though, go for it.

 

[garygb]

If you're intent of having an anemone hosting a clownfish, you just need to have a healthy anemone and clownfish that is a natural symbiont. There's plenty of references that address what clowns are naturally found with what host anemone you have/are interested in having.

 

[D-Nak]

Whether an adult or a baby, the means by which a clownfish is attracted to an anemone is the same -- it's innate and programmed at birth.

It sounds like you don't have the natural host anemone for the clownfish, as @garygb pointed out. This means that your clownfish may take weeks or months, or never go to the anemone. On the other hand, the likelihood of a clownfish being attracted to a natural host anemone -- in my experience -- is 100%. I've released baby clownfish that I've bred into a tank with natural host anemones and they go to them immediately.

 

[The_Paradox]

From my experience clowns added after the anemone host the fastest. If the clowns are added first they tend to stick to wherever they are nesting. Record for me was I had a pair that stayed in the power head 16 months after I added anemones to the tank.

 

[OrionN]

I often intimidated the clown fish to get them to seek protection of the anemone. Put my hand into the tank and slowly move it. Not enough to cause panic to the clown but just enough to threaten the clown will most likely dive into the anemone.

 

[garygb]

From my experience clowns added after the anemone host the fastest. If the clowns are added first they tend to stick to wherever they are nesting. Record for me was I had a pair that stayed in the power head 16 months after I added anemones to the tank.

Just curious, what species of anemone and clowns? Was it non-natural host/clown combo?

My own impression based on personal experience and anecdotal evidence from others is that any time there is a natural pairing (host/clown species found naturally together in the wild)that the clowns make their way to the anemone anywhere from minutes to hours. My impression is that the only time clowns don't go to anemones within a day or two, at most, is when the host anemone is not a naturally occurring species for the given clownfish species.

 

[The_Paradox]

Just curious, what species of anemone and clowns? Was it non-natural host/clown combo?

My own impression based on personal experience and anecdotal evidence from others is that any time there is a natural pairing (host/clown species found naturally together in the wild)that the clowns make their way to the anemone anywhere from minutes to hours. My impression is that the only time clowns don't go to anemones within a day or two, at most, is when the host anemone is not a naturally occurring species for the given clownfish species.

Longest was Maroons and added a couple bubble tips that were 5-8” at the time.

Ironically one of the fastest times was Ocellarius in a bubble tip. I threw two juveniles in and they were in the anemone in minutes. Always completely ignored Haitian anemone.

Clownfish hands down are one of the most frustrating fish.

 

[garygb]

Longest was Maroons and added a couple bubble tips that were 5-8” at the time.

Ironically one of the fastest times was Ocellarius in a bubble tip. I threw two juveniles in and they were in the anemone in minutes. Always completely ignored Haitian anemone.

Clownfish hands down are one of the most frustrating fish.

Interesting, thanks!