Maroons + Hosting LPS

[AmaleeC]

Hello everyone! I just got some indo corals in my tank and they’re doing pretty well. However, my lovely Maroon clown has decided to try to host my torch mountain. Shes biting polyps off and fanning the rocks with her tail both of which is causing the affected ones to retract.

What should I do? Will my torches be okay? Or should I get rid of my maroon?

I know they can be pretty brutal when they host and it really takes a toll on the LPS‘s skeleton.

 

[AmaleeC]

Bump

 

[PicassoClown04]

Personally, I’d remove the fish. $25 maroon clown vs probably $100s in torches.... heck no for me. Rehome or trade at LFS for a percula. Mine are very gentle and when my female started hosting my hammer I saw no retraction in the polyps.

 

[AmaleeC]

Personally, I’d remove the fish. $25 maroon clown vs probably $100s in torches.... heck no for me. Rehome or trade at LFS for a percula. Mine are very gentle and when my female started hosting my hammer I saw no retraction in the polyps.

Makes sense. I’m going to try to distract it with some Hairy mushrooms where it’s BTA used to be. But no guarantee that’ll work. Update coming tomorrow!

 

[PicassoClown04]

Makes sense. I’m going to try to distract it with some Hairy mushrooms where it’s BTA used to be. But no guarantee that’ll work. Update coming tomorrow!

Why did you remove the BTA? If that was the maroon’s previous host, removal probably stressed the fish into picking a new host too quickly.

 

[KingTideCorals]

I love my maroon but she does viciously host her nem...

 

[AmaleeC]

Why did you remove the BTA? If that was the maroon’s previous host, removal probably stressed the fish into picking a new host too quickly.

The BTA didn’t seem as happy as when I first got it. The tank went through a phase of High phos, low nitrates which led to Hair algae + dinos. Since it was unhappy, I gave it to a friend with a much more established tank. I honestly didn’t think it’d stress the fish out. I probably had it for about a month.

 

[PicassoClown04]

The fish was hosting that anemone, and you removed it. I’m not saying your a bad fish parent or any craziness like that, I’m just saying that’s probably what triggered the aggressive behavior towards the torches. I would try to distract with hairy mushrooms, but all of my clowns have always taken to Duncan corals which I think are quite nice to look at anyway and are universally fairly cheap. I would try a Duncan

 

[AmaleeC]

The fish was hosting that anemone, and you removed it. I’m not saying your a bad fish parent or any craziness like that, I’m just saying that’s probably what triggered the aggressive behavior towards the torches. I would try to distract with hairy mushrooms, but all of my clowns have always taken to Duncan corals which I think are quite nice to look at anyway and are universally fairly cheap. I would try a Duncan

That makes sense! The original host for the clown is the overflow, that’s where it sleeps and it always went there when the BTA would close up. I guess it was kinda “testing out” the anemone & really enjoying it! But the anemone wasn’t doing too well. The bubbles shriveled up and it was trying to move away from where I placed it. I have a duncan coral that I bought to test the water while the tank was recovering. I placed it on a small rock and in the spot where the anemone used to be, let’s see what happens from here. Awesome suggestion!

 

[PicassoClown04]

That makes sense! The original host for the clown is the overflow, that’s where it sleeps and it always went there when the BTA would close up. I guess it was kinda “testing out” the anemone & really enjoying it! But the anemone wasn’t doing too well. The bubbles shriveled up and it was trying to move away from where I placed it. I have a duncan coral that I bought to test the water while the tank was recovering. I placed it on a small rock and in the spot where the anemone used to be, let’s see what happens from here. Awesome suggestion!

No problem! I put a lavender Duncan in and the clowns abandoned the nem overnight! Sad to see them leave the nem but it looks a lot happier since being left alone. The clowns are pretty cramped in the Duncan though because it’s not very big, but whatever I guess. The fish wants what it wants.

 

[AmaleeC]

Haha your clowns are adorable!

Good news is that my clown seems to be leaving the torches alone today. I wouldn’t say he’s hosing the Duncan just yet, but it’s a start.

 

[AmaleeC]

Update: NY Knicks must taste REALLY good, because my clown just took a nibble of it. It’s so sad to have to get rid of her, I’ve had her since she was a he. But I can’t have this, so she’s gotta go.. Any suggestions on red saltwater fish replacements are welcome!