Tips on Blacker Ice clowns hosting

SkipperTheSohalTang · Jul 15, 2014

I have a pair of Blacker Ice that won't host my 2 RBTA! They have been around them for 4-6 months and no success! Any tips? Thanks, Austin

fishroomlady · Jul 15, 2014

I've posted this before but I did position my RBTA (luckily it attached to a rock I could move) to the corner where my clowns tended to hang out. I also posted a picutre of a clown in an anemone right next to the anemone - they did go in it within about a week after about 4 months of nothing.....

Edudek · Jul 15, 2014

Get a big strainer and put the bottom in your tank. Put the anenome and clowns in the strainer and they will go in it

Trex · Jul 15, 2014

Edudek said:
Get a big strainer and put the bottom in your tank. Put the anenome and clowns in the strainer and they will go in it

I would strongly suggest against doing that. Forcing clowns to be hosted is a good way to end up with eaten clowns.

The best option, would be to get an anemone that is a natural host for your clowns, otherwise, just give it more time.

saltyphish · Jul 15, 2014

Some clowns just will not host an anemone from what I have read. There is no surefire trick to it. Some will and some won't.

wildcrazyjoker81 · Jul 15, 2014

I was able to trick my clowns with food. I just dropped food over the RBTA and within two days there were grabbing food around the tank and running straight back to host the anemone.

Edudek · Jul 16, 2014

The strainer trick has worked with me I use a big one and never had a problem

Trex · Jul 16, 2014

Edudek said:
The strainer trick has worked with me I use a big one and never had a problem

To be honest, you got lucky. Also helps that an E. quadricolor doesn't have a super strong sting. If this would have been attempted with an S. haddoni, I would put money on it that the clowns would have been eaten.

Coraloliseffect · Jul 16, 2014

Sounds silly, but I may have had luck putting a picture of a clown hosting up to the tank for a week. Also may have been a coincidence that it started hosting at the same time as the picture.. People have recommended a flash light after dark on the nem.

Edudek · Jul 16, 2014

I guess iv been lucky with it I use a big enough strainer where the clowns can stay out of the bta if it wants

fishroomlady · Jul 16, 2014

Coraloliseffect said:
Sounds silly, but I may have had luck putting a picture of a clown hosting up to the tank for a week. Also may have been a coincidence that it started hosting at the same time as the picture.. People have recommended a flash light after dark on the nem.

Mine could very well have been coincidence as well - it was just one of the variables that occurred before my nem hosted them