Tips to get anomene to host clownfish

Clownfishdude29 · Jan 6, 2021

I recently picked up a green bta. What are your tips to get my clownfish hosting the anomene?

Protodad · Jan 6, 2021

Don’t be a dork like me. I bought a pink tip condi and couldn’t figure out for the life of me why it wouldn’t host our clown...

Uncle99 · Jan 6, 2021

Time.
Mine stayed away for 8 months, then, overnight, jumped right in.

Hugh Mann · Jan 6, 2021

It can take a while for a clown to be hosted by an anenome, especially with a captive bred clown.

I'm 8 days in and my Maroon has swum within 2" of the anenome and gone back to his skimmer intake.

I have heard tales of taping pictures of clownfish in anenomes to the glass can help show a clown what to do. Same with playing videos. I have also heard that will make a clownfish quite... Irritated at the 'intruder'.

Bellamy803 · Jan 6, 2021

Hugh Mann said:
It can take a while for a clown to be hosted by an anenome, especially with a captive bred clown.

I'm 8 days in and my Maroon has swum within 2" of the anenome and gone back to his skimmer intake.

I have heard tales of taping pictures of clownfish in anenomes to the glass can help show a clown what to do. Same with playing videos. I have also heard that will make a clownfish quite... Irritated at the 'intruder'.

This is so funny. I am going through the same thing right now. Just picked up maybe 3-4 days ago two Longfin Phantoms. They were in the main Reef Display tank at my local fish store. I've been watching them for a couple months. Finally decided to bring get them. I have a beautiful purple tip Nem waiting for them lol..... They have zero interest. They get close to it but they seem to like to play in the hammer coral more haha. But what is their fav spot to be? And these are not big they are babies..............as absolutely close to mp40's as possible. Stresses me out. Sometimes it bothers me so much I'll shut the one off they are hanging out at. I have noticed they love a little push or pull current. Sometime they will aim right at the cross tank one I have set up get as close as they can them let it blow them all the away across the tank. I'm new to this and don't know exactly how each species fish behave but they have brought some serious entertainment into my display.

My wrasse whos been basically a rock dweller since the day I got him months ago. Only hanging out in the rocks or hunting around the edges of them has decided he wants to be like the Clowns as well now is running all over the tank.

I kinda figured the designer captive bred were most likely not going to be interested (at least not initially) to the Nem but I am hoping they find some interest at some point. If anything just to keep them away from the pumps - smh.....

Hugh Mann · Jan 6, 2021

Everything I have ever read or been told about clowns can be summed up as thus: "Clownfish are freaking weird, Yo.". Nothing about what they do or why makes any sense at all.

Apologies for the slight derailment. It's definitely a waiting game when it comes to anenomes and clowns. A friend of mine waited a year before his pair of clowns chose an anenome over a filter intake.

Bellamy803 · Jan 6, 2021

Hugh Mann said:
Everything I have ever read or been told about clowns can be summed up as thus: "Clownfish are freaking weird, Yo.". Nothing about what they do or why makes any sense at all.

Apologies for the slight derailment. It's definitely a waiting game when it comes to anenomes and clowns. A friend of mine waited a year before his pair of clowns chose an anenome over a filter intake.

haha - That's how I plan to sum it up from now on as well.

Clownfishdude29 · Jan 9, 2021

any tips u guys have? i need help and my clownfish are ignoring it.

tehmadreefer · Jan 9, 2021

Get clownfish that are already in a nem. Otherwise it most likely never will.

tehmadreefer · Jan 9, 2021

Also bta’a are not a favorite nem of choice for clowns.

Clownfishdude29 · Jan 9, 2021

tehmadreefer said:
Get clownfish that are already in a nem. Otherwise it most likely never will.

tehmadreefer said:
Also bta’a are not a favorite nem of choice for clowns.

thats not true cuz all clownfish now are tank raised and have most likely never seen one

mehaffydr · Jan 9, 2021

You just have to have patience. They just don't got barreling in as soon as the Nem is there sometimes a few days sometimes a few weeks. I have waited many weeks but so far they always end up in the Anemone sooner or later Just give them time there is nothing that you can do but wait until they are ready and decide to go to the Nem. I have had different clownfish all hosting different RBTA for the last 15 years. Clownfish most certainly do host in Bubble tips.

tricky_tran · Jan 9, 2021

Clownfishdude29 said:
I recently picked up a green bta. What are your tips to get my clownfish hosting the anomene?

i stupidly tried to get my maroon clowns to host a Condylactis, but then picked up a BTA on Thursday and my clowns started to host it the next day.

tehmadreefer · Jan 9, 2021

Clownfishdude29 said:
thats not true cuz all clownfish now are tank raised and have most likely never seen one

lol ya ok.. you do realize only certain types of clowns will go in certain types of nems right?

Clownfishdude29 · Jan 9, 2021

Yes. But it's not like i have a condy anomene. I have occelaris with a bubble tip

Clownfishdude29 · Jan 10, 2021

i also heard that u could take a pic of clowns in anomne and show it to them does this work? if not, what works best?

mehaffydr · Jan 10, 2021

What works best is just to wait and let them do it when they want. This is not something that you can just force to happen. If you have no patience you are in the wrong hobby.

Bellamy803 · Jan 12, 2021

UPDATE: I posted the other day mentioning recently picking up two Longfin Phantoms. I have had them now maybe a week and half or so 2 weeks max. The larger of the two which I do believe has won the dominance battle (these two have been together for months I am sure of and maybe even longer) has officially made the purple tip nem its night time spot. I was completely shocked to look the other night around 12am-1am and she was curled right in and happy as could be. Now I will say she will not let her counterpart in at night but I have seen them both around the nem during the day now. I read quite a bit about designer clowns not taking to nems and specifically Phantoms not being the best for hosting. I was pleasantly surprised!