You can never please a clown fish!

[KorD]

Well maybe some of you people can, but I have one that is just rude!

I added another BTA today and the first thing he did was swim over and look at it and then head right back up to the top corner of the tank where he likes to roost...
That booger will not go anywhere near any of the nems in the tank... I think I have a defective clown fish!!!

 

[fishroomlady]

don't give up hope! how long have you had them together?

 

[KorD]

The CF has been in the tank for about 4 months, and the other nems besides the new one have been in there for 1 month or a bit longer.

 

[jasonp87]

It takes time. Seems to take longer with captive bred ones too, which a good portion of the ones we see now are. Try placing a nem near the clowns favorite area. It should get curious and check it out more and more frequently until it finally decides to move in.

 

[KorD]

It takes time. Seems to take longer with captive bred ones too, which a good portion of the ones we see now are. Try placing a nem near the clowns favorite area. It should get curious and check it out more and more frequently until it finally decides to move in.

I will give it a try, and if it does not work I'll take a more direct approach... I wonder if catching the fish and pushing it into the nem will work.. J/K
I did yell at the fish and point to the nem already, but that approach was by far not worth recommending... it did not even remotely work!

 

[fishroomlady]

I've not read about the yelling method try doing what jason mentioned and some have suggested (I did this also) is to tape a picture of a clownfish in a nem near where the clown's territory or sleep area is....

 

[Trex]

What species of clown?

 

[saltyphish]

^^true some species only host certain species of nems.

 

[KorD]

What species of clown?

Orange with white stripes... LoL
Not sure what kind it is, but I have had it now since January and it is still 1.5 inches long. I think it is a midget clown

I will give the picture method a try, but I don't think he is smart enough to figure it out.

 

[juggalogentry]

Orange with white stripes... LoL
Not sure what kind it is, but I have had it now since January and it is still 1.5 inches long. I think it is a midget clown

I will give the picture method a try, but I don't think he is smart enough to figure it out.

lol i believe they prefer the term, "length challenged"

 

[cmac330]

Most likely a percula or ocellaris and bubble tips are not their natural host (although they will accept a bubble tip in many cases). I have a male snowflake (ocellaris) paired with a female onyx (percula) and despite 5 bubble tips they choose to use my gold torch as a host out: and it will likely stay this way. Without a natural host and being tank raised the clowns going to a nem in your tank is far from guaranteed and unfortunately there is no proven (lots of theories and some have strong anecdotal evidence) way to speed up the hosting process. Fortunately your clown is fine even without a host.

 

[Eienna]

I hear sometimes when the lights are off shining a flashlight on the nem will encourage the clown to check it out.

 

[Wilk]

Took my pair almost a year before they figured out what a nem was. 3 years later they are now hosting my 18x18 colony colt coral. Clown fish are funny like that

 

[KorD]

So I went and hung a picture of a CF in an anemone on the tank... That little fish looked at the picture, and swam over to the urchin......

Ohhhhhhh he is making me mad... LOL