Clown Eater?

[Pookymama]

I got two new clowns a few days ago. I already had 4 others all paired up in my tank. The two news ones were snowflake clowns and I planned to get them to host my BTA. One of them immediately went in and was in love, the other was much more concerned. Before planning on hosting I watched a TON of videos and figured the easiest and fastest would be to tube her down into the anemone. As I had trouble netting her I just decided to try another day. She was obviously lonely and stayed off to herself the rest of the evening. But the next morning she was missing all together. Did an extensive search through my reef and found not her or her remains. I did notice however that my lawnmower blenny was looking abnormally 'bloated'. Did he possibly eat her? Didn't think they did that sort of thing?!

 

[lapin]

nem ate her

 

[Pookymama]

nem ate her

I never got her into the anemone, just the other one?

 

[MONTANTK]

Anemone probably ate her. For future reference I’m not sure I’d recommend forcing a clown into an anemone. The clownfish needs to build up a tolerance before it can just dive right in. Usually they start by brushing up against it before eventually going all the way in

 

[Pookymama]

Anemone probably ate her. For future reference I’m not sure I’d recommend forcing a clown into an anemone. The clownfish needs to build up a tolerance before it can just dive right in. Usually they start by brushing up against it before eventually going all the way in

I will make sure to let them do it on their own in future. She never actually went into the anemone, do you think she did later on and than got eaten? My other clown has been happily roosting in there for a few days now with no issue

 

[lapin]

If the clown was weak and did not have a very thick slime coat, a few stings of the nem could have harmed it

 

[Pookymama]

Thank you both!

 

[terraincognita]

Just to clarify....

You had 6 clowns in the tank?

So 3 pairs of 2?

Maybe got beaten and CUC got em?


Normally that doesn't work, and they'll form a Harem. And might beat up the weakest link.

 

[Gtinnel]

I don't believe there is any chance that a lawnmower blenny ate the clown. Like other said anemone or possibly it just died and your clean up crew did their job.

 

[Pookymama]

Just to clarify....

You had 6 clowns in the tank?

So 3 pairs of 2?

Maybe got beaten and CUC got em?


Normally that doesn't work, and they'll form a Harem. And might beat up the weakest link.

Yes 3 pairs. All ocellaris clownfish. 2 oranges, 2 mochas, and two snowflakes. CUC? Sorry not sure what that means

 

[Gtinnel]

Abbreviation for clean up crew

 

[terraincognita]

Yes 3 pairs. All ocellaris clownfish. 2 oranges, 2 mochas, and two snowflakes. CUC? Sorry not sure what that means

Clean up crew.

How big is your tank?

Clowns work in Pairs or Harems.

IF you have 2 they'll live happy.

Add a 3rd and the 2 will kill the 3rd.

Add a 4th and most likely 2 will kill 2, unless they can pair off and find enough space in a tank. I think you'd need a 100G+ for this.

add 5 and you've got 50% chance 1 will become female and the rest her mantreats, as long as they don't make it 4-3 before they have a chance to figure out the hierarchy

add 6-7+ and you'll have a harem at some point even if they kill one or two.

Doesn't matter their "skin color"

They don't see it.

They see Osc and Percs. If you have 2 Percs and 2 Osc and now 2 more Osc maybe something different will happen as well.

there is 2 types of clownfish

ocellaris and Percula.

 

[Pookymama]

Abbreviation for clean up crew

Thank you!

 

[Pookymama]

Clean up crew.

How big is your tank?

Clowns work in Pairs or Harems.

IF you have 2 they'll live happy.

Add a 3rd and the 2 will kill the 3rd.

Add a 4th and most likely 2 will kill 2, unless they can pair off and find enough space in a tank. I think you'd need a 100G+ for this.

add 5 and you've got 50% chance 1 will become female and the rest her mantreats, as long as they don't make it 4-3 before they have a chance to figure out the hierarchy

add 6-7+ and you'll have a harem at some point even if they kill one or two.

75 gallons. The oranges and mochas were paired. The snowflakes were both new but I was hoping they would pair as well. They had been swimming around together until the one went into the anemone to host.

Thank you for the info! <3

 

[terraincognita]

Google Image Result for https://www.ocellarisclownfish.com/images/difference/percula-clownfish-features.png

www.google.com

Here's how to tell the difference.

I always seem to notice the eye's first.

It's the most distinguishable trait for me.

 

[terraincognita]

 

[terraincognita]

75 gallons. The oranges and mochas were paired. The snowflakes were both new but I was hoping they would pair as well. They had been swimming around together until the one went into the anemone to host.

Thank you for the info! <3

Yeah.

If all 5 remaining are Osc, or Perc. you should be fine?? As long as they don't kill each other.

If 2 are different. I'd bag them up, go to LFS, and get 3-4 more of the same species,

Add them all at the same time.

in a 75G you might have 2 pairs of 2 though, and a stray 5th who gets beaten to death.

I'd just add like 5 more so it's a guaranteed harem . Then they'll share 2-3 nems together too. it's fun.



watch this.

 

[Pookymama]

Looks like I have the imposter perculas lol

 

[MONTANTK]

I will make sure to let them do it on their own in future. She never actually went into the anemone, do you think she did later on and than got eaten? My other clown has been happily roosting in there for a few days now with no issue

It’s definitely possible. Since they were captive bred they may not have the same wild instinct so it he/she may have assumed it was safe to dive right in since the other one was in it. Or it could have died from something else and you may not have found it yet

 

[Pookymama]

Yeah.

If all 5 remaining are Osc, or Perc. you should be fine?? As long as they don't kill each other.

If 2 are different. I'd bag them up, go to LFS, and get 3-4 more of the same species,

Add them all at the same time.

in a 75G you might have 2 pairs of 2 though, and a stray 5th who gets beaten to death.

I'd just add like 5 more so it's a guaranteed harem . Then they'll share 2-3 nems together too. it's fun.



watch this.

Everyone I have now is ocellaris so that part is good but now there are only 5 of them. Should I purchase a new snowflake to replace the missing one than?

Thank you so much for the info! I know I do eventually want another tank for just nems and a clown harem. I can not tell you how many youtube videos I have been watching of that sort without feeling slightly embarrassed lol