HELP, My Wyoming Whites Pair, FREAKING ME OUT, I'm Going Crazy . . .

[reeftigergal]

OK, I sent away for and got these Beautiful Wyoming White Clown Fish Pair.
Put them in their tank with some Big and small BTA,s Green, Rainbow and Rose, to host - right,
WRONG, they go up to them and run away.
When I added them into tank, I used a long clear tube and placed them one by one into an anemone and after they tasted them, I set them free as they ran for cover.
WELL, since then They both have had personal trainers added that all host nems one by one then removed.
There was a Black ice, An Oscelarious, 2 different size saddle back clowns one at a time and another designer.
NEXT, I showed them videos, Taped Pics of clowns hosting and they go up to some of them, look and swim away without a care in the world, while I am biting off all my fingernails, worrying, drinking, praying, you name it,
FREAKING OUT NOW, do I have the most stupid pair on the planet?

I have a lawnmower blenny who sleeps in one of them.
What the H---!

I even put the cute buggers in a container with a nem, where they had to sleep with it for 2 weeks and seemed to finally get he message. But when they were free, they went to their corner as usual and that was that.

I love these little guys that look like mini Parrots. But They Gotta go . . . . .

Does anyone have a cute designer Clown fish pair who DOES LIKE and HOST NEMS?

AND will anyone be willing to trade?

Can anyone help me?

 

[MSB123]

I find that putting them in a box overnight with a sizable (5"+) nem is the best thing to to. It has never failed me.

 

[tdileo]

You can’t force them to host nems. Captive bred clowns, like designers, are also much less likely to host. I gave up after leaving mine in a tiny box with my BTA for 2 months and they wouldn’t go in. I say just let them be. If you are going to keep trying, I would look at a magnifica anemone because that’s what naturally hosts the occelaris species.

 

[reeftigergal]

You can’t force them to host nems. Captive bred clowns, like designers, are also much less likely to host. I gave up after leaving mine in a tiny box with my BTA for 2 months and they wouldn’t go in. I say just let them be. If you are going to keep trying, I would look at a magnifica anemone because that’s what naturally hosts the occelaris species.

Thanks

 

[USMC 4 LIFE]

Give it time and don’t freak out. As mentioned before, some clowns take longer than other to host nems.

 

[reeftigergal]

I find that putting them in a box overnight with a sizable (5"+) nem is the best thing to to. It has never failed me.

I did that for 2 weeks along with tons of other things, but thanks

 

[Texas Reefer]

I've heard they need something to hide from, in order to want to be in an anemone.

 

[Fishfinder]

I'll take them, nice looking clowns.

 

[reeftigergal]

I'll take them, nice looking clowns.

They Are so sweet and swim around my fingers and never bite either, all the rest in my other tanks r like sharks

 

[davocean]

You're giving them a species of anemone that is not natural to them, as mentioned, if you gave them a mag or other natural host they'd dive right in.

 

[jake_francis]

Are you freaking out because you expected them to host right away but they are not?
Give them time. Even in nature a clown fish hosting a BTA probably doesn’t happen over night. It took weeks before my clowns started hosting my anemone. Let nature take its corse.

 

[reeftigergal]

You're giving them a species of anemone that is not natural to them, as mentioned, if you gave them a mag or other natural host they'd dive right in.

I checked up on a mag and they seem complicated, I have 6 nice BTA's, I've always had BTA's because of having mixed reef. Long T;s will kill a lot of coral.
What other natural ones do they host, do you know off hand? Thanks for your help

 

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

My clowns took 6 months to start hosting in a BTA. My LFS owner told me that clowns won't host until they reach sexual maturity. Be patient and it will happen!

 

[Oldreefer44]

My juveniles immediately took to a BTA.

 

[davocean]

My clowns took 6 months to start hosting in a BTA. My LFS owner told me that clowns won't host until they reach sexual maturity. Be patient and it will happen!

Well, half the problem is people giving answers to questions they really don't know or understand, and a lot of people/LFS WANT to give an answer, or parrot misinformation like this.
Clowns will accept a host long before they are sexually mature.

The issue really is we have the two most popular types of clowns, ocellaris, and percula, and we give them the easiest to keep and come by anemone, BTA, and those two are not naturally found together in the wild, and this is why so many people have issues.

 

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

Well, half the problem is people giving answers to questions they really don't know or understand, and a lot of people/LFS WANT to give an answer, or parrot misinformation like this.
Clowns will accept a host long before they are sexually mature.

The issue really is we have the two most popular types of clowns, ocellaris, and percula, and we give them the easiest to keep and come by anemone, BTA, and those two are not naturally found together in the wild, and this is why so many people have issues.

Wow. I was only trying to help by offering a suggestion. I guess only certified experts should be allowed to answer questions.

 

[davocean]

Wow. I was only trying to help by offering a suggestion. I guess only certified experts should be allowed to answer questions.

I'm not bagging on you, I'm giving an honest answer, that yours LFS gave you bad info...

Never do I come on this or any other forum thinking who can I bum out today, I'm just trying to help, I don't mean to sound rude, maybe I'm just being kurt in weeding through the hearsay while I'm trying to explain best.

 

[RyanSweet]

I had my midnight clowns for 2yrs before they decided to make the new their home. No predators added to the tank, no “guaranteed tricks”. I just let them be and nature took its course. Patience grasshopper.

 

[tiggs]

As others have said, your best bet is to pair them up with a type of anemone they'd be hosting in the wild. For ocellaris, that's a Magnifica or Gigantea. Even then, it's never an absolute given, especially since they're captive bred. It should help your chances though. Some folks have had luck with getting them to host other types of anemones, but it's really hit or miss. Good luck!

 

[davocean]

I checked up on a mag and they seem complicated, I have 6 nice BTA's, I've always had BTA's because of having mixed reef. Long T;s will kill a lot of coral.
What other natural ones do they host, do you know off hand? Thanks for your help

WW's are ocellaris, so natural host nems would be magnifica, gigantea, or mertensi.
I understand all of these can be challenging in some ways, and they are not as easy as a BTA, but that does not mean you can't keep them.

Really, the issues that have made them difficult I think the most is just getting a healthy one, and that used to be much more difficult before we recognized the bacterial infection issue, and the use of cipro to treat that.

Mag would probably be the easiest out of the 3
Honestly I don't think mags are all that difficult once you get past that initial hurdle

For mixed reef, I actually think BTA's are kind of a pain, they split, wander, and they climb all over rocks.
I actually think LTA and Malu are much easier to contain and control as they stay low at sand bed, my opinion anyway.

If you wish to keep the BTA's, I'd say exercise paitence is one choice, they probably will accept them eventually, but it could take a long time, or next option swap clowns,