How long did it take your clownfish to host your anemone?

[A Young Reefer]

I do not want my anemone to host my clowns. my maroon is very rough to the point that it have killed 3 nems, and yes I am sure that it is my clown not anything else. I have had added another nem and it didn't host any of my clowns which could be a blessing in disguise.

 

[rc8t6353]

I got lucky I guess lol. I added a nem after having a pair of clowns for a few years. One of them went for the nem after only a few hours. The other must really like hairy mushrooms!!

 

[Super Fly]

5 years... I tried everything and had pretty much given up then the clowns finally found the anemones... sheesh

 

[Hairyteeth]

Was red light spotting this morning and we finally have success! Clown are finally sleeping in a nem and not a euphyllia….it only took 4 months!!!

 

[ReeferHD]

took mine 2 days to host my magnifica

 

[RichReef]

It took 3 months for my Percula and LTA to like each other.

 

[AydenLincoln]

Took a year and a half for me. I alway fed only above my nem and then one day I think they figured out that’s where the food will go

Great idea!

 

[itgoeson]

Mine took a year. I think it may have something to do with sexual maturity? At that point the female was much larger than the male (I got them as two babies) and they finally decided to settle down and make a home!

 

[Tcook]

Mine took over a year. And it wasn't an anemone, it was a colt.

 

[Enderg60]

Both pairs of Percs Ive had were in the anemone within 30 seconds.

One time the anemone was not doing well and I actually had to but a basket around it to keep them off until it settled.

BUT those were wild caught, not tank raised.

The tank raised ones I had hosted my frogspawn almost instantly. When I got them they were about 3/4". They were raised with fake anemones though.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I expect having the correct natural pair of clowns and anemone will help speed the process Not all combos are suitable.

 

[biecacka]

+1 on what Randy said. Even with the ”correct” combo, my last pair took about 4 years to get together.

corey

 

[Hairyteeth]

Both pairs of Percs Ive had were in the anemone within 30 seconds.

One time the anemone was not doing well and I actually had to but a basket around it to keep them off until it settled.

BUT those were wild caught, not tank raised.

The tank raised ones I had hosted my frogspawn almost instantly. When I got them they were about 3/4". They were raised with fake anemones though.

Mine were in a frog spawn as well for a year before introducing an anemone, think that’s why they took so long in my case…. They had a home they liked lol

 

[JoJosReef]

Anemone is host and clown is guest but I get it (LOL). As you know, it is a symbiotic relationship that brings them together. Like us humans getting a first date with the other, its a matter when the two agree to bond. You will get many answers based on self experience.
Ive had some bond day one and in my current tank, I have 4 bonded pair of clowns and they loved their anemones. When I moved July 2021 and set the tank back up, they wont go near the anemones. Strange but it works.

Can we really say that the anemone is playing the role of "host" if the clowns are uninvited guests?

Perhaps we should change the terminology and this avoid all confusion. Clowns seem more like squatters to me. The kind that might take out the trash and buy some groceries when they see you giving them the stink eye. Until you've finally had enough and just pack up and move out!

Maybe "How long till my clowns squat in my nem?"

 

[elm03]

I really want my little guys to host my anemone. I know some may and some may not. I was reading about things you can do to help persuade them to host it. The best being introduce the anemone first which didn’t happen for me. How long did it take yours to host? Did anyone try the photo method…where you put photos of clownfish in anemones around the tank? I know being captive bred they don’t always have the instinct either.

I have 2 clownfish. One of them took to the anemone the first night and the other wanted nothing to do with it, he liked the corner of the tank better. The fish that was with the anemone ended up killing it which I was upset about.
I ended up getting 2 bubble tip anemones and one was a lot bigger than the other. The original fish that hosted the anemone was first to sniff it up lol. The other one came over and they were fighting over it but they both are chill with it now. They still get upset with each other sometimes, still trying to figure out who's gonna be what.
I'd say it took about 3-4 days for them to host?
I hope this helps

 

[A;exr54]

My clownfish still refuse to host in anemones after many years. They all use my branching hammer coral as its host. And there isnt anything i can do about it besides getting rid of the clowns or the hammer. And i wont do either.

 

[Poli]

I have had some fast like in a day or two and others that take a while maybe weeks. I think the best plan is just like most things in the Reef hobby BE PATIENT. Leave them alone and let them do what they want. I think most of these tricks you see are more harm than good and the fish would have hosted anyways. Trying to persude is just disturbing to the fish.

Yup mine took just a week.

 

[ReefinIt]

What has worked for me is putting the clownfish and anemone in a colander and floating it at the top of the tank (block out the light so you're not blasting them). I leave them like this overnight and the next morning they are usually hosting. If you cramp their space and to kind of force them in the anemone, they will usually figure it out.

 

[carbasaurus]

Whelp, my answer for my ocellaris clowns would be infinity as in over 12 years I have failed to get any to bond (they host with virtually anything else but ignore my bubble tips). On the other hand, it took about two years but my saddlebacks finally found the bubble tip in their tank and now fight over who gets to sleep in it!

 

[rhdoug]

I’ve been extremely fortunate. I got a sebae anemone in 2002 and a pair of gold stripe maroon clowns shortly afterward. The went into it within a few days. They began spawning sometime afterward and I raised a few batches of babies, but the parents died due to a heater malfunction. Didn’t bother the nem or corals. In 2006 I added a pair of occellaris which went into the nem pretty much immediately and are still spawning under the nem today.