Pairing clownfish with an anemone Tips and tricks?

[saltwaterfish.com Verified Sponsor]

I learned a trick ages ago and I'm curious if others have one the same, and had success or what you've done that worked.

About 20 years ago I worked in a local pet shop and saw this work with my own eyes and then have done it successfully several times since.

Assuming the clownfish has never seen an anemone...You put the anemone in a 5 gallon bucket with about 3ish inches of aquarium water. Once the anemone is open and responsive, you place the clownfish in the bucket. It may take minutes or an hour, but naturally and eventually, the clownfish enters the anemone.

After letting them bond for a short bit, place the anemone into the aquarium and then net the clownfish right down into the anemone.

Lovers for life. And of course, you can find a large variety of both here at saltwaterfish.com

Thoughts? Tips or tricks?

 

[Saltyreef]

Same. Pasta strainer with shallow water gets the nems to host everytime.

 

[EtxReefer]

Tried the bucket and no success. Put a YouTube video of other clowns in nems against the tank and 5 minutes later they were in. Lol

 

[KrisReef]

I learned a trick ages ago and I'm curious if others have one the same, and had success or what you've done that worked.

About 20 years ago I worked in a local pet shop and saw this work with my own eyes and then have done it successfully several times since.

Assuming the clownfish has never seen an anemone...You put the anemone in a 5 gallon bucket with about 3ish inches of aquarium water. Once the anemone is open and responsive, you place the clownfish in the bucket. It may take minutes or an hour, but naturally and eventually, the clownfish enters the anemone.

After letting them bond for a short bit, place the anemone into the aquarium and then net the clownfish right down into the anemone.

Lovers for life. And of course, you can find a large variety of both here at saltwaterfish.com

Thoughts? Tips or tricks?

Yes this can work, and I did it with my new male clownfish.

Then I moved him into the tank with the female clownfish (who has never swam in and anemone) and he now swims with her in the locline returns and ignores the 3 clones of the anemone that I forced it to enter after many weeks in an acclimation box with one anemone.

Interbred designer clownfish are ill equipt to tend an aquarium anemone, and would die almost instantly if they were released back into the wild.

Mission Impossible: FInding Nemo's Brain!

 

[Saltsavage504]

Tried the bucket and no success. Put a YouTube video of other clowns in nems against the tank and 5 minutes later they were in. You almost wanna make me try it. Mine does not wanna go near it

 

[Saltsavage504]

Does anyone have any tips that doesn't involve removing them? My nem finally found a good spot and im not messing with it lol well my waterbox tank will be here next month so I can do it then when I switch over worse case

 

[KrisReef]

Does anyone have any tips that doesn't involve removing them? My nem finally found a good spot and im not messing with it lol well my waterbox tank will be here next month so I can do it then when I switch over worse case

When you move a nem (attached or not) it will almost always start a world-wide tank tour that passes over any corals that you have already glued into the new rockscape. Always have anemone guards on overflows and powerheads to prevent mutilation during the migration.

The other hot tip, is that often a tending clownfish will encourage the nem to stop migrating and set down roots. Not always, but there are few solid givens with nems and clowns, ime.

 

[Saltsavage504]

When you move a nem (attached or not) it will almost always start a world-wide tank tour that passes over any corals that you have already glued into the new rockscape. Always have anemone guards on overflows and powerheads to prevent mutilation during the migration.

The other hot tip, is that often a tending clownfish will encourage the nem to stop migrating and set down roots. Not always, but there are few solid givens with nems and clowns, ime.

OK yea he was moving around alot at first but its a 13.5 tank so he settled quick. Clowns are 3 months in tank the really small and nem I got about 2 months ago. I was thinking they just was too young to host and they would when they got older but sounds like that might not happen

 

[KrisReef]

OK yea he was moving around alot at first but its a 13.5 tank so he settled quick. Clowns are 3 months in tank the really small and nem I got about 2 months ago. I was thinking they just was too young to host and they would when they got older but sounds like that might not happen

I have waited for years with my current pair, and have not actively tried to get them into a nem since I added the male that I had "nem-trained" into the DT with the female and clones. Some day's I wish she would kill him since he has proven to be so useless with the only thing I have hoped from him (besides pairing up.)

The bucket is a good thing to do when you move into a new tank, but if your fish are like mine even that might not work?

 

[Saltsavage504]

I have waited for years with my current pair, and have not actively tried to get them into a nem since I added the male that I had "nem-trained" into the DT with the female and clones. Some day's I wish she would kill him since he has proven to be so useless with the only thing I have hoped from him (besides pairing up.)

The bucket is a good thing to do when you move into a new tank, but if your fish are like mine even that might not work?

I have a rock flower nem does it only work with bubble tips ? Im new to the salt game.lol my wife wants a regular tan starfish so im trying to find one that won't eat my corals or anything else. All the thousands I spent on this tank coming and stuff for it. A starfish is worth it

 

[KrisReef]

I have a rock flower nem does it only work with bubble tips ? Im new to the salt game.lol my wife wants a regular tan starfish so im trying to find one that won't eat my corals or anything else. All the thousands I spent on this tank coming and stuff for it. A starfish is worth it

I don't think clownfish make their homes in Rockflowers.

 

[Saltsavage504]

Off topic but has anyone had a flame hawkfish? Im wondering if they are really that mean and can't have with gobies and blenny