Will they ever host?

[gold_gla55]

I have a pair or TR ocellaris clowns in my tank with a bubble tip anenome. Clowns have been in my tank for about 2 months and the anenome a month now. They seem to have absolutely no interest in it whatsoever and more interest in my elegance lol. Is there any tricks or should I just not bother put them in my other tank and try another pair of clowns?

 

[mike007]

There is nothing you can do just give them time and let nature take over.

 

[DerekFF]

One of my club members just yesterday told me a trick. He put the nem and the clowns in a floating breeder box until they get the idea. He says its never failed him yet.


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[eliramos]

^thats a little dangerous there are plenty of people who have done that and the anemone had eaten the clowns.
Is there anyway you could find out if your clowns were wild or tank raised it's a little more difficult to get a tank raised clown to host.


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[ritter6788]

I've heard more than one person say to tape a picture of clowns in an anemone to the side of the tank. I laugh everytime I hear it but some say it works.

 

[Trex]

Couple of things;

Force a clown to be hosted is a dangerous game -- has a good chance of giving your anemone an expensive meal.

Tank raised really doesn't matter. The issue is that Ocellaris and Percs are the 2 most common clowns that are tank breed. The are usually paired with an E. quadricolor (( BTA )) which is not a natural host anemone for either species.
Put a natural combo together and you will be shocked at how quickly the clowns (( tank raised )) will be hosted. A couple of years ago I picked up a pair of A. polymnus (( saddlebacks )) and put them in a tank with an S. haddoni (( natural host anemone for A. polymnus )) and they were being hosted within minutes of being released into the tank.

 

[Salty-Noob]

There is nothing you can do just give them time and let nature take over.

Have to agree. I too have a tank breed ocellaris and a bta and nothing. Bought two of the same clowns just older and bigger and they hosted. Give them time I'm sure they will eventually do it

 

[Salty-Noob]

 

[icedearth15324]

I tried the photo trick and it worked for me. Had an RBTA with my clowns for about 3 weeks, no hosting. Within 2 days of taping a picture to the side of the tank, they were diving in and out of the nem.

 

[MelissaKathryn]

I tried the photo trick and it worked for me. Had an RBTA with my clowns for about 3 weeks, no hosting. Within 2 days of taping a picture to the side of the tank, they were diving in and out of the nem.

I have heard of this as well and heard it worked really well! I wouldn't try to force things because when ours started hosting, it seemed like it took a while to get used to the anemone. OURS finally started hosting when I started target feeding the anemone FIRST. The clowns came over, hungrily and curiously, and then I think they realized there was something to it lol. But then, our clownfish started hosting it to DEATH practically and the anemone is no longer with us. That being said, I think the longer the anemone has to establish itself and grow healthily, the better. I think time is the best thing... which can be hard to keep hearing in this hobby ;) haha best of luck!

 

[icedearth15324]

I have heard of this as well and heard it worked really well! I wouldn't try to force things because when ours started hosting, it seemed like it took a while to get used to the anemone. OURS finally started hosting when I started target feeding the anemone FIRST. The clowns came over, hungrily and curiously, and then I think they realized there was something to it lol. But then, our clownfish started hosting it to DEATH practically and the anemone is no longer with us. That being said, I think the longer the anemone has to establish itself and grow healthily, the better. I think time is the best thing... which can be hard to keep hearing in this hobby ;) haha best of luck!

My nem and clowns have been happily together ever since, going on 2 months now. The main thing is the nem needs to be at least twice the size of the clown, even larger if you have two. And I didn't force them to host, like you would by putting them into a colander together. Putting up the photo is just suggesting to them to host. It's like having a toddler, how do they learn most things, by imitating their parents/other people. They see the photo and want to imitate it. If they don't want to do it, they won't do it.

 

[Trex]

Thing is, for clowns being hosted isn't a learned behavior --- it is instict. There are chemical cues that attract the clowns to their natural host anemone(s). The chemical cues are not nearly (( if at all )) strong with an unnatural combo -- ocellaris and E. quadricolor.