coaxing clowns to host anenome?

[Harold B]

I have 2 awsome picasso clowns that I got from Barleycuda that have acclimated verry well to my tank. I also have had a BTA for 4 or 5 months that has been growing well and used to be hosted by a tomato clown that I got rid of before bringing home the picasso's. My question is does anyone know of any methods to coax clowns into hosting BTA's? They were never introduced to anenome's, or any corals that I know of before coming to my tank. Is it natural for them to take a long time to host one when there young?My tomato clown was all up in the BTA with in a day or so . Will they have the instinct to host being bred the way they were? (not that they were bred incorrectly) Is it just that some do and some don't? Do I just need to be a little more patient? HELP!!!!

[moovinfast]

I think all you can do is give them time. But they might never host the anemone. We have a pair of percs in our tank and one hosts a finger leather and the other hosts a torch coral instead of the 2 large RBTAs and carpet anemone.

[dee77]

My B&W won't host my bubble anemone and I got them at the meeting

[Rick]

The fastest way I know is to put both the clowns and the anemone into a container where they are on close proximity to each other. My smallest cinnamon was in my tank for a few weeks and then when I was doing my tank swap I put both in the same container (Not necessarily on purpose but rather to keep both of the cinnamon clowns separate from the other clowns). An hour or so later when I was walking by it was inside the anemone. I did this once before with some oscellaris (on purpose) and it worked then also.

[lewisriverfisherman]

my false perc i got from the meeting when right in to a rose bubble. i think it is a hit or miss thing. i have see platinum's from dave go right into a long tentacle with in 1 min and have never seen one before.

[jgf86123]

It just takes time Harold, I've got a pair of black an whites that I picked up from Dave about, oh I guess maybe 6 months ago, and they're just now starting to host my RBTA that I've had even longer...

[newfisher]

Set up a small 10g quarantine tank with display tank water. Put the clowns and nem in the tank with some flow and whaaalllaa! Keep them together for a few days then move them back. This has worked for a few people and have never heard that it didn't from those who tried it.

[Harold B]

Well Shnizzle I guess i'll have to wait it out awhile. They do seem to really like the streched out torch...so sad when theres a nice BTA a foot or two away. Well I guess if over time they don't end up hosting it placing them together in a QT sounds like the way to go. So that could actually work out since i'm planning a new tank. I'll probably try that when I move everything over to "THE CUBE" coming soon to a build thread near you!!!!!! Thanks everybody thats what makes this forum so darn cool.

[CoralCrazy]

The picasso and platinum we got at the meeting hosts our mushrooms.

[Frank]

I've got a pair of black an whites that I picked up from Dave they host my RBTA once they got into the tank...

[Harold B]

Hey frank, they went straight to your RBTA?

[ReeFit]

i put a pair of false percs in my frag tank one hosts a large RBTA, took about a week.

[bace]

I've heard of people putting pictures of clowns hosting on your tank (here I think and other boards) to help them learn the behavior. Seems silly to me however I'm giving it a try with my torches. I plan on getting an anemone in a few months but it couldn't hurt to try right?

[Harold B]

Thats about where i'm at.

[gradth]

My Ocellaris wouldnt go near it when I first got the nem, but I had a little perc and he went right to it. After a while the pair started feeling it out and eventually chased the perc right out of the tank. I have 3 RBTA's in my main tank and they host all 3. have another rbta in my 40 and I just brought home a pair of skunk clowns and they took all of about 4 minutes to find it and begin hosting it.

 

takes time, I have heard of people taking the nemo algae clips and putting them close to entice them.

[Harold B]

Well I got everything from my 135g in a 100g rubermaid I borrowed from Reefit (thanks) and I just looked inside to check on things and sure enough BOTH picasso's are all over my RBTA. They seem like they are really getting into it. I never thought this would make me so happy. I love it when a plan comes together. Thanks everybody for your advice.