Blue hippo tang laying in anemone normal??

[megs84094]

So we bought this blue hippo tang a little over a month ago, she got really close with our clown and they are together all the time. A week ago we put in an anemone and our clown sits in it 24/7!!! And the clown has got super aggressive but the blue hippo tang still wants to be with the clown so tonight she thought she would just join her in it. The clown was upset and kept trying to push her out and the tang just kept full on laying in it! Now her belly looks swollen I'm sure from getting stung but she kept going for it. Is this normal? We've had plenty of tanks over the years but never have had this happen ever!!! Anyone else had this happen?

 

[beth]

I've never really seen that, but its likely not going to be a pleasant outcome.

 

[flower]

Hi,

Anemones sting, the clown can take it, but not the tang. I'm surprised the tang is still alive at all.

 

[bang guy]

It doesn't appear that the tentacles are sticking to the Anemone. Is that the case? If the nematocysts fire the tentacle should stick to a Tang like superglue. Tangs have almost no body slime so eventually the Anemone is going to get hungry and the nematocysts will fire. Perhaps after a good dose the Tang will learn to stay away.

I also wonder if the Tang has picked up some slime from the Clownfish. They seem to be in contact often.

On a side note - why do people take vertical videos? It looks terrible. There should be a law against doing that.

 

[pegasus]

It appears to me that the tang is imitating the clown's actions. I don't think a tang would suddenly want to bond with an anemone on it's own. AFIK, clownfish and domino damsels are the only fish that will host with a nem...

 

[bang guy]

It appears to me that the tang is imitating the clown's actions. I don't think a tang would suddenly want to bond with an anemone on it's own. AFIK, clownfish and domino damsels are the only fish that will host with a nem...

And Banggai Cardinalfish.

 

[pegasus]

And Banggai Cardinalfish.

Thanks for the tip, because I didn't know that. Never had Banggai, so I never got to witness it. I had a pair of PJ's that never got anywhere close to my nem...

 

[jay0705]

The hippo in the nem brings a question to mind. The reason I've stayed away from them is the horror stories of them eating tank mates. How common is this really? Say w purple tips, condys, bubble tips, ect

 

[bang guy]

Carpets will be about the worst but yes, fish are part of natural prey for Anemone. Bubble tips are about the least likely to eat a healthy fish.

 

[flower]

I would think it has something to do with the health of the anemone, the healthier the nem, the more powerful the zap. I had a tube anemone that ate a few shrimp, a couple of lawnmower blenny's, but the last straw for me was when it stung my Copper Butterfly fish to death... I found the fish locked in its tentacles. I rehomed the anemone, and vowed to never put another one in my tank. My clownfish hosted the intake tubes of the filter, they were happy enough without me putting a beautiful fish killer in there with them to wallow on.