clown hosting ?

[gharner]

i just got a baby clownfish (false percula) and a few new corals. one of the corals is an umbrella mushroom that is about 3 inches across, the clown is aproxx 1 1/2 inches long. will/can the clown host the mushroom? if so, how can i encourage him to do so...cause he just swims up against the glass of the tank all day and i was kindof hoping that he would interact with his environment a little more.

 

[tjohnson139]

I'm still kinda new, but I've talked to my lfs about it several times.
They said technically a clown may choose to host anything. I don't know how much I believe it, though. I've looked at a few clowns in a few tanks and I've never seen them host anything but an anemone.
I've had two clowns for maybe 6 months now. They haven't hosted anything in my tank until I put an anemone in. Then it was almost instant. Within a few hours of putting the anemone in it was hosting, but wouldn't really go near anything else.

 

[mike22cha]

At fish stores you will usually find a clown hosting to an anemone. But also other people on the boards have clowns hosting to corals. It is possible but the clown probably would perfer a anemone over a coral.

 

[mike22cha]

Also people put a picture of a clown hosting on the side of the tank which in some cases helped the clown learn to host the anemone.

 

[gharner]

people really put pics of other clowns hosting stuff to "show" the clowns how?! hmm i may need to try that, my clown is still a baby and was captive born so maybe he's just not in touch with his natural instincts yet. haha

 

[mike22cha]

Never had the chance to try it but that's what I heard!

 

[sac10918]

If your clown is very new to your tank, I would suggest letting him get used to it for a week or two before trying to get him to host anything. If he has only been in there for a few days and stays near the glass, then he just needs to get used to the tank. I think its great he is tank born though, he will be very active and not so fearful of the tank as a captured clown.
I dont have any anemones in my 24 gallon (they require pristine water conditions and very expensive lights) but my clowns have hosted lots of corals. My male has hosted a bubble coral, fuzzy mushrooms, a frogspawn and some xenia.
Oh, and the picture technique is supposed to work (but like I said, dont freak him out with a picture if he has only been in the tank a few days). You just tape a pic of a similar looking clownfish hosting an anemone and they figure it out! Good luck!