clown wont hang w/anenome

[pdherrin]

I have two percula clowns. I got them as a pair a month or so ago. I just got two rose bubble tip anenomes and I have had them for three days now... the clowns don't even act curious. I know it's not a guarantee that they hang out, but how long should it take if they are? Can I "make" them?
I have good water quality, good flow for the anenomes, and both seem happy. Any thoughts are apreciated.
Thanks
Paul

 

[shrimp134]

Its a chance to see if clowns will host anenmoes in a tank....I heard it will help if you tape a picture of a clown hosting an anenome on the sides of your tank!:happyfish

 

[elpezgrande]

Since you have percs, it's possible that they were tank raised and have never seen an anemone, so it will be pretty hit or miss to get them to host. My false percs took about 3 months to find the anemone, even with a picture taped to the tank the whole time.
What do you mean by good flow? The turning point for me seemed to be when I increased my flow rate. I went from 1 power head and a HOB filter/skimmer and about a 10x turnover rate, to 3 power heads (2 in the back corners at 45 degree angles, and one in the back middle shooting straight ahead) and the HOB filter skimmer for a little over 20x turnover rate. Within a minute of adding the new power heads, my clowns changed their behavior and started doing their spastic dancing all the time, whereas before I saw them do it maybe once a day. Within 2 weeks they had finally found the anemone (I still had the picture taped to the tank at this time too). HTH
Here is a recent thread with lots of pics of clowns hosting in case you want to tape a pic to your tank.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/113189/show-me-your-anemones-and-clowns

 

[sashimi]

:happyfish Good Morning!
I have a tanked raised Tomato Clown and a Condylactis gigantea anemone. It took the Clown about 4 to 6 weeks to move in, with no pictures. Now it is never very far away from it's pal! And I think that the clown fishes use an anemone as a host. Almost all posts I have read state that the Clown is hosting (not ture). The Clown is moving in with the Anemone and is not being used as food by the Anemone, so the Anemone is the Host! The Clown fish is the Guest!

 

[kittykitty]

You're lucky you got him to host a condylactus. That's unusual. Condylactus are so cheap. Can't beat a clown that will host an 8 dollar anemone!

 

[sashimi]

Originally posted by KittyKitty
You're lucky you got him to host a condylactus. That's unusual. Condylactus are so cheap. Can't beat a clown that will host an 8 dollar anemone!
:happyfish Good Morning!
Try $4.99 at the LFS! :cheer:

 

[kittykitty]

Not bad! I've never seen them less than 8 dollars.

 

[mr. tuna]

ya, i had a hatian, and my percs loved it!!
But they seem to like any anenome practically.
I think it is some kind of natural instinct. :thinking:

 

[mr. tuna]

Give it time.

 

[pdherrin]

Great thoughts here. Thanks alot! I will put a picture on the side of the tank, (couldn't hurt). I will give it some time also. This is my first anenome also. Some days they both look healthy and other days, one or the other looks like they are dying... maybee that's normal, too. I'll continue my research.
As to the water flow, I have a tidepool 2 sump type filteration and the standard pump system that came with it. I have a protien skimmer and the standard pump on that.

 

[sltwtronly]

I ALSO HEARD THAT IF YOU BUY THE ANE. AND CLOWN AND THEY ARE HOSTING EACH OTHER IN THE LFS TANK THEN THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEED TO DO IT IN YOUR HOME TANK. OTHER THEN BUYIN THE CLOWN THENA WEEK LATER OT WHATEVER BUY THE ANE.