Clowns&anemones...what's the problem?

iswimwithmyfish

iswimwithmyfish

Member
Right now in my 15g tank, i have had a bulb anemone w/ a pair of 2 false perculas. I know that there are very few cases where they accept the bulb anemone as a host, but does any one have a method to make them have a symbiotic relationship? <img src="confused.gif" border="0">
 
rhonda

rhonda

New Member
I bought a bulb last weekend. The clownfish at the store I bought it from was just having a good ole time in it, so I bought it and was hoping my 2 Clarkii would do the same...not a chance, it fact the bulb is shrinking. I hope it doesn't die, I've lost 2 in the past, but was assured the bulb was the easiest. Good luck!
 
amphiprion

amphiprion

Member
Rhonda,
Are you feeding your anemone? They need to be fed several times a week, chunks of shrimp, scallops, white fish.
 
amphiprion

amphiprion

Member
My first thought is that in nature bubble tip anemones (E. quadricolor) do not host false percula clowns (A. Oscellaris)
False percs in the wild are hosted by Carpet anemones (Stichodactyla gigantea) and Ritteri anemones(Heteracits magnifica). Unfortunately, these two anemones have very poor survival records in the home aquarium.
So your false percs may never take to the bubble tip. And then again, given time they might. There are no guarantees:
Host fish for the bubble tip anemone:
Alard's clownfish
Two-banded clownfish
Clark's clownfish
Tomato clownfish
Three-banded clownfish
Maroon Clownfish
Pink Skunk clownfish
Another thought, your anemone is going to need to be fed 1/2" size chunks of food - cut up pieces of shrimp, scallops, any type of white fish. Frozen brine or mysis shrimp is not enough to keep it healthy and growing.
 
iswimwithmyfish

iswimwithmyfish

Member
Amphiprion, i'm interested in maroon clowns... should i just get one for my tank and if i do... what the likelyhood that it will accept it? <img src="confused.gif" border="0">
 
fshhub

fshhub

Active Member
1st, you should not mix clowns, and 2d, you don't want more than your 2 clowns in a 15 gallon anyway, an dsee my post to your other answer about anemones, they just don't seem to keep will in any aquarium, 1 or 2 yrs is not a measure of success for any anemone, and almost none exceed this in the home
 
fshhub

fshhub

Active Member
a maroon is a 6" fish, and in a 15 gallon tank, that is definitely the very most you would be able to do, but they really should be in a 30 or larger, but it does not matter which clown you have, IMO, some will take to an anemone, and others won't, it jsut depends on the fish, there are no guarentees about this, even though this clown likes that anemone(as a rule) it is still hit and miss whether or not the clown you adopt will take to that species of anemone in your tank
but the bulb or bubble tip is generally the maroon's preferred anemone, i believe
 
amphiprion

amphiprion

Member
You need to do some research on clownfish and their host anemones. Do you have any idea of the requirements to keeping anemones alive? 15 gallon taks are way to small for anemones to survive long term. They are way too unstable and you seem to be rather new at this hobby. What kind of lighting to you have? A simple flourescent bulb is too little light to keep this animal alive for any period of time.
Maroon clowns are one of the largest and nastiest of the clownfish. Too large for a 15g tank.
There is no guarantee that any clown will take to an anemone in your tank. Most of the clownfish available today are tank raised - except for some of the exotic species. They have never even seen an anemone and will do quite well without one.
If the anemone is doing well, leave it be. The clown may take to it tomorrow, or 4 months down the road. Are you sure it is a bubble tip anemone and not an Atlantic Condy anemone - they look fairly similiar - and condy's do not host clownfish at all. It just might eat your clown instead.
There is nothing you can do to make it take to the anemone. It either will or it won't.
HTH
 
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