corals for clowns

[trulyjonny]

Hi I'm looking for types of corals that are suitable for clown fish for them to entertain themselves and lay in. I seen pictures in the past with clowns laying in types of corals similar to best example i can give is finding nemo. Any help on those types of corals?

 

[2quills]

Anemones are what you're looking for. Not corals. Clown fish will destroy corals if they confuse them as their host. In the wild they create a symbiotic relationship with anemones as the anemones provide them with protection by their stinging tentacles. Other fish won't typically mess with them.
There's never a guarantee that if you put an anemone in the tank that the clown fish will take to it. Wild caught fish are your best bet. But anemones require intense lighting in order to survive. So unless you have lighting capable of keeping one alive than I wouldn't waste money trying to keep one. I tried when I first got into the hobby and failed miserably. It's best not to attempt to keep one until the tank has ample time to mature and stabilize (typically about 6 months or so).

 

[dmanatee]

I don't know if this is incidentally or not, but I have over the years kept two separate species of Clowns (different times) a ocellaris clownfish and later a tomato clownfish. Both of these fish were tank bred, and while I never introduced an anemone, they both gravitated to a coral over time. This was never anything I forced, it just happened. The Ocellaris started going to my hairy mushroom coral to the point it would try and feed all the heads, and the Tomato was always in the hammer Coral.Both species also seemed to like my yellow polyps and the Xenia (that stuff got out of hand though).
I never noticed any damage to the corals, especially the mushrooms, but again, that may just be an incidental.

 

[trulyjonny]

thanks so much

 

[trulyjonny]

Is it necissary to wait the 6 months to the anemones? Just concerned with already having my clowns in my tank and if they will do any damage to any of my corals, or will they all be fine till that 6 month window? I don't see any aggression from them they just measily swim around enjoying there day. I do believe they have paired up though for sure because they don't go anywhere without each other whether that will make any difference or not. Thoughts on the matter greatly appreciated

 

[2quills]

It's hit or miss whether or not they will go after coral. I had an ocellaris that never bothered any coral until about the 1 year mark. It started rubbing all over my brain coral one day and just kept on until the brain eventually withered away. Never bothered my softies too much. The 6 month mark isn't always necessary, it's just recommended because the tank goes through a series of changes during it's first year that most new hobbyists aren't aware of. But as mentioned, there's no guarantee your clown fish will ever take to it if you put one in there. Long tentacle anemones seem to be some of the more popular ones that they do go for. GL

 

[trulyjonny]

Thanks so much for the advice :hi:

 

[fattytwobyfour]

Is it strange that one of my clowns hosts my HOB protein skimmer?

 

[2quills]

Not so strange for a clown lol. Maybe it's all of the inbreeding going on in the hobby creating mass clown confusion.

 

[bang guy]

Frogspawn

Green Hairy Mushrooms:

 

[bang guy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by trulyjonny http:///t/395989/corals-for-clowns#post_3527198
Is it necissary to wait the 6 months to the anemones?
No but the more experience you get the greater your chance of success. I don't know current statistics but 10 years ago the chance of success for a hobbyist with 6 months of experience was about 5%. I would suggest at least a year under your belt.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bang Guy http:///t/395989/corals-for-clowns#post_3527261
Frogspawn

Green Hairy Mushrooms:

Good idea.

 

[trulyjonny]

Thanks 2quills again those are excellent i have a fairly decent size frogspawn frag 2 heads when opened just about 4 inchesacross on the biggest amd 2 1/2-3 inces on the smaller one

 

[2quills]

Don't thank me thank, Bang Guy (banggai).
Just give it some time, perhaps they'll buddy up with your frog spawn. I'm not sure and maybe bang guy can answer this but I'm wondering if the clowns part of the symbiotic relationship has to do with the age or maturity? Do young clowns exhibit this type of behavior?

 

[bang guy]

Here is a 1 month old Clownfish being hosted by a Tulip Anemone.

 

[trulyjonny]

I do appologize for that tank you band guy. For some reason on the tablet it didn't show up weird. But thanks again band guy. My clowns are currently just hanging around the back upper side of the tank during their night hours and the lower front area during day hours. They have only been in the tank roughly 2 weeks but they have in my opinion definitely paired up. They aren't really doibg to much traveling without each other other than feeding then it's all out get your own food. I will definitely be taking the year idea into mind because i don't want anything else dying in my tank.