darn clowns

[renogaw]

can i just net my clowns and put them into my bta to show them they are supposed to be there?

i'm almost to the point where i don't think they will hoste my bta's. i traded a split of one to someone who's clowns immediately hosted it pictures outside the tank dont work (i even photoshopped them into the anenomes) there's probably nothing more than i want than to have them hosting.

 

[xdave]

NO! Only they know how to do it without getting killed.
You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

 

[renogaw]

heh, no i wouldn't do that, but sometimes i just wanna give them a nudge. one ran into it on accident and swam away, but i was so hoping it would say "hey, maybe i was supposed to do that"

 

[1journeyman]

Reno, it could happen anytime.
I had a BTA for 6 months before I moved my tank. The clowns never noticed it (captive raised clowns).
I moved the tank and the anemone promptly crawled up under the largest rock in my aquarium and stayed in a little cave for over a month. It finally crawled out, horribly bleached. Slowly, over a month or so, it regained it's health. Then, out of know where, the two clowns began swimming closer and closer to it and hovering over it. Slowly they started brushing into it.
Now, the one that is becoming the female never leaves it.
So, even though BTA's aren't the best choice for hosting anemones, and even though captive clowns often don't host, it is possible.
(in a related story, it's kind of freaky how the clowns seem to communicate with the anemone)

 

[fishy7]

Originally Posted by renogaw
can i just net my clowns and put them into my bta to show them they are supposed to be there?

i'm almost to the point where i don't think they will hoste my bta's. i traded a split of one to someone who's clowns immediately hosted it pictures outside the tank dont work (i even photoshopped them into the anenomes) there's probably nothing more than i want than to have them hosting.
Hey Renogaw, not sure how attached you are to your clown but have you thought about trading your clown at your LFS for one that is already hosting? :thinking:

 

[renogaw]

oh, i'd never trade them. They are starting to pair up, and one is already bigger than the other. I know they were tank raised which is probably my first problem, i just wish there was a way to train them--here's a treat, now go into the anenome--other than pictures that don't work hehe.

 

[1journeyman]

Don't they make little toy clownfish? I wonder if you could tie one on a string and have it "swim" around the anemone...

 

[renogaw]

there should be instructional videos for them.

 

[kmc]

I guess that's why they call them Clown fish and not Einstein fish. The other day I got the bright idea to squirt all the food directly on to the anenome. Of course the clowns both swam all around the tank looking for the food. The cleaner shrimp and a couple of the hermits "hosted" the crap outta that anenome for the rest of the evening.

 

[bronco300]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
Don't they make little toy clownfish? I wonder if you could tie one on a string and have it "swim" around the anemone...
lolol...i would love to see this!!
i am the same way renogaw...i have a pair of clowns and i have a green bta, and a sebae...and they will have nothing to do with either!...i've had the anemones maybe a month or so, so of course who knows, it could be another 6 till they finally figure it out.....but at night the host my patch of zoos....so who knows if theyll ever get over that....

 

[renogaw]

mine love some barnacle shells

 

[mscarpena]

My clowns hosted after I moved my tank as well. Try to chase them around or make the barnicle shells unavailable so they look for a new home. The reason why they do not go to a BTA is because they do not host a BTA in nature. They host carpets and riterri in nature. Don't get rid of your clowns get rid of your anemone because thats the problem. Some will some won't it's hit or miss, but good luck

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by mscarpena
My clowns hosted after I moved my tank as well. Try to chase them around or make the barnicle shells unavailable so they look for a new home. The reason why they do not go to a BTA is because they do not host a BTA in nature. They host carpets and riterri in nature. Don't get rid of your clowns get rid of your anemone because thats the problem. Some will some won't it's hit or miss, but good luck
True, except his clowns are captive raised.
BTA's are a great choice for anemones because they are captive raised and hardier than other anemones. Many other aquarium anemones are being over harvested.

 

[mscarpena]

My clowns are tank raised and I breed clowns. Tank raised clowns will go into an anemone. My tank raised clowns host in many people BTA including the ones at the fish store. Thye host them so well that he had to move them to another tank because he could not get the clowns out to sell just the anemones. He was giving away too many clowns.

 

[renogaw]

they have to learn the behavior somewhere though right? is it cause they have hosting parents that may teach them?