my first invert!

kmsrn

kmsrn

Member
Hi everyone,
I searched this forum and am unable to locate the answer to my question which is: is a bta "healthier" with hosting clowns? I am just in the infant stages of converting my fowlr into a reef. My 90g is 3 years old and I've just changed my lighting to the coralife pro with 2 150mh ad 2 96w cf. When first put into the tank, the bta hid for 1 1/2 weeks. It now comes out only when the mh's are on and when it does it has a tan color. I'm light acclimating the tank for algae control, so right now the mh are on for 6 hours; every week I've been adding 1/2 hour. Back to my question, are bta's happier when they have a clown move in?
:notsure:
 
adroitmind

adroitmind

Member
I have heard that it helps with their acclimation, but i don;t know for sure. I added my maroon clown a few days before my BTA because of this.
 
grzy

grzy

Member
It will not necessarily make the BTA "healthier". What a clown does that helps out a BTA is bring it food. It is more natural for the BTA to have a clown hosting it, but BTA's can survive well without a clown.
 
kmsrn

kmsrn

Member
I went the opposite direction of you. I thought I would acclimate the bta before the clown(s) were introduced. My thinking was that the clowns would disturb it while it was trying to settle in. The question I have though is whether a bta NEEDS a clown for its maximum health.
 
kmsrn

kmsrn

Member
Thanks for the replies. So the bta needs the clowns for the food it brings. Is there any health benefit to the bta in regards to the clown "stimulating" it?
 
dogstar

dogstar

Active Member
In the wild they each need each other for protection from preditors. In an aquarium neither need either but it sure is a pretty site to watch them together.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Hmmm. In the case of which to add first, I guess it really doesn't matter, however I think adding the anemone first would allow it to become established and perhaps more relaxed. Then again adding the clowns after the fact may simply make it move again...one never knows.
Examaning the type of symbiotic relationship.
Symbiosis is a close ecological relationship between the individuals of two (or more) different species. Sometimes a symbiotic relationship benefits both species, sometimes one species benefits at the other's expense, and in other cases neither species benefits.
Ecologists use a different term for each type of symbiotic relationship:
Mutualism -- both species benefit
Commensalism -- one species benefits, the other is unaffected
Parasitism -- one species benefits, the other is harmed
Competition -- neither species benefits
Neutralism -- both species are unaffected
An example of a Mutualistic relationship is the various species of Anemone fish. These depend heavily on their host, being unable to breed or survive predation without their host anemone. The anemone on the other hand can survive without its attendant Clown fish, although it is hypothesized they may help aerate the tentacles of the anemone, as well as get rid of parasites.
Example in the case of Commensalism: Commensalism usually occurs between a species that is either vulnerable to predation or with an inefficient means of locomotion, and another species with a relatively effective system of defence. For example certain Goby species live amongst the spines of toxic sea-urchins such as Astropyga radiata, so gaining protection from their host; while a similar relationship occurs between Man-of-war fish and the ‘Portuguese Man of War’ jellyfish. In both instances the fish benefit, while their host is neither advantaged nor disadvantaged by the relationship.
Crabs and Shrimps often form commensalistic symbiotic relationships with anemones in tropical waters, again for the purposes of protection from predation. For instance the Anemone crab, Neopetrolisthes oshimai, which is a filter feeding Porcelain crab, lives and captures its food from within the tentacles of anemones.
Now for my opinion to your question. Overall having raised and had BTA's for 6+ years I'd say that the ones that my Ocellaris clown fish have inhabited overall showed better growth, not necessarily in color, but overall stoutness.
I'd say that they were a bit healthier. Perhaps this might also be due to the anemone being able to feed off of the waste of the clown fish as well.
Hope you find some information that helps.
Thomas
 
kmsrn

kmsrn

Member
With the information that I have received on this board and read in books, I have decided to get a Tomato clown. My bta is in a PERFECT spot for viewing; hopefully it will stay there!
Thanks again for all the replies!
-Kathy
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top