New Anemone

[oceanreefer124]

I have had a pair of clown fish for 1 1/2 years. I just got around to buying them an anomone to play in. The problem is they are showing no interest in it what so ever. Is there something I can do to help out the process?

 

[caldwellm]

I'm having the same problem! Some advice here would be awesome

 

[jefft]

Time, mine waited awhile before the female started hosting. Then it was quite a few months before the male moved in. Then again they may never host.

 

[oceanreefer124]

Normal orange.

 

[wbholwell]

oceanreefer124;75783 wrote: Normal orange.

huh??? I'm guessing ocellaris. Give it time- that's about all you can do.

 

[caldwellm]

oceanreefer124;75783 wrote: Normal orange.

Probably a false percula--- seems to be the most widely carried

---I have a false, a true, and a tomato and none of them ever seem too interested lol--- Owell!

Thanks guys

 

[tnyga]

One of mine (female) is starting to get cozy with a frog spawn...go figure

 

[stroid]

My occelaris never would host but my maroon took to his anemone within a few hours and never left. A few tricks that may help (none of these worked for me and i didnt try all of them but have read reports of these techniques working)....use a clownfish food clip and put it near the anemone it may give the fish a sense of comfort and they will also go near the nem, some people tape pictures of a hosting clown/nem on the aquarium (kinda crazy), direct feed the nem and hope your clown will try to eat the food from the nem and get tricked into hosting, another trick would be to use a strawberry crate and put the nem in there with the clowns and let it float at the top of your tank (like at capp bay) this forces the clowns to stay near the nem and they will swim into it. I tried this with my clowns and it worked when in the crate but once i took them out they didnt show intrest. It may work for you it may not...hope that helps.

 

[stroid]

blackwolfl;75795 wrote: i tried the food and the clown and anemone picture and they both didnt work for me. what i did was i saw some clowns that were hosting in an lfs and i bought 2 and put them in and they started hosting as soon as i put them in and my original clowns started hosting after observing the new clowns do it

So you have 4 clowns in one tank? I feel like the clowns just need to be shown how to host and boom they never leave the nem again.

 

[wbholwell]

From my understanding, clowns also host for protection. If there are predators in the tank (or if the clowns think</em> there are predators in the tank) they may be more likely to host.

 

[dakota9]

Tank raised clowns may never host, as that do not know what an anemone is. (personally I think breeders of clown fish should utilize anemones in their tanks as hosting clown fish are always prefered to non hosting clown fish)

I've heard that putting a plastic refridgerator magnet shaped like a clown fish(any metal part removed) in close proximity to an anemone might make clown fish host. I've never tried that method, but seen posts on other sites swearing by it.

I bought my clown from the LFS and chose the one hosting an anemone, and bought the anemone too. Buying them as a "matched set" is the only proof positive way..

 

[mapleredta]

dakota how is your new anemone?

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Ya false are hell or high water to get to host. Most of them have never seen an anemone much less know what to do with is.. There are a few tricks you can try:

1) get a "basket" like is at Cap Bay, put the anemone in there with the clowns and float it near the surface. If the clowns have nowhere else to go, they might take to it.

2) people have tried the "hotel" trick. Turn out the lights and take a strong flash light and shine it on the anemone. The clowns will check out what is going on and might investigate further. When you are doing it, it helps the play the motel 6 song in your head and recite, "We'll leave the light on for ya"!

3) You can take the vegi clips that look like a clown fish and place it next to the anemone. Some have reported that the sight of a clown in or near the anemone will "teach" the clowns what to do.

4) give it time, time and more time. My false have taken to my anthillia after 8 months now. The female will be the one to look for the host and she must be sexually mature for that instinct to take over. So if you are dealing with two new males, you must wait for him to turn female and for that female to be sexually mature to even have a hope. All that takes time. P.S. having more then 2 of the same type of clown in a tank might hinder the sexually maturing process.