Tank Raised Clowns & host anemonies

[something fishy]

After a 5 year relationship with a tomato clown, I recently found her firmly tucked under a rock.

I have replaced her with a group of 5 juvenile percula clowns who are showing no interest in her old home (bubble tip anemone) whatsoever. Any other time that I have added clowns or anemones to a tank they have matched up within hours, however we are now looking at over a week. Is this common with TR clowns and is there anything that I can do to encourage this?

Thanks

 

[Quillen]

I wouldn't complain yet at a week, sometimes it can takes months or longer

. Sometimes TR clowns have problems with anemones, but for the most part - I don't think people have problems.

1. give it more time
2. feed by the anemone or
3. feed just over the anemone with a baster, so they might touch it to eat

I wouldn't worry about it yet. You don't always find a house/apt in a week either

 

[a novice]

It's off topic, but I was wondering what size tank you have them in. Thanks

 

[Quillen]

There is nothing more exciting then when one's clowns start visiting the anemone, of course - I don't have children yet. There is no guarentee that they will find it, depending on its location to where they "hang out". I would be sure they would sooner or later, they don't have very big brains. All my friends buy TR and they have never had a problem. Try to encourage them in the small ways and life is good.

A couple percs could be kept in a nanotank (www.nanoreef.com) with a anemone (with ifs & whens attached). It would be better to have them in a middle sized tank tank . Clowns don't move/swim a lot, but they do need some room. For Multiple sets of clowns (especially if more then one kind), over hundred gallons becomes easier to keep more then one set of different clowns (percs being more communial). Being that they are an aggressive to other clowns, its like deciding pitbull or b.collie to keep in your yard.

 

[Anonymous]

My two tank-raised percs took a month and a half to find the long-tentacle I bought for them, but after that, they were all over it. Then I added a small bubble-tip, and the female will hang out in that as well (they're on opposite ends of the tank).

The tank is a 75-gallon, BTW.

Just be patient...it will happen.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Mouse]

In the mean time you may want to keep a look out for aclimitiseation. You should see some of the fish swimming very close to the anemonie and giving it a touching glance of a fin. You will know your getting close then. Even though they are immune to the sting, i still think it's uncomfortable for them in the begining. They need time to acustom themselfs, kinda like jumping in a hot bath would be a bad idea. You could perhaps try and speed up the process by encouraging them to enter the anemonie by creating a threat. They usually only seek the host as protection, but as there is no threat they feel no hurry to enter the host. Its up to you, one or two close passes with a net may be sufficient. But allways remember not to pose any danger to the little guys, but im sure you wouldn't.

 

[something fishy]

Thanks for that!

I though that may be the case, but its just longer than I had previously experienced.

 

[Ninong]

Amphiprion percula will almost never associate with Entacmaea quadricolor.

Ninong

 

[JohnD]

I just finished reading Joyce Wilkerson's book, Clownfishes and she does not list A. percula as one of the clownfishes it hosts.

She also says it will host A. ocellaris in captivity, but not in nature.

 

[Quillen]

I've seen A. Percula in bubble tipped anemones, one of my friends has some - I was there when she purchased both at the LFS

. It may not work all the time, but they (2 small fish) look happy enough.

 

[JeremyR]

We should clear it up for sure whether we are talking about a. percula or a. ocellaris, almost all TR "percs" are really ocellaris, but the LFS will call it a "percula" clonw. Ocellaris are much easier to get into a bubbletip than a true percula. Ocellaris are also more likely to get along as multiples in a tank, true percs are more agressive, and if the tank is less than 6', odds are you'll end up with a pair and a bunch of battered left-outs.

 

[Anonymous]

Clowns will normally take to anemones they are not normally or ever associated with. A.percula and A.ocellaris will often take to C.gigantea anemones. Many times a perc/ocellaris will ignore an anemone for a long period of time,then out of nowhere,take to the anemone.

As far as TR of WC(wild caught) clowns goes,I wouldn't say it really makes a difference. UNLESS...the WC one was taken from it's host. That clown will be far more likely to take to an anemone quick. Otherwise,it appears to be a matter of instinct. However,instinct is not automatic or fast acting.

I say just give your anemonefish some time and it will find it's comensal partner. Natural or not.

GL

Dan

 

[something fishy]

Thanks all.

Re questions raised, it is a 100 g tank & I am not sure if I am looking at A. percula or A. ocellais. LFS said A. percula, and I haven't really researched beyond that having only dabbled with clowns before.

Behaviour would definately indicate the less agressive option, but as they all still appear to be sub adult, once they sex I assume this will change behaviour.

 

[JennM]

Ninong, congrats...you hit on my thoughts as I read down this thread. It's not typical for A. percula or A. ocellaris to host in a E. Quad.

Having said that, I've seen A. Perulas in a rose E. Quad on more that one occasion. They were wild-caught, and following Anemonebuff's thinking, they were probably more receptive to ANY anemone, having been taken from their own host in the wild.

I've seen and heard from hobbyists who have had clowns of various species host in everything from condy anemones and corals to romaine lettuce clipped in the tank for food. Some even "host" in the current from a powerhead. I've seen clowns that "shouldn't match" with certain anemones adopt each other, and those that should match, according to all the reading I've done, reject each other.

In my experience, if you match a tank-reared OR wild-caught clownfish with its natural host, they almost always will take to each other. I don't think being captive raised diminishes the instinct.

I've had a pair of captive bred A. Frenatus for well over a year, and it took then about 5 seconds to dive into the E. Quad I bought for them last year.