General Reef Discussion

[bambam0497]

Can anyone help...I want to find an alternative host for my pair of clowns.... Not ready for an anemone but ready to add to my tank.... I have a 55gl/40 lbs lr 2 percs a cardnial fish and 5 green chamois.....a bandied coral shrimp and a lot of snails and hermits...Tank is 5 months new and so am I????

[kram138]

How is your lighting?

[squid]

Tank is 5 months new

I wouldn't advise it, your tank is not mature enough JMO

[Mrs Smith]

It is very mature of YOU to know that your tank isn't appropriate for an anemone. But there are many other alternate hosts that your clowns could choose from. Also, clowns will arbitrarily pick something if they feel they need it - an intake, an overflow, a powerhead or an outcropping of LR. My black ocellaris are hosting with a PVC elbow at the moment. It looks funny, but they're cute doing it.

Clowns will host with many softies - colts, xenia, leathers, mushrooms - really, just about anything. They'll also host with some LPS, although the fish may be a detriment to the coral. (Softies don't care; LPS may become irritated and not inflate as much.)

I'd pick something that you like - maybe a toadstool. Nice and hardy. They may take to it, and they may not. Over time, they'll pick something if they need it. And even if there were an anemone there, they might choose something else. (A good friend of mine has a gorgeous bubble-tip. His clowns totally ignore it in favor of a toadstool.)

HTH, and welcome to the Reef Tank,
Danielle

[bambam0497]

I have 130 watts actinic/130watts ultradaylight

[kram138]

This will definetally not be the popular opinion but if you've been watching your parameters, (ammonia, nitite, nitrate, ph, salinity, temperature) and everything has been stable for a month or two, then I don't see why you couldn't get an anenome. Bubble tips are a good choice to start off with. They seem to be more forgiving than some other species. You've got enough light and as long as your tank remains stable you should be fine.

I have a LTA (long tentacle). Granted, I added it to the tank after a year, but not on purpose. My tank conditions were pretty stable after around six months and I think I could have added it then.

If you really feel you are not ready, then don't get one. Try one of Danielle's suggestions. JMO

[mnreefgeek]

FWIW - I put a carpet in my tank for my clowns. Well, it ate the first one that tried to host it. The second one is hosted in an open brain.

[Doug1]

Be very careful adding anemones, they are risky at best and a horror story at worst. There are indeed other animals that clowns will host with and its not necessary for there survival.
Not bagging on anemone owners but the successes are shadowed by the failures empiracally, and every wild anemone taken and "rescued" impacts generations of commensural animals in the wild. If you really HAVE TO have one, please consider aquiring a clone or daughter from an acclimated anemone that has divided in captivity.
Not to get on the soapbox but, the problem with people posting "I have had mine for x amount of time" is that no one has figured out the magic formula to ensure their survival in captivity. IF some one posts asking and even a few people report positive results its like an OK sign for new reefers to go ahead. Its not just anemones, but mandarins, elegance, goniopora and others come to mind.
Again I mam not getting down on anyone for their choices, just presenting another side of the issue

[kram138]

Well said Doug. I really like it that two members of a forum can disagree on a topic and not start a massive flame war. Believe me, this is not the norm. A main reason I have stuck with this board after wondering around a few others.

Now, Doug makes a great point that I should have stated. Tank raised is an absolute must. He's right. Nobody knows how to keep them alive long term and until we figure it out, we have to stop removing them from the ocean. But, I think we will figure it out. I read an old article the other day from 1996. It talked about the success they were having in Europe finally getting Acros to grow and frag. The author was skeptical. Now Acros are a weed in some peoples tanks as they are on the reefs.

We can only report success and failure and learn from each other. Like I said, if you don't think you are ready or don't really, really want one, then don't get one. But if you do, make sure it is tank raised (thank you again Doug) and keep your dial tuned to TRT.

[Ray1214]

Feeling Blue?

Actually I have seen clowns host in anything with tetacles to include all the suggestions I have seen on this thread. Also Ricordias work and even hairy mushrooms. I have even seen one host with calurpa before. I am glad you asked before you spent any of your cash but one thing to keep in mind, no matter what you get, clowns will not just host if they don't want to. And my wife's clarkii didn't host in her anemone for over a month.

Good luck dude.

[yardboy]

I'll throw my experience in here for what it's worth. I had a BTA with a tomato hosting. Man he was the most amusing things to watch. Then, for no reason I could see (adequate light, etc) the BTA just up and died. Thank god I was home when it happened or everything in the tank would have bit the dirt. In the aftermath, I realized that there is nothing in my tank that could be so destructive in death as that bta. I've had a couple of fish (coral beauty of fair size) disappear, assuming they died, and no parameters changed in my tank. I have no cukes and my clown is now hosting in a spaghetti-tentacled toadstool, and just as amusing. I sleep a lot better at night and my vacations are not as worrisome either.
I think a toadstool is the best alternate host as they are tough as nails. I've got a softie that looks a little cauliflower and I think he's been dieing since I got him 6 months ago, rarely extends his polyps and he's getting smaller or at least not growing, and at least he's not fouling my tank.