[phishschtick]

Hi folks, looking for the right kind of anenome and clowns for my 180.

Would you all be so kind as to provide suggestions - Pro and Con on what to do and specifically if there is something I should specifically stay away from as it may cause a concern in the reef. Thanks

 

[Nishant3789]

a small BTA and a percula? from your specs in your sig it looks like you have decent lighting, how longs the tank been setup for?

 

[phishschtick]

1st Can you tell me what BTA stands for

The tank has been up for a few months now and the parameters are looking and holding well.

 

[Narcissus Narcosis]

bubble tip anenome.

 

[georgiajams]

I've been having pretty good luck with a BTA and my cinnamon clown. I have heard the Haitian Pink Tip Anenome tends to be short lived (this is why they tend to be cheap).

BTA's seem to be a good anenome to start with. As I recall, they host quite a few clown species and are fairly hardy for an anenome.

 

[Nishant3789]

plus! if you feed them well theyll split and can fetch a tidy sum

 

[phishschtick]

OK thanks all, sounds like a BTA. Now who has one with a host clown. Jenn, anything at your shop?

 

[JennM]

Well I can't make this a commercial post - but I'll send you a PM.

Nishant is right - Bubble Tips split - I was at a customer's today, when I went there last year, she had one sick looking BTA with no zooxanthellae - today she had 4 And no, she didn't buy any more....

Jenn

 

[Stanfill Reef]

My wife found this link a few weeks ago when our BTA split (kinda freaked us out at the time)

http://biodiversity.uno.edu/ebooks/intro.html

Unfortunately, it does not appear to be up tonight, but it has a lot of information about anenomes and clown fish, including a table of different anenomes and which clown fish prefer them. I remember from the list that a Clarkii will enter just about anything with tentacles, but Perculas are more picky.

My advice is to find a pair (clown fish and anenome) together at the store and purchase them at the same time. That way your are certain that they are compatible. We originally had an Oscillaris with our BTA, but they never became friends. Of course that could be because the Oscillaris was tank raised.

 

[JennM]

The whole "tank raised clown won't host" notion is bogus. I bring in tank raised clowns all of the time, and when they are paired with their natural host, they will take to it, almost without fail. Ocellaris normally host in carpet anemones, so offering it a long-tentacle or bubble tip is hit or miss, because they won't "recognize" it.

The urge to host is instinctive, it is not bred "out" of the clown.

Clark's Clowns will host in nearly anything, Maroons, Tomatoes, Cinnamons, Melanopus, Fire Clowns etc. (all those that look similar) will generally host in LTA or BTA. Skunk clowns will too...

I've got a book with a chart that is fairly right on when it comes to clowns matching with anemones. There are always exceptions, but if you go with the odds, you'll probably get a match.

Jenn

 

[Billdemart]

Are any of those anemone types suited for a 10 gallon? I would love to have a clown/anemone pair in my nano, but I wouldn't want it to be the only coral in the tank.

Thanks,

Bill

 

[Nishant3789]

bubble tip, sebae is also one ive heard does well in smaller tanks, but i dunno ive always thought that in ten gallons, i have one too, a torch or frogspawn would be better suited...

 

[Nishant3789]

oh and as for other corals you can put into the tank, in my experience when i had a condy which apperently had a strong sting, it never bothtered my torch or candy cane much, i guess since they themselves pack a quite a sting they wont get hurt.

 

[Stanfill Reef]

My bubble tip got huge in my 55 before it split. It took about a year. I can only imagine the volume it would take up in a 10.

 

[Stanfill Reef]

I just checked and the link I gave above is working again today. It has a lot of information on clowns and anenomes. Hope it helps.

 

[sally]

why not a sarcophyton

Many clowns will host in a leather corals. I have a pair that have hosted in this big sarcophyton. It's so neat at night both of them lay down in it and sleep. During the day they are out and about but once the lights go off.....they go to bed

 

[JennM]

I wouldn't recommend any host anemone for a 10 g as they all can grow huge.

I've seen a few clowns host in corals - as long as the coral isn't unduly stressed (Sally's leather looks pretty darned happy! ) then let well enough alone.

Jenn

 

[Billdemart]

Re: why not a sacrophyton

Many clowns will host in a leather corals. I have a pair that have hosted in this big sacrophyton. It's so neat at night both of them lay down in it and sleep. During the day they are out and about but once the lights go off.....they go to bed

Sacro what on? Is there another name for that?

 

[Phantom Phish]

Sarcophyton (I think sacrophyton was a misstype). AKA leather corals, mushroom leathers, toadstool leathers, etc...

 

[Nishant3789]

yeah im hopeing to get a clown to host in my torch, its been mistaken for an anemone before a few times by people so im guessing itll make a goos host.