Wow!

[Atari]

I've had a tank bred ocellaris and rose bulb anemone for a long time now, and the clown has never even given the anemone a second look. Fair enough, right? I didn't expect there to be any interaction since the clown is tank bred and false percs aren't even known to host rba's anyway.

Well, as I was changing my carbon today.. I noticed my sixline wrasse was quite frisky.. he was chasing the little clownfish around all over the tank.. annoyed by this I tried to intervene a few times but gave up when it made no difference. I thought if it kept up I could always return the sixline since it's a bit too aggressive for my liking anyway. So I started looking for my net just incase.. couldn't find it.. looked back at the tank and couldn't see the clownfish anywhere.. Uh oh.. I looked around inside and outside under the stand... nothing... So then I notice the sixline is circling the anemone.. weird I thought.. looked a bit closer and what do I see but my little clownfish is wiggling around inside it!!!

You can imagine my reaction... I'm the guy that went running through the neighborhood screaming when I saw my first feather duster pop out of a rock.

I guess it all fits in with nature perfectly... the only reason for clownfish to go into anemones is for protection. It felt safe until now and then first sign of trouble.. in it goes... I can't tell you how thrilling it is if you haven't experienced this.

Anyway, my other main reason for posting is that the sixline was not at all happy about this whole situation and continued trying to get the clownfish even in the anemone... so predictably the silly fish ended up getting stung right on the mouth.. how bad is this? and is there anything I should/can do? It is still swimming around but obviously affected by the sting... I'm hoping it's just mild irritation and will go away by itself.

 

[revhtree]

I remember when my clown first went into the anemone, it was awesome! I can watch that all day long. Congrats!

 

[Fluff]

Awesome Atari. Congrats. I don't know about the sting. I thought rba stings weren't supposed to be that bad though. Good luck.

 

[Atari]

Thanks guys... sure enough the sixline appears to be back to normal so I guess the sting really is quite mild.

I can't seem to take my eyes off the clown and anemone though, lol.. it's really quite mesmerizing. Something strange though, it seems to stay perfectly still every now and again and on closer inspection appears to be suckling on the tentacles.. wonder why it does that?

I really need a digital camera!

 

[revhtree]

Ya the suckling is normal, at least I think. Mine does it.

 

[Fluff]

Yeah, I think that's pretty typical. My first clown used to do that to an sebea and my current clowns do it to my open brain coral. Don't know why they do it though.

 

[lando]

good for you. I was sooo excited to when my true percs tok to my Rose BTA. Got pics?

 

[steve-s]

Anyway, my other main reason for posting is that the sixline was not at all happy about this whole situation and continued trying to get the clownfish even in the anemone... so predictably the silly fish ended up getting stung right on the mouth.. how bad is this? and is there anything I should/can do? It is still swimming around but obviously affected by the sting... I'm hoping it's just mild irritation and will go away by itself.

Nothing you can do except wait it out. The wrasse will not likely be able to eat for a few days either so don't be bothered by that yet. Luckily it was a BTA and not one of the other hosting species of anemone. Your wrasse would be imitating a "U".

Cheers
Steve

 

[Atari]

Your wrasse would be imitating a "U".

8O Glad I chose the BTA then, lol.

At least it's learned its lesson and is steering well clear of the anemone now I saw it going for a pod earlier, but I guess its mouth is still numb or something because it just couldn't grab it.. poor fella.

 

[klam]

Awsome!!
I don't agree with the idea that tank bred ocellaris will not be hosted by an anemone, it's instict. I'm not sure but I would think it would take a very long time of breeding clown fishes to have that instinct removed.

I've heard of others talking and seen pics about tank bred clowns who uses powerheads, heaters, mushrooms, etc as host. My ORA tank bread hosted in a patch of mushrooms. I later added a bta that my female took to within a week. They all have that instinct.

 

[jamal-188]

I think it's instinct as well, my TR clowns host in my alveopora and my frogspawns with doesn't make them very happy

 

[lando]

I do not think it is a matter that TR clowns won't host, it may just take longer. Keep in mind that they have never seen an anenome before or rlied on one for protection. Eventually, instint may kick in. I have a TR ocellaris and my BTA hosted it. It actually tool longer for my pair of wild caught percs to take to the same BTA. Who knows. Its the old "you can drag a horse to water, but you can't make him drink" argument.

 

[BillyZ]

a lot of it may have to do with how atari described it. THis is just a hypothosis, but; if it's a tank bred clown then from the breeder, to the LFS to your tank, it likely hasn't had any thret posed to it during it's entire life. Fish have personalities and memories. If it's never been threatend then it may have never felt the need to host. But it is an instinct. Once a thret is present, instinct kicks in and it looks for a host. Now I'm sure that won't be a "rule" but could explain why many TR clowns don't host.

 

[Atari]

Yeah I agree.. I don't think it had even experienced rock before because it almost seemed scared to venture near it.. just stayed around the front of the tank all the time.. and this was when it was still the only fish in the tank. I can't wait to go to the LFS on Monday and tell them because they basically told me there was no way it would ever happen

BTW - The wrasse is fine and eating again, so everything worked out in the end!

 

[RocketSeason]

you went running through the neighborhood screaming when you saw a feather duster?...ok....

Well, Thats one way to get your TR perc to host!!!

Just scare it half to death!!! LOL

 

[klam]

Right. Tank bred clowns don't have anything to really fear so it might take some time to take an anemone as a host. I feel that is one reason why they take powerheads, heaters as host. Because these are the things that are familiar to them.