How long to make friends?

[badger126]

Hey I just got a long-tentacle anemone - how long does it usually take for the clowns to make friends? So far they are just ignoring it and it makes me sad

 

[tat2z_21]

Well I will tell you that there is a chance that you NEM and your NEMO may never find a cordial relationship. However I have had luck with mine. So keep the hope alive. I have heard of people forcing the friendship. Sometimes if you can get your net and possibly corner the Clown into the anemone usually all it takes is for a gently handshake from one outreached arm and a strong bond is made. However I am not sure if you would want to take that route. Could possibly stress the clownfish out.

 

[badger126]

There is two of them and they hide in the back corner of the aquarium usually. That's kind of their "lair". the anemone settled in the front corner on the same side of the tank so it's pretty close, but the clowns haven't come out and taken a look. Well if it doesn't happen it doesn't happen, but it'd be nice to have my clowns up front with the anemone.

 

[MMERITT28]

Good luck. My hope and reasoning of buying them would be that they would pair so I know that I would be dissapointed. I hope it works out for you.

 

[badger126]

I guess what I am asking is whether sometimes it does in fact take a couple of days or more to pair? I just want to know when to lose hope if it doesn't happen

 

[1fishkeeper]

When I had mine it almost took 6 months until they called it home.

 

[IWishIWasAFish]

One of my clowns cozied up to my new RBTA in about 3 days. They're not a strongly bonded pair yet, so the other was/is still ignoring it. OCDreefer said it took his clowns 4 months to decide to live in the anemone he got them.

I have heard it said it mattered whether the clowns were captive-bred, but I don't think you could get more captive-bred then my little misbar Ocellaris and he's the one who only took 3 days (he's not really scared of nets, or hands, and he eats anything.)

 

[jake65]

Its not a guarantee that your anemone will host your clowns. Sometimes, tho rare the fish just have no interest in "hanging out" in anemones. I would just give it time, right now it sounds like they feel safe hiding in the corner, they will investigate sooner or later

 

[user 26995]

My male blackocellaris clown became addicted to the rbta and the female ignored it. They area a mated pair too. My orange ocellaris clowns are both addicted to the rbta although the female tries to keep the male out of it. It took both my black male and the orange female a couple weeks to find it. Like everyone else says, give them time.

 

[iroll253]

My clowns took about a week.

 

[seagem]

I have read that taping a picture of an anemone hosting clowns onto your tank will sometimes encourage your clowns to do the same.

 

[badger126]

They were swimming up in the front corner next to the anemone last night, they just didn't quite get in it except for a few times they got to wrestling around and brushed it a bit. Keepin the hope alive

 

[HumblePie]

I have read that taping a picture of an anemone hosting clowns onto your tank will sometimes encourage your clowns to do the same.

Too funny. I love it! Badger126 if you do that please let us know if it works.

Also, what type of clown do you have? Different clowns have different anemone preferences.

 

[addocdreefer]

Cool thread. I have two ocellaris clowns and two RTBA's. Had them together for a little over a year and have seen no interest at all. Although they stay on one side of the tank and the RBTA's are on the other and a yelow tail blue damsel's territory is between them. So maybe that has something to do with it. The picture trick sounds way cool i'll have to try it.

 

[beoks]

we did everything from taping a pic of a clowns hosting to putting up a giant picture of a lionfish that was trying to eat them to make them wana find a safe home ours took about a little over a month

 

[Chichas01]

I takes time and you just never know what will happen. My clowns ignored my BTA for several months. The male finally started getting close with it and it wasn't until after I moved tanks over a year later that the female showed any interest in being hosted by the anemone. Now they both rarely stray far and the female will sometimes nip at me if I have to put my hand in the tank near their home.

 

[HumblePie]

we did everything from taping a pic of a clowns hosting to putting up a giant picture of a lionfish that was trying to eat them to make them wana find a safe home ours took about a little over a month

That cracks me up. I have never heard of using pictures until reading this thread. I think it's an excellent idea!

 

[badger126]

I believe that mine are ocellaris, although I'm not sure cuz they're hand-me-downs lol. They're pretty much your standard clown pattern but the orange is darker up top and fades brighter to the bottom. I'll have to get a pic up soon

 

[addocdreefer]

badger126 not to be a downer ... but i googled "clownfish anemone compatability chart"and looked at 6 or 7 of them. none show a ocellaris or percula host in a long tentacled "macrodactyla doreensis" but hopefully you can report the first case

 

[badger126]

I was under the impression that clowns host in just about anything in captivity. I go to petco and see clowns hosting in condylactis anemones, which aren't even listed as a clown-hosting anemone. I dunno, I guess we'll see. Guess I could trade the clowns in for a newer model.....lol