Ocellaris clowns hosting

[nsamouroux]

Well, after a bit of bribery, trickery, and luck we finally got our false percula clowns to host, although one of them has decided to be a bit... unconventional :lol:

Conformist clownfish in it's RBTA (just coming out of it's rock cave)

Anti-establishment rebel clownfish in it's... Feather duster worm? What the heck! The worm doesn't seem to mind at all, oddly, and neither does the koko worm when the clown snuggles down into it as well. Anyone have something similar happen with their clowns before?

Both of them in their respective homes

I'll pick up a second anemone for the worm-snuggler eventually, but this has been far too amusing to do anything about just yet

Nathan

 

[returnofsid]

This pics of the Occellaris in the Feather Duster are awesome!!! I've had clowns host in all sorts of things, but never a Feather Duster. Should get more pics of that.

 

[Rothany]

thats cool! i had one host my rbta and the other host a colony of anthelia. the one hosting the rbta wouldnt let it in

 

[nsamouroux]

I had figured that both of them would host in the anemone, which is about 12-14" in diameter when fully open and out of it's cave. There's no aggression between the two clowns, but they just don't want to host the same anemone.

 

[returnofsid]

As they start the bonding process, I wouldn't be surprised if they show some aggression at first...and then both start hosting the RBTA, after dominance is established.

 

[Octupus]

Amazing! what was the magic? i have them and have feather dusters, RBTA, anenome and they dont even bother.

 

[nsamouroux]

After trying some other things suggested on various forums, I finally printed off a 8" x 10" full-color picture of an ocellaris clown inside a large RBTA, and taped it to the outside of the tank next to our anemone's cave / crevasse. It took about a week and a half after putting up that print for the first clown to take up residence in the RBTA. During daily feeding, I also sprinkled some food onto the anemone's surface which probably triggered the hosting instinct as well by getting the clowns to pick pellets / frozen mysis out of the tentacles.

The clownfish which we have dubbed "Worm-snuggler" just recently starting hosting in one of our large feather dusters (about 4" diameter); we've got two of these large brown dusters and a slightly smaller white one, along with two large koko worms. I had recently observed him trying to host in a green polyp colony before he settled on the 'duster. Every now and then the clown will also cuddle up to a large koko worm on that side of the tank, but not for long as the clown doesn't fit too well into it.

I'm figuring that both clowns will eventually take up residence in the 14" RBTA, but they're still young. We purchased the clowns at Barrier Reef's anniversary sale a couple months ago when they were barely 1" in size; they are both almost 2" now but I can't tell if they have started the gender switch process or not. Neither of them has shown any aggression and are both roughly the same size. They stay on the left side of the aquarium for the most part, which is where the anemone and a few of the duster worms are at.

We also have a large mated pair of Clarkii clowns in our other aquarium which are FAR more aggressive. The female is about 6" in size and is a vicious little wench, even bullying our triggerfish when it gets too near. The female clarkii is hosting in a green BTA which is only an inch or so larger than her (looks pretty absurd when she snuggles down into it! :lol, but both are healthy and looking great. The smaller male clarkii (about 3-4") switches between the female's anemone and a smaller anemone that split off from it which is still only about 3" across when fully extended.

Nathan

 

[returnofsid]

LOL I've suggested the picture option several times to people. They usually laugh at me...as I did Kevin, when he told me about it. However, everyone I've suggested it to, who has tried it, has had success!!

 

[nsamouroux]

Fair warning, lots of pics to follow!


Pics of the left side (front corner) of tank where the clowns hang out

Pics of Worm-snuggler taken from the side of aquarium closest to him

Other clown in it's RBTA

The Beast in her modest size green BTA

These two clownfish pairs may get overshadowed at first glance by other "cooler" or more colorful creatures in our aquariums such as the mandarin dragonet, harlequin shrimp, etc, but they're by far the most amusing and fun to watch Our son just LOVES his "Nemos" and I get a kick out of watching him sit and stare at them. He's even taken to calling Barrier Reef the "Nemo Store" since that's where we originally picked them up :lol:

Nathan

 

[slim_jim989]

thats funny but awsome pictures, yeah i just got a 12 gal nano for my other tank and it came with a false percula i believe only 1 in so still way young and from my other tank i brought my false percula which is 2 in now and i have an awsome RBTA but they dont want to host yet so ill try the picture and suprisingly they get along even with size difference

 

[alki]

Very nice!

 

[Damsel13]

Those are wonderful pictures. I am glad you shared.