Is this normal???

[Jenn]

I have had a pair of percula clowns for about 3 years and a BTA (bubble-tip anemone) that they host in. Recently, the anemone died and they just made a new home behind some rockwork.
Well, I am in the process of transferring all my livestock to another system and moved 95% of the rock first, then started with the big fish yesterday. The only things left in my old system are the clowns, a big rock, and a LTA (long-tentacle anemone). This morning when I got up to check on everybody, the clowns are hosting in the LTA!!!
I have read that they do not do this - could it be that they are stressed and just jumped into whatever is available to them? I was going to start to look for another bubble-tip, but now it looks like I don't have to.
Here's a cool pic....

[Shark_Bait]

I would say that it's stress. But I'm no expert.

[JimD]

Why did your bta die? My Percs host in my lta all the time, normal? maybe not,,,, common,,, Id say so.

[Jenn]

I am not sure why the BTA died, I had it for about 3 years so not sure if its old age? I am glad that its common for them to host in this - I had
always heard that the sting of the LTA was too much for them and that's why they don't generally take to them.

[pilot_bell777]

I think percs will host in just about anything they can.....mine used to try to host in my Hammer and then moved on to my Frogspawn.....then when I got the RBTA they started hosting in it but I would catch them in the Frogspawn every now and then.

Silly fish!

[abe77901]

Mine hosted in my toadstool instead of the rbta .......

[Jenn]

Now that's cool - I have to get one of those!

[Reef69]

BTA's are not the natural hosts of perculas, neither are LTA's. Their natural hosts are Heteractis magnifica (magnificent anemone) and Stichodactyla gigantea (carpet anemone). But of course, clowns will host pretty much on anything that entices them. The anemone creates an "odor" that attracts he clownfish. Sometimes they will even host on a bowl of rubberbands when no anemones are present, or on a frogspawn, a torch or a hammer. HTH's

[Shark_Bait]

Or an open brain (check my gallery)

[Jenn]

Very cool Rob! Thanks for all the replies :-)

[Thunderkat]

Clown fish don't read books :lol

I saw one host in a feather duster tube worm.

[C.Mydas]

No definately not normal. Don't worry though, I can take that LTA off your hands before it eats anymore of your clowns :lol You got lucky and great pic!

[Darth-Tater]

My clowns are hosting a flowerpot coral. :D They do not like my BTA :( I just think they are like kids in my classroom. They do what they want when they want to. Clowns will be clowns :P


DT

[brewercm]

I have a mated pair of percs that switch between flower pot and rose bta. They have to share with a large gold striped maroon though that prefers the BTA and is just about as large as the BTA. I have to get pics of the three of them in the flower pot together, very strange but it's hard because every time I get the camera out my maroon goes to hiding.

[hobogato]

mine hosts in a rock of green frilly shrooms

[::pete::]

I sometimes durning the day can catch them in the plates of my Monti Cap

[falcondob]

So, from what I gather, clown fish are not in the upper part of the ole IQ scale, they have lousy vision, or they just don't give a darn. Does that sum it up?