Anemone replacement

[Zack]

I have been looking to find a suitable host for a clown fish that isn't an anemone. My nem was out growing the tank so I sold it to a friend with a bigger tank. My tank is a 10 gallon with a 150w MH and 2 14w T5 actinics. Which will be upgraded to a 29 gallon tank during the summer.

I heard that Duncans make good hosts, aswell as candy canes and leather corals.

My question is, do any of the above corals stay open at night enough for the clowns to cuddle up in them, and two, what are the prices for a pretty good size colony of them.

If you know of any other corals just lmk.

[Europhyllia]

Mine used to love their big hairy mushroom.

[Zack]

I've heard of hairy mushrooms killing clowns. Is there a species that is "clown safe"? Also do they stay open during the night?

[justahobby]

Hair mushrooms killing clowns?? I don't think that is accurate. Elephant ear corals are known to eat fish and look similar to hairy shrooms.

[Zack]

Idk, I saw it on a couple of other forums.. So hairy shrooms are clown safe?

Has any one had their clowns host a duncan or a toadstool?

[justahobby]

If you come across the threads again, please post them. Alot of corals will sting and cause tiny black spots on the clowns, but it doesn't affect their health.

[Zack]

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t145831.html

I don't know if I can post other forums sites but this was one of two threads I found. Some people on there said that "hairy mushrooms are like venus fly traps"

I was looking for something my clowns could sleep in at night

[Zack]

Actually there was mention of the elephant ear killing fish. What is the difference between a hairy shroom and an elephant ear? They look very similar

[Milly]

I lost my long tentacle anemone a while back and since then my perc has started hosting my hairy mushrooms No problems thus far with either.

[Zack]

How big are the clown and the shroom(s)?

[justahobby]

Hm, the only pictures I could view on that link were of a closed up something or another. Impossible to tell anything more than "yes it was a mushroom of some sort". I have a clown goby that perches on a 5" hairy shroom. I've never seen the shroom so much as catch mysis. Kenya trees and colt corals usually stay open at night. They just won't look as nice as other, more colorful corals

[d3rryc]

Mine host in my AOGs and gorilla nipple zoas. :at_wits_end: I've also heard of them hosting in various Euphyllias - torch, hammer, frogspawn, etc.

[alton]

Get a large Frogspawn

[Zack]

Do frogspawn close up at night?

[Big_Pun]

One thing ive noticed about clowns hosting other corals is they turn colors or get black spots from them for some reason. ive read this and also expierenced this with a clown hosting my zoas and another hosting my frog spawn. why not just wait till you get a big enough tank for a anemone, the clown wont die because its not hosting.

[Zack]

It wont, it's just fun and relaxing to watch. Theoretically I could just grow out nem's but it's kind of a hassle. My clowns have had one or two black spots each from hosting Zoa's but they have come and gone.

[jroescher]

Mine sleep in the Hammers.

[Europhyllia]

I can't imagine a regular hairy mushroom being able to take anything into it's mouth much bigger than a mysis shrimp. The clown may drop a mysis shrimp and if the mushroom eats that it could appear to be closing around the clown but I don't see how it could possibly fit a fish into it's tiny mouth?

I also had mine host in a Duncan colony. I like those. But mushrooms are much cheaper. lol

Honestly they host in/on anything.

One thing I find underrated for clowns is substrate. I always get a little sad for them when I see them in bare bottom tanks. Regardless of their real hosting spot all of mine like to wiggle their bellies in the sand substrate from time to time. Not sure why they do that.
I bet Justin would know. He reads a lot and knows that kind of stuff ... ;)

[Zack]

Whats a good price for a decent size shroom

[Europhyllia]

I bet you could buy a run of the mill hairy shroom from somebody on here for between $5 and $10. Just feed it (mysis, not clowns, lol) and it will split into more in no time!

[allan]

Cheri had a really nice one... Not sure if it was big enough though.

[kkiel02]

My male sleeps in one of my hammer coral at night while letting the female sleep in the RBTA. They wont touch the Flamethrower BTA for some reason though. And he will only sleep in the purple and teal colored hammer not the green with purple tips. I have some picky clowns.

[kkiel02]

Do hairy muchrooms close up when you give them food? They would kill them by eating them but kill them by trapping them inside when they close up and eventually suffucating them.

[Zack]

Your hammer stays open at night?

[justahobby]

One thing I find underrated for clowns is substrate. I always get a little sad for them when I see them in bare bottom tanks. Regardless of their real hosting spot all of mine like to wiggle their bellies in the sand substrate from time to time. Not sure why they do that.
I bet Justin would know. He reads a lot and knows that kind of stuff ... ;)

Sorry to disappoint, but I haven't a clue. It does appear to be most prevalent in maroons though. My PS clowns have never done it :confused:


Your hammer stays open at night?

euphyllias don't normally close up per se (showing skeleton) at night, but do suck their tentacles in significantly. You won't find a better replacement for anemones and the clowns will host anything from GSP to an overflow box to a heater so the choice is yours :thumbs_up:

[Kristy]

One thing I find underrated for clowns is substrate. I always get a little sad for them when I see them in bare bottom tanks. Regardless of their real hosting spot all of mine like to wiggle their bellies in the sand substrate from time to time. Not sure why they do that.
I bet Justin would know. He reads a lot and knows that kind of stuff ... ;)

I heard / read that it has to do with instinctive breeding behaviors. The female sweeps the area to remove any debris in preparation for laying eggs.


Sorry to disappoint, but I haven't a clue. It does appear to be most prevalent in maroons though. My PS clowns have never done it :confused:

No joke about the maroons. Our female could sweep out a playground with all the sand she moves!

[Europhyllia]

My Ocellaris love to wiggle in the sand too!

[kkiel02]

Your hammer stays open at night?

Yes it stays open. He wont sleep in the anemones for some reason.

[Mike]

Before getting the rbta in the small tank, our clowns would host in our torch. As far as the mushrooms go, I have a good sized elephant ear along side a huge hairy shroom (will try to post pics when lights come on). Both do the balloon thing, but the elephant is much faster to ball up when catching food. I could see them catching a small fish who was unaware of the danger.

[Ross]

Mine host my frogspawn and my xenia sometimes.

[Mr Cob]

My clowns hosted my frogspawn for awhile, while my RBTA was healing...the frogspawn would "close"...ie; suck it's tentacles in...but the clowns still stayed in the branches and never left.

Clowns will even host a koralia or powerhead, well actually the powerhead hosts the clowns..lol....basically they find a spot and call it home.

[Zack]

Hopefully my clowns host the frogspawn I'm getting from you!