Anenome for Percula clowns

[kjswift]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a host anenome for percula clowns? I have tried a long tentacle and a sebae so far, this was unsucessfull. Thanks

[captexas]

I have a pair of true percula clowns in my 58. They have taken up residence in my bubble-tip anemone. It took them a couple of days to figure it out, but after that they rarely venture far from it. I have heard other people having had a hard time finding an anemone that their clowns like. You may just have to let them be for awhile and maybe someday they will take to an anemone or another coral in your tank, which sometimes happens.

[Tim Marvin]

Bubble tips are pretty hardy, but if you have any nitrates or phosphates in your tank anemones won't do very well. They do very well in systems with a lot of macro algae(refugiums), strong current, and strong lighting. Are you just not getting them to host or are the anemones dieing on you? Also watch how they get the anemone off the tank if they rip the foot it can kill the anemone.

[imported_admin]

I believe in the wild, A. percula will usually host in the following:

Heteractis magnifica -- Ritteri anenome
H. crispa -- Sebae anenome
S. mertensii -- Merten's carpet anenome
Stichodactyla gigantea

Captive-bred are less picky i've read.

EDIT: Oops... forgot I was logged in as admin :oops:

[kjswift]

My anenomes are fine its just the clowns that are ignoring them. What corals would they stay in?

[Tim Marvin]

Large toadstool leathers, frogspawn, hammers, bubbles and just about any with large amounts of tissue. If they are tank raised they lose some of the natural instinct and can take a few months to start hosting or even longer. Just be patient.

[Derek B]

kjs, try taping a picture of a clown(s) in an anemone to the side of the tank for your clowns to see. I have heard others that have tried this and had it work.