how do you get clowns to host

[RickySan]

I have two percs, and would love to see them host in something.... They have not hosted in any of these....seabae anemone, torch, hammer coral, and some frogspawn. Do i just have to be patient or should i just buy a BTA?

[papagimp]

Be patient, buying a RBTA is no gaurantee. My black and white occellaris have just now started hosting after about a year in my tank. They've felt up a few corals but never really took to anything other than a dip in the dirt, had a RBTA split a few times and they finally hosted in one of them, took several months as well with the anemone's before they even looked at em. Others will comment they stuck their clowns in and they go right for the anemone of choice or whatever, it's kinda random. Best of luck.

[masonicman]

Patience. My tomato clown just started hosting in my candy coral. 10 months in the tank. I have a bubble anemone and a hammer coral that it ignores.

[Racing1]

Just a matter of time and patience. If they are tank raised clowns they may not even go to anything. Wild caught are more apt to go to an anenome or other corals. I have a pair of wild caught tomato clowns and they hosted my anenome's within minutes of being in the tank....

Her are a couple of pics during feeding...







Good luck with yours...

[clowder]

Luck + patience. Even if you do get a RBTA, there is no guarantee that it will host

[jubjubrsx]

i cant verify how well this works...but i've read others have sucess with it....basically tape a picture of another clown fish to the glass and they will start hosting after a while.....im not sure why/how this works...buttt supposedly it does

[corals b 4 bills]

Dim the lights, pour the wine and play some Marvin Gay......Oh Yea.....No really after two attempts my clown killed two males until I put two in the tank together at one time, she killed one and mated the other....not the best way to go but now she lays eggs like clock work, the two of them have been together for three years now (the female is 10 yrs. old).

[trwells]

I've had my pair of true perculas and the frogspawn they were supposed to host in for nearly 18 months. The female just started sleeping in it 2 weeks ago. They both used to sleep at the surface until my male jumped through a whole in the egg crate last week. Luckily I heard him and put him back in. Needless to say he hasn't slept near the surface since.

[natejonesis]

Originally posted by jubjubrsx
i cant verify how well this works...but i've read others have sucess with it....basically tape a picture of another clown fish to the glass and they will start hosting after a while.....im not sure why/how this works...buttt supposedly it does

Once again, I can't verify this either .. but I've read a suggestion that some people use a small luna light aimed directly at the anenome. So that when it's lights out time, the clown can still see the anenome and kinda get the idea that it's not a bad place to host ... as opposed to floating in a corner at the top of the tank like my dumb*** clown : )

[ginger7286]

I have seven Perculas and only recently bought a large BTA. I have several other varieties in my tank which they ignored. As soon as I acclimated the BTA and placed it in the tank they were on it...all 7. Good thing it is big. I felt so sorry for it I bought another BTA. This one is a bit smaller and it is hiding under a rock so I don't think they known it's here yet. Anyway just wanted you let you know.

[RickySan]

thanks for all the replies! any other ideas would be of great help

[Timinator]

Man I bought my pair and the BTA they were hosted with at the LFS. After getting the BTA settled and the Clowns (Good name for them by the way) it took around 6 months for them to host again. So just be very patient and then repeat and repeat again!

[Timinator]

By the way I meant to add. I would not feed the Clowns for a couple of days at the end before they hosted again and feed the BTA. The Clowns would go into the BTA and steal the food therefore dipping into the anenome. Alot of times they have to build up to getting stung, from what my understanding is, and then the momement happened, yes.... sorry, I lost it for a moment. I don't know if this was the reason but something else to try. Try posting in the Clown Anenome section too, alot of people can give some good advice in there.

[Embowe]

My clown (can only keep one..keeps killing any others I put in) wont go near my GBTA during the day...but at night when the lights go off...he will sleep in it...I dont know if you would call that "hosting" or not...lol..It took them about 2 weeks to find each other...

[Aurora D.]

I've heard you can make a cage out of eggcrate and silicone, and make sure there's ample room for the clown. Then you stick it in the tank and force the clown and anemone together to acclimate to each other. If you need to feed slip the food through the openings.

[RickySan]

im looking into buying RBTA, just to see if it works. I guess i will just be patient, thanks again

[tktodd]

My Clarki clown would not mess with my anemone for like four months. One day I came home, and there he was inside of it. It has been over a year now and he loves it more than ever. I would say patience is the key.

[Embowe]

I really dont agree on FORCING them to host...I mean...would you like to be FORCED to live with somone you didnt like? If they are going to host just let it happen on its own....

[Aurora D.]

Yes, well I have just heard of this method. Even if I did have a anemone with a clown I wouldn,t have the heart to do something like that.

[RickySan]

well i dont think im going to do that but a appreciate the suggestion. i did prchase a yellow tip torch today maybe something will happen there, we'll see