Hammer Coral Hosting Clownfish

[tnguye02]

I added two occellerous clown fish to the tank 4 months ago, since the fish have been making themselves a home there on the coral 24-7, I noticed the coral doesn't open up like is used to. It no longer extend it tenticles like it was, is this a disturbance to coral??

I have have had the hammer coral for over 3 years, it just doesn't seem "happy" like it used to since the clown fish showed up, I am afraid it eventually would die. Any ideas out there?

[CyboRob]

Your move another host coral close to the hammer and see if the clowns go for it instead.

If they do not after awhile you could then try and move the hammer out of there line of sight and they then might move to the new host.

[salt-lik]

Strange. I have two true percs hanging in my green hammer and the hammer is fine. In fact, it's probably better than before.

Could it be a feeding issue? During feedings, do your clowns take any food back to the coral? Are you including any "coral food" with your feedings? I mix it up with both dry and live phytoplankton, all my corals, especially the LPS seem to love it.

[tnguye02]

I just put phytoplanton and cyclopeeze in the water, no direct feeding. I only notice the change in the hammer ever since the clowns got there, oh well, I guess you can say that marine species can be alike, but not all behave the alike.

[BFG]

I have the same problem too, 2 true perc hosting the hammer. But a few weeks later, this 2 true percs would consume the hammer tentacle by tentacle until there were none of the hammer tentacle left. It's my 5th hammer now and I am getting quite irritated.

[Potsy]

The hammer might adjust after after a while to the sensation of touch. My percula resides in a large sinularia and they have been buddies for six years. At first the sinularia used to shrink back in response to the clown's presence but now doesn't flinch despite how hard my percula might thrash around.

[thecichlidpleco]

My friend has a clown hosting in a toadstool leather, and the thing has not had his polyps out for a while. So, I think it just takes time to get used, like introducing new flow.

[tnguye02]

OK, I am not taking chances with this Hammer Coral, I have had it for 3 years, it's one of the nicest attraction about my tank. I'm taking the clowns back to the fish store.

[aschroeder]

I have a tomato clown that hosts my bubble coral. The bubble coral isn't a huge fan of the the clown, but it doesn't seem to affect it too much. It seemed to bother it more early on when the clown first started hosting it. The Hammer would likely get used to it over time.

[Musho3210]

dont take it back to the fish store, make a cage out of egg-crate and cover the coral with it so the clowns cant get in, they will give up after a while and look for a new host.