Finally something works!

[snulma1]

So as some of you may know, I've been having problems with getting my snails (ceriths and astreas) to be active in my tank. So out of the 4 ceriths I bought, It seems like 3 are finally doing something. I'll have to see.

But in Celebration, I went out and bought an Atlantic Anemone for my tank. He was big and showed his mouth off at the LFS. I picked him up for a steal and brought him home.

Here he is after acclimating and first placing him in.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/snulma1/Picture009_17Jun05.jpg

Well I had heard that its not easy to get Clowns to host in these so I didn't expect much, But no sooner then 3 min after I set the anemone in the tank, look who was checking him out!
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/snulma1/Picture010_17Jun05.jpg

And then.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/snulma1/Picture011_17Jun05.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/snulma1/Picture013_17Jun05.jpg

I'm stoked about this! Does anyone have any experience with this kind of Anemone, and any info they could hook me up with I'd appreciate, I have some frozen krill to feed him with!
:rollface: :rollface:

[saltymight]

i have one i think mine was just called a seaba anemone and looks like a clarkii clown to me to i have two of them mine hosted very fast to the anemone when i got them. that specias of clown like that type of anemone. I feed mine around once every 2-3 days with silver sides. how big is your tank..what type of light system do you have. from the pick it looks like you lights are poerfull enough but yea just wondering. he does have nice color to him nice pick.

[pepe.king.prawn]

keep it well fed, the atlantics are not as photosynthetic as others (if at all??). The clarkii looks pretty small, but it may start to feed the anemone when you put food like krill in the tank.

[snulma1]

My tank is only 20 gallon, with about 34 lbs of LR. My lighting is one 65w 12K daylight bulb and one actinic bulb. He seemed pretty happy, I guess we will see how he fairs.

Another question I forgot to put in last night. When that clown started to host in him, the other smaller clown did not. Is that normal, or is he just scared of it?

[fishman805]

Originally posted by pepe.king.prawn
keep it well fed, the atlantics are not as photosynthetic as others (if at all??). The clarkii looks pretty small, but it may start to feed the anemone when you put food like krill in the tank.

All anemone's have photosythetic algae growing in their tissues.....

[chevegan]

there is way too much to explain about why the others aren't hosting, would take a looong time lol. but they won't. Only if htey're a pair, or if a juvanile sneeks in somehow. We had Ms. Daphni(e?) at our maslac meeting this month. She's a biologist who explained the whole thing. Also I really don't know how he will fair under your lighting. Ask Dr Ron and see what he says.

[saltymight]

so you haev one or two 65 watt bulbs? (one 65 day one 65 actinic.

[snulma1]

I have one 65 watt bulb and one 20 watt actinic bulb

[snulma1]

Ok, so my light have been on since around 11 am today, I came home at 7 and found this. Sorry for the quality they are camera phone pics!

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/snulma1/Picture016_18Jun05.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/snulma1/Picture015_18Jun05.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y76/snulma1/Picture014_18Jun05.jpg

It looks like the anemone is backwards, cuz that is its foot in the first shot right? Why is it doing that, and the clown keeps coming over and still shaking himself in it.
My water parameters are:
temp: 80
salinity: 1.023
ph: 8.2
Ammonia: 0.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 15
Phosphates: 0.25

Please help me!

[saltymight]

i would say it is takeing in water and letting it out to change its inner chemestry to match its surroundings. your ligthting should be just fine for your anemone my lighting is around 4.9 watts per gallon and your is not far from that. the clown is just gettin the stinging cells on its skin thats all no biggy

[snulma1]

phew, some of his tentacles are deflated, some are starting to reinflate so its starting to get better I guess. Although, now one of my clowns is missing. I can't find him

[snulma1]

Ok, found him, he was hiding in some rocks for some reason. He won't come near the anemone and the larger clown. Anyone know why?

[fishman805]

Some clowns are anemone "specific" and will only host to one type.... The one that you have is a "Pink Tip Condy" ( Atlantic anemone ) And clown's don't usually host to them ..... But,what you're going to notice is that your anemone will "inflate" and "deflate" from time to time .... there's nothing really wrong with that unless it stays deflated more often than inflated... Then it's got a problem with the water quality.... Wait till you see it "poop" you'll think it's dying ..( lol ) It poops out of the same hole it eats from ..... And you do need to feed them ... I feed mine a piece ( not very big ) of raw shrimp every other day or so ... It will also eat whatever it can get when you feed your fish....

By the pictures you've posted, yours looks very healthy ... I noticed the brownish coloration in the tissues, that's the photosynthetic algae that is present in "all" anemones tissue so they require bright lighting to maintain that to remain healthy....

One more thing, your anemone is prone to moving around the tank It will do this to find "the perfect" spot ... so make sure it can't get behind a rock somewhere that you won't be able to get it out of or it will perish especially if it's somewhere with little light... Trust me, been there experienced that.. When they totally deflate, they are amazingly small....

Good luck and keep him happy

[snulma1]

Thanks fishman. Its weird though. The 2 clowns I have are the same species, but only the larger one hosts in it. I turned on the light this morning and the larger one was asleep in it. While the smaller one was sleeping under a rock somewhere.

As for the anemone pooping, is it white and kind of fiberous looking? Cuz I think it did that last night!

But thanks for the info!

[fishman805]

Originally posted by snulma1

As for the anemone pooping, is it white and kind of fiberous looking? Cuz I think it did that last night!

But thanks for the info!


Yep ... I think it took a dump in the night .... Make sure that there is good flow around him because the poop has to "flow away".. The clown that is hosting your anemone will help with the cleanup though .... And it's good that you've gotten a clown to host it because that will also help with the anemone's well being ... Neither one are dependant on the other but from what I've read, they both benefit from each other together if you know what I mean...

[snulma1]

yeah, this am the poop thing was gone. So I guess either it was carried away by the current or the clown scooped it for him. Is there something wrong with the other clown that won't come near it? I don't know if they were mated pairs, how can I tell?

[fishman805]

I'm affraid I can't help you there....

[snulma1]

Thanks anyway

[Dr. Chek]

snulma, just curious, how much did you pay for the anemone?

[snulma1]

I picked him up for 10 dollars. The LFS sold me some bad pumps, and in trade for the hassle they sold him to me for half off. He is doing fairly well I think.

[NexDog]

Two clowns won't host in the same anenome unless they are paired. I have 2 Clarkii's (3 months now) and they are also paired. One certainly turned female and they show alot of pairing behaviour but they each stay in their own anenomes for now. As the bond develops over time I'm sure they will host together. Check out the stickies in the clownfish forum for info on pairing clownfish. It certainly is very rewarding to get two immature clowns and see them pair over time, host and feed anenomes.

[snulma1]

What is the best way to feed the anemone, I don't want to shove the food in its mouth, but everytime I put krill in the anemone, the clownfish shakes himself off in the anemone and sprays the food.

[fishman805]

One of two ways, 1: Place the food directly in it's mouth area ( allow it to grab it with it's tenticles) by hand.. or 2: ( this is the methode I use ) Place the food on the end of a stick or something of that nature and place it in the tenticles so that it can grab it and bring it to it's mouth on it's own....

Make sure that if you use the secound method that you don't have it on there too tight that you uproot the anemone from it's place as you draw away the stick.... I use a small diameter metal coat hanger and impale the food on it loosly and feed him directly ... He can pull the food off the wire and will drag it into his mouth ...

[z_rivers]

i used to have a piared pair of orange skunk clowns who were hosted by an LTA. the female would always be in the anemone but the little male was never allowed within 2'' of the anemone during the day. at night however, as soon as the lights went out he was right in there and they both slept side by side. check to see if hes in there at night, if not, i would guess they have not formed a true pair yet and are still buddies.

[snulma1]

So its possible that they will mate over time?

[NexDog]

Depends on alot of things. If they are both sexually immature then it is likely. If they are both already male or female then no.