Anemones

[ZANYMASTER]

What do you feed them mostly?

 

[reefs4life]

Personally, I rarely feed them, possibly once a month, if that. I used to do silversides but for one, they go bad in the freezer for how seldomly I feed and secondly, they're not the best thing to feed because you run the risk of tearing their delicate tissue with the fish bones. I am way more comfortable feeding them pieces of cocktail shrimp. It's almost always in the freezer and people at home eat it regularly so there's always a fresh batch, never have to worry about it going bad.

On a regular, they mainly eat whatever I feed the fish which includes NLS Pellets & Flakes and Hikari Mysis, Spirulina Brine Shrimp & Krill. There's really no reason to spot feed them unless you want them to grow or split (depending on species). If they're filling the spot they're in nicely, you could just let them pick out whatever is in the water column

 

[wharris]

well if you have clowns that host it. research has shown that the clowns will actually bring it food and feed it. so theyll eat whatever you feed your fish. also more recent research has shown that at night when co2 levels rise the clowns will help the anem breath by supplying it with some o2. i though that was pretty interesting.

when i had my anem i just fed the tank Rods and that made everyone in the tank happy.

 

[saltwaterinbrooklyn]

I give my news mysis on Monday , and a silver side piece on Saturday .

 

[QueensRob]

+1 I have a mated pair of maroon clowns and the female will grab the largest chunk of food and push it against the mouth of the anemone before she gets food for herself. I will try to make a video when it happens again.

 

[RARECLOWNSNJ]

Food

In the wild anemones rarely eat who fish or large chunks of fish. Most times it is the by catch of reef fish being eaten and the clowns bring it back to the anemone or it floats into them.

Feeding for anemones is not 100 needed but can be helpful to feeding the symbiotic algea inside them.

I always recommend feeding small peices like mysis smaller then your pinky nail.

 

[Reef lover24]

Since I have had my RBTAs I honestly rarely feed them. People say to feed them silversides and etc.. They mostly grab whats in the water when you feed your fish. I sometimes spot feed them Mysis every so rarely. They seem happy, and haven't moved so I gather they are happy. You don't need to do much for your rbta especially if your clown starts to host it in a few weeks.

 

[ZANYMASTER]

It's a small one so my clown won't host it any time soon.It hates the flow

 

[Reef lover24]

Just because its a small one does not mean your clown wont host it... They do not host right away it may take some time, maybe weeks or months never know. Keep him in a crevice where he is protected from the flow and feels comfortable.

 

[RARECLOWNSNJ]

Hosting

Hosting really depends on weather they are wild caught or captive bred.

Captive bred clowns dont know what its like to host anemones. They still have the instinct to do it but it may take time.

Wild caught clowns dont know otherwise.

Last week i got 4 wild caught clownfish, i acclimated them for 2 hours and within a half hour they all were hosting BTAs and magnificas. In the wild they dont know otherwise and most time that is why alot of clowns that are wild caught can come down with external disease.

 

[wharris]

I think that captive vs. wild isnt as true as most would have you believe. I have had three pairs of captive clowns. And all of them have hosted an anemone within 48 hours of introduction to the tank. The key is you have to show the clowns the anem. If they dont know its there they wont host it. Thats what takes so long

 

[Waleedwale1]

I feed my anemone coral frenzy, brine shrimp, and mysis shrimp. My first pair of clowns hosted anything in sight, torches, GSP, frogspawn, whatever. However one disappeared and I gave the other one away. I now have a Fancy Snowflake and a Wyoming white, they won't host anything, not even the large BTA I have. I'm considering doing the picture thing where people tape a picture of a clownfish hosting an anemone to the tank and apparently a few people have had success with it lol.

 

[RARECLOWNSNJ]

I think that captive vs. wild isnt as true as most would have you believe. I have had three pairs of captive clowns. And all of them have hosted an anemone within 48 hours of introduction to the tank. The key is you have to show the clowns the anem. If they dont know its there they wont host it. Thats what takes so long

If you read what I wrote it said may take more time. I have seen captive bred clarki host immediately.

Also their ability to "see" the anemone is based on smell not sight. There was a study done not to long ago that showed how clowns use their sense of smell to go back to the reef where the Anemones are.

Here is a good article on the study they used the scent of anemones and leaf litter that was close to the shore.
http://saltwateraquariumblog.com/clownfish-can-find-their-way-back-home-using-sense-of-smell

 

[RARECLOWNSNJ]

I feed my anemone coral frenzy, brine shrimp, and mysis shrimp. My first pair of clowns hosted anything in sight, torches, GSP, frogspawn, whatever. However one disappeared and I gave the other one away. I now have a Fancy Snowflake and a Wyoming white, they won't host anything, not even the large BTA I have. I'm considering doing the picture thing where people tape a picture of a clownfish hosting an anemone to the tank and apparently a few people have had success with it lol.

Check out this guide by Dr. Fautin and Dr. Allen as a guide for natural host. Btas are not a natural host but will be accepted but it may take longer. Other anemones then the ones below May be accepted but it may take longer

Percula natural host are
Host anemone species: Heteractis crispa; H. magnifica; Stichodactyla gigantea.

Ocellaris natural host are
Host anemone species: Heteractis magnifica; Stichodactyla gigantea; S. mertensii.