Have had my ocellaris pair since last September. My open brain was added about 5 weeks before them. The clowns never showed any interest in anything other than one of the Koralias and a corner of the tank when it came to seeking a host.
But of course, in my re-aquascape this week the fish thought they were in a new ocean and they have all gone nuts. The cleaner goby is now cleaning fish as well as hanging out in the brain coral. The clowns are also trying to adopt the brain coral. This sounds all well and good to some, but I wasn't wild about the idea when I first saw Wilma inspecting the brain.
This was the first morning of it, and I've shared it before (sorry it is fuzzy but without a DSLR any photo with a clown in my tank seems to come out blurred)
The brain there in the photo is only about 1/2 inflated as it typically would be when the MHs are on. I've been keeping an eye on it and I've seen it a bit more inflated than that, and lots less as well. Never 100% and even deflated as it would at night this evening about 2 hours before lights off.
The neon goby is still checking it out, but Wilma is the worry. She definitely is in love with this brain. She is feeding it, she is cuddling with it, she is rubbing all over it. The woman is in lust as poor Fred looks on from nearby.
So after seeing what clowns have done to leathers and a few other corals that aren't natural hosts I'm a bit concerned.
For those that have clowns hosting in corals what are your experiences? Did you ever notice a period of adjustment where they perhaps adapted to the constant rubbing and then would go back to inflating or whatever their normal state was during daylight? I'd like to keep the brain where it is, and I don't want to do a complete re-aquascape but if the outlook looks bad I'll try relocating the brain and then if that doesn't work go through another scape (and probably more hives) again.
But of course, in my re-aquascape this week the fish thought they were in a new ocean and they have all gone nuts. The cleaner goby is now cleaning fish as well as hanging out in the brain coral. The clowns are also trying to adopt the brain coral. This sounds all well and good to some, but I wasn't wild about the idea when I first saw Wilma inspecting the brain.
This was the first morning of it, and I've shared it before (sorry it is fuzzy but without a DSLR any photo with a clown in my tank seems to come out blurred)
The brain there in the photo is only about 1/2 inflated as it typically would be when the MHs are on. I've been keeping an eye on it and I've seen it a bit more inflated than that, and lots less as well. Never 100% and even deflated as it would at night this evening about 2 hours before lights off.
The neon goby is still checking it out, but Wilma is the worry. She definitely is in love with this brain. She is feeding it, she is cuddling with it, she is rubbing all over it. The woman is in lust as poor Fred looks on from nearby.
So after seeing what clowns have done to leathers and a few other corals that aren't natural hosts I'm a bit concerned.
For those that have clowns hosting in corals what are your experiences? Did you ever notice a period of adjustment where they perhaps adapted to the constant rubbing and then would go back to inflating or whatever their normal state was during daylight? I'd like to keep the brain where it is, and I don't want to do a complete re-aquascape but if the outlook looks bad I'll try relocating the brain and then if that doesn't work go through another scape (and probably more hives) again.
that being said if she is anything like my "clarkii" these affections can get quite forceful. i guess i'd just give it a week or so and see if the brain starts to warm up to her at all. unfortunately now if you move it she'll probably just move with it...
