Maroon Clown and Anemone

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witmerboarder

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Oct 29, 2007
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NE Indiana
I did the search and read a few threads on Clown Fish and Anemone’s but still am unsure about my question. But I also know I should give some other information to get the best answer so…

I currently have a Maroon clown that has acquired the creatively inventive name of “Red”. She has adopted a piece of rock in the bottom corner of the tank and really only comes out when I feed. She comes right up and takes the flakes from my fingers and swims about eating all the flakes floating around. I also break up a shrimp for my gobies to eat and she will grab a piece of the shrimp and take it back to her rock and deposit it.

So my question, If I purchased an Anemone would that prompt her to come out into the open more often, become to aggressive, ect, ect. LFS said that she would become a little aggressive when other fish or my hand got close to the Anemone but that she would not kill other fish just chase them away. She currently is not aggressive when you get close to her rock. Just looking for more opinion and experience. Thank you.
 

Catpicklesdog

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Feb 25, 2007
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I had a bubble tip anemone that my clown used as a host and she hardly ever came out of it. She would chase the other fish (and me) away if we got too close it but nothing overly aggressive (although my LFS would disagree as she bit him several times!!!)

As I'm sure you know, there is no guarantee that your clown will even use the anmone as a host.

Don't know if this will actually answer your question - but - I do not intend to get another anemone. My clown doesn't need one to survive and since doing further research and realising what detremental effect taking an anemone from the wild can do to a clown fish, I don't want to risk another one. Despite having good water params, halide lighting and a 182 gal tank, I cannot seem to get an anemone to survive longer than 6 months.

My clown fish seems to be swimming around the tank a lot more since her anemone perished (thanks to a Koralia #4) but it has only been a day.

HTH
 

witmerboarder

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Oct 29, 2007
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NE Indiana
since doing further research and realising what detremental effect taking an anemone from the wild can do to a clown fish, I don't want to risk another one.

HTH
What did you mean by this? The Anemone can harm the clown????

Thank you
 

Catpicklesdog

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Feb 25, 2007
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What did you mean by this? The Anemone can harm the clown????

Thank you
No I meant when you take an anemone from the wild, the clown that has been hosting it in the wild is now left without any protection and is at risk. Research is still a bit sketchy on anemones in the wild, but it has been noted that you don't often see "baby" anemones, meaning that it takes years for them to grow.
 

witmerboarder

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Oct 29, 2007
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NE Indiana
Interesting, I did not think about that. That is the part of this hobby that I think alot of us struggle with. We enjoy our fish and take great care of them but also realize that we have riped them from their home and caged them.

On that note maybe Red is just fine with her rock.
 

Horchata

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Mar 24, 2008
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anenomes will split when its time for them. they dont have babies, the mouths will split into two, and you will see two detach from one another. and they wont harm the clown
 

Catpicklesdog

Hindsight is a wonderful thing!
Feb 25, 2007
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Telford, UK
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Alison
Interesting, I did not think about that. That is the part of this hobby that I think alot of us struggle with. We enjoy our fish and take great care of them but also realize that we have riped them from their home and caged them.

On that note maybe Red is just fine with her rock.
It's only since starting to research more in depth into different species that I look at those kind of issues. I'm not a total "free nemo" obviously, as I do keep fish!!! But I will never replace my cleaner wrasse for similar reasons.
 

darthgoby

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Dec 28, 2006
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I don't have a maroon clown but my skunk clowns hang out next to my mushrooms, frogspawn, and pretty much anything in the tank.

Instead of an anemone, you might want to think about getting some corals to host your clownfish. I was able to find an article about some clowns hosting a toadstool leather just like they would an anemone. The plus side is that some of the corals are a lot easier to keep than corals and can be much more easily grown in captivity.
 

apelaston

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Mar 21, 2008
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i agree with him above me...get another type of coral, hammer coral, frogspawn , hand leather, all of those I have seen clowns host before. However there is no promise. Not even with an anemone....
 

salty420

this fish was coming on to me
Mar 8, 2007
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Sugar Grove, IL
i have 2 bk/wt clowns that host a rbta and they are totally obsessed with it. they rarely ever leave it other than to eat. but the relationship they have with the nem is probably the neatest thing about my reef. i love to watch them snuggle in the nem and suck on it tentacles. they are so cute and crazy about it! it's an amazing relationship. i know my nem was a clone as well so it was not taken from the wild. the clowns are really not aggressive to any of my other fish but they HATE my midas blenny because he picked his home to be a hole in the LR too close to their precious nem. overall the only downfall to my nem is that i do have to be careful about placement of my other corals and hope the nem doesn't go for a walk (which thankfully mine is not a mover!). as far as your maroon goes, they are traditionally quite aggressive clowns with or without a nem so im not sure if getting a nem would really make them that much more aggressive or not! i think they'd be just as aggressive if they were hosting a spot on the LR or the powerhead, or another coral...
 
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