Wife Wants

[bdaley]

As the title say my wife asked me to put a bubble tip in my tank for the clowns. I have only tried it once and it kept moving and bothering the corals. thoughts on them in a mixed reef and those that have them how much or a PIA are they?

Thanks

 

[bdaley]

also fish stock plan, pair of clown, sailfin tang, 1 neko wrasse, 3 leopards or ???? , mandarin, bi-color Blenny and a pair of red scooters when I can find them.

 

[ChrisV]

Many people keep them and like them. My gripes are that when they are thriving, the reproduce. When they reproduce, they often wander and when they wander they often sting corals. My experience has been that in anemone vs coral battles, the anemone often wins. I tried putting one in my tank well before sensitive corals and I thought I was set with it's location, but it decided to wander one day. I would rate it as a 6.5/10 PITA. Shrug.

The frustrating part was that my clown wanted nothing to do with it. If you have a maroon clown (which is hosted by this species in nature) you may have better luck. I tried all kinds of crazy nonsense to get my clown to associate with my anemone.

Ultimately, my clown spent a year avoiding my anemone. Eventually I got a second clown. Within 6 weeks they both took up residence in my neon green candy cane coral. Looks neat. I'm glad they have finally stopped chilling by the return pipe.

 

[ChrisV]

I will only add that sometimes a PITA is worth it, if it keeps your partner supportive of the hobby (perhaps even interested!).

 

[bdaley]

Chris thank you for echoing my feelings, I will set her up a bio-cube for a pair of clowns and nems. to go with my cube I want to set up for orange spot file fish just need to find a constant course of brown out SPS.

 

[bdaley]

As for the wife she is very supportive as I support her stained glass hobby and she has missed my tanks and pushed be back in can't wait for all my 4th of July sale zoas to get in this week and my shrooms.

 

[dz6t]

I have rainbow bubble tips anemone available that attached to small rocks, they are less likely to walk than those unattached ones. I also have rocks with multiple rainbow anemone on them that makes an instant little anemone garden.

 

[chadfish]

Like many, I’m also fascinated by the Nem/clown symbiosis. If you can start with the nem, wait for it to find its spot, then build around it, that’s the safest bet. Well, maybe second to your Biocube solution.

I have one of @dz6t ’s rainbow bubble tips and it has a striking color and it’s happy and generally stationary.

Clowns will eventually find the nem. It may take a long time, but it will happen. It took over 6 months for them to click. They ended up eating some of the nem poop, and then an accidental brush-up. Then a staring contest that lasted a week. The female clown would just hover and stare at the nem like someone trying to remember something long forgotten.

 

[Cooper2]

I'm no expert but what dz6t says has been 100% true in my experience. I picked up a "Haitian anemone" on a rock and it's still on that rock after 4 months. The rose tip I got by itself seems restless and moves between 2 rocks all the time, sometimes on top, sometimes on bottom. My clowns are still in love with return pipe though.....smh
Get the rock its on if you can!