Clowns Not Hosting
 

I have tried to get my clowns to host in gbta and now a saddle carpet nem.
I have torches and other things clowns do host in however mine do not.
They are a wild caught mated pair of true percs.
any ideas on how to get them to find the host?
tank is 45 gallon 4 feet long, 4 t4 54 watt, connected to a 200 gallon water system.

I used to have a pair that never hosted. It sucks because I think that's part of the reason alot of reefers buy them, is to see that interaction between clown and host.

Sorry I can't be of any help

I read a thread somewhere that said if you taped a photo of a clown hosting a nem to the side of the tank the clowns will see it and figure it out.

My perc never hosted at all until I introduced a yellow watchman to the tank. There wasn't a huge amount of agression, but definately some tension between the two. Since then, my perc started hosting in my frogspawn. My theory on that is the clowns use hosting as a defencive measure to keep safe from preditors. So if the clown is feeling non threatened and very safe in the tank, no need to host. Such as before the watchman/perc tiff. But let me repeat, that's my very unscientific and not well informed theory. ;)

I was told an interesting bit of info not long ago about clowns. If they're captive raised it can be very difficult to get them to host. This is due to the fact that they've probably never seen an anenome or anything similar. I have a pair of captive raised false percs and I have a large elegance & frogspawn but they haven't even given it a glance.

hosting is instinctive, i have seen many captive breed clown hosting almost instantly when added to a tank.

your biggest problem is your choice of hosts are not a natural choice for your species of clown. you don't want your clowns to be hosted by an LPS coral, the rubbing by the clowns will usually rip the coral apart on his skeleton.

natural hosts for A. percula are H. magnifica and S. gigantea, unfortunately two of the toughest to keep anemones. you may get lucky and they'll be hosted by another species but it could take some time or may not happen at all.

good luck

I've had a pair of clowns host in a clam of all things! They would nestle in the small opening and sleep in it over night, and I'd find them there in the morning.

I've never had a perc in a nem.

My clowns are hosting the side of my wavebox :rolleyes:

They love the thing. Clean the heck out the one side and back and rarely leave it unless its to get food.

They used to host some hairy mushrooms but after the tank move, they went straight to the wavebox and have never left.

What clowns host a Seabae anemone? I had one prior to my tank crash and had two false percs hosting an open brain coral instead of the Seabae.

it took my t.perks over 9 monthes to finally start hosting. they now host in my hairy mushies and torch , rather than my mag cleaner. i have heard putting apic up of clowns hosting will help.