Naughty Clowns Molesting Torch Corals

[Enigma]

I'm ready to wring their little necks . . . though I'm not sure they actually have necks.

My clownfish have gone stupid in the last week (in a few ways . . . I think they're preparing for eggs).

They've gone gonzo over my torches. I have two very nice ones that I purchased from Reefwars. I didn't think I would have this problem, being that they're both CB fish.

Both of the torches sit in the same corner of the tank: isolated and out of stinging distance from everything else. The clowns are really messing with both of them (my black occ. disappears inside the big one for several minutes at a time, and both fish are rubbing all over both corals), and both torches are starting to look as if they don't find this agreeable.

How can I prevent the clowns from killing them? Offering them back to reefwars is something I'm considering, but I really like the torches and don't really want to lose them just yet. They have value to me.

Suggestions?

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by Enigma

I'm ready to wring their little necks . . . though I'm not sure they actually have necks.

My clownfish have gone stupid in the last week (in a few ways . . . I think they're preparing for eggs).

They've gone gonzo over my torches. I have two very nice ones that I purchased from Reefwars. I didn't think I would have this problem, being that they're both CB fish.

Both of the torches sit in the same corner of the tank: isolated and out of stinging distance from everything else. The clowns are really messing with both of them (my black occ. disappears inside the big one for several minutes at a time, and both fish are rubbing all over both corals), and both torches are starting to look as if they don't find this agreeable.

How can I prevent the clowns from killing them? Offering them back to reefwars is something I'm considering, but I really like the torches and don't really want to lose them just yet. They have value to me.

Suggestions?

hey shelley, getting a clown to stop hosting is something that is not easily done the easiest way is to add a better host like a nem. this is the reason i dont have clowns i fear they would kill my elegance(has happened to me already with 2 elegances) clowns are nice but they are just to rough and mean for me.

the torch's arnt helpless, they can close up and after a while they may get use to the thrashing, right now where the thrashing is new they are prob still going into defense mode as if they are being picked at in the wild. if the torch's dont look better in a week or so i would look into another host or another alternative.

worse case scenario i can exchange the torchs for something they wouldnt host in gl and cheers!

[Enigma]

I was hoping that they would just stay satisfied with the cleaner magnet. I really don't think that I want a nem. I did notice some maxi-minis at Big Al's yesterday. But, I suppose they'd want something more like the torches.

Do you think that separating the torches would be beneficial: would they still bother both of them?

They're both pretty deflated. They aren't pulling back into their skeletons, but they've got half the fullness that they had. What do you think would be the most obvious sign that something needs to be immediately done?

If I could find a big enough strawberry basket, would that be useful in a pinch: to drop over the corals?

(mmmmmm . . . strawberries)

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by Enigma

I was hoping that they would just stay satisfied with the cleaner magnet. I really don't think that I want a nem. I did notice some maxi-minis at Big Al's yesterday. But, I suppose they'd want something more like the torches.

Do you think that separating the torches would be beneficial: would they still bother both of them?

They're both pretty deflated. They aren't pulling back into their skeletons, but they've got half the fullness that they had. What do you think would be the most obvious sign that something needs to be immediately done?

If I could find a big enough strawberry basket, would that be useful in a pinch: to drop over the corals?

(mmmmmm . . . strawberries)

all great ideas, youll know when the torchs are dying they will have open mouths and their heads will either seperate from the skelaton or slowly melt with either a brown or white mucas.

seperating them would help for sure, im not sure the strawberry basket would work they may just wait it out untill you lift it:P

i dont think clowns host maxis very often, a toadstool or other leather could be another alternative to a host

[daniella3d]

Get an anemone for them and hope they host in it. Sebae are nice because they stay in the sand and won't go up the rocks. They can become big though, and mine was bleached and 3" when I got it, now it's 10" and in good health (brown) after only 6 months.

I had the same problem with my previous clownfish and bought an anemone. They would not go in it so I sold them, then I bought 2 nice black ice and got a sebea anemone and they love it and stay in it most of the time. But....I do have a long tentacle plate coral that they try to go visit a few times and I had to spook then off of it.

They go in my duncan coral a lot as well, so anything with tentacles is a fair game for them. The previous clownfish almost killed my beautiful long tentacles duncan and that's why I sold them and the new clownfish are a lot more gentle with the duncan.

Originally Posted by Enigma

I'm ready to wring their little necks . . . though I'm not sure they actually have necks.

My clownfish have gone stupid in the last week (in a few ways . . . I think they're preparing for eggs).

They've gone gonzo over my torches. I have two very nice ones that I purchased from Reefwars. I didn't think I would have this problem, being that they're both CB fish.

Both of the torches sit in the same corner of the tank: isolated and out of stinging distance from everything else. The clowns are really messing with both of them (my black occ. disappears inside the big one for several minutes at a time, and both fish are rubbing all over both corals), and both torches are starting to look as if they don't find this agreeable.

How can I prevent the clowns from killing them? Offering them back to reefwars is something I'm considering, but I really like the torches and don't really want to lose them just yet. They have value to me.

Suggestions?

[STANKYfish]

Get rid of the clowns I hate clowns for this very reason. Rubbing, rubbing, killing, killing your nice corals. Sorry that is just how i feel about them

[reefwars]

Originally Posted by STANKYfish

Get rid of the clowns I hate clowns for this very reason. Rubbing, rubbing, killing, killing your nice corals. Sorry that is just how i feel about them

+1 nice looking fish but aggressive,lose color with age,get territorial and do damage to soft flesh corals.

[Enigma]

Get rid of my clowns? My three-year-old would never forgive me! And, I quite like them too (most days). A second tank plumbed into this system would be a possibility, and I am in the process of thinking through a second system (fowlr) in the house.

I'll do a little more reading on nems.

The torches don't look any worse today.

[Lampshade]

The torch might get used to it. My clowns lived in zoa's for 2 years and now host in a mushroom patch. In the beginning both the zoa's and mushrooms where staying retracted all the time, obviously irritated. The clowns also where rough for the first bit, they where nearly black from the stings.

Now, I still have 2 happy clowns with very few black spots. After a month the zoa's actually got used to the clowns and no longer retracted when the clowns went inside. Now it's the same with the mushrooms, they've gotten used to the clowns.

I'd say let them get used to it, do an internet search for clowns actually killing torch/hammer/frogspawn/duncan's and you'll see it rarely happens. It just takes time for things to adjust. here's another thread on it:
Not a RC link...