Strange Question: How do you get Clowns to Stop Hosting?

[twizttid1]

My pair of percs, that I've had since the beginning, are hosting in my favia brain... They were hosting in my goniopora for about 6 months prior.... they were beating the crap outta it, and the goni was obviosuly dying. I rescued the poor coral by building myself a little frag tank and plumbing it inline with my refugium, and I'm happy to say it's slowly recovering...
I got the favia last week and I'm noticing tonight that they are trying to host in/on it.... they're beating it up!!
So how the heck do I get them to stop hosting? I don't want them killing my corals...
I'm really hesitant to get an anenome because I don't want them for two reasons:
-They can take a midnight stroll one night and kick some coral ass along the way.
-mysteriously missing fish and shrimp......

I've got a frogspawn and a hammer that I would prefer they host in.... maybe if I pull a bit of a switcheroo with the frogspawn and the favia, they'll take to the frogspawn???
Any thoughts?

[vaporize]

I just need to address one thing before I give my advice. "Hosting" is what the anemone/coral does. The fish is the inhabitant, or "guest" as it were. Fishes are never hosts ... except to parasites. :bsmile:


Wrong definition.

Hosting is what the clown fish does, it's a verb.

Host is the anemone/coral, guest is the clownfish. The use of the word "host" or "guest" here is a noun.

"Clownfish is hosting at anemone"
"Clownfish host at anemone"
"Parasites host at their host"
"Parasites are hosting at their host"

The use of the word "host/hosts/hosting" here is actually the action of the guest staying at the host, therefore it is used as a verb. The original post is using it correctly.

[McGillicudy]

While I disagree with you Vaporize, what sucks is your hijacking of this post with that dribble.

twizttid1 - I have had a gold-striped maroon clown for a few years and he has never done what I want him to do. They have such a mind of their own and I guess that is one of the reasons they are so great!! I now have a large blue LTA hosting my clown. The LTA stays in one place, but he now expands to almost a foot in diameter and is stinging all sorts of things near him... It's a constant battle.

I agree with Chromis, though. Try to find a small anemone that your clown likes. My experience is that once they get settled, they stop moving around for the most part. In terms of missing fish and shrimp, as I say I have a huge LTA and he has never touched my fish or shrimp (of which I have quite a few).

Good luck!

Mike

[twizttid1]

I's all symantecs to me anyways guys....

Anyone else had this issue??

I'm going to attempt a switchroo with the Frogspawn and the favia... maybe they'll take to the frogspawn...

The favia is in the spot the goniopora used to be in...that could be a factor in why they are taking to it.

McGillicudy, I really would rather avoid a anenome......I just feel I can't trust/contain them.... I would hate to lose ANY of my livestock to a feed an anenome.

[vaporize]

I apologise for high jacking the thread. :D

So let me contribute to the topic, remembered another member once trained their clowns to host on an anemone by putting the clown in with an anemone in a 2.5G for a week to let it get use to the stings and develop liking and immunity to the anemone. Maybe you can try doing that for your frogspawn and see if it works.

If you're are worrying about disappearing fish/shrimp, go for bubble-tip, my bta haven't eat anything at all, althou they can have a wide range of "satisfactory" location since they can stand at all heights of the tank (unlike carpet or ltd), so you have to watch them until they settle down.

[KevinFJB]

Wrong definition.

Hosting is what the clown fish does, it's a verb.

Host is the anemone/coral, guest is the clownfish. The use of the word "host" or "guest" here is a noun.

"Clownfish is hosting at anemone"
"Clownfish host at anemone"
"Parasites host at their host"
"Parasites are hosting at their host"

The use of the word "host/hosts/hosting" here is actually the action of the guest staying at the host, therefore it is used as a verb. The original post is using it correctly.

consider "clown hosting in..." as idiomatic in reef keeping context ;)

[kgolem]

Any research that I have done indicates that the relationship between clownfish and anemone is symbiotic or mutual, in that both organisms benefit from each other.

I am not sure that the use of the word “host” is proper here when describing the clownfish/anemone situation. The word host implies that the clownfish is parasitic to the anemone, and that is not the case.

Maybe someone like TyreeUM can help out with this one.

As far as moving the clownfish to a new partner, IMO you will have to find an organism which is more desirable – as mentioned by Chromis. Then force the clownfish to the new digs by segregation from the brain.

You might end up with quite a nice collection of softies before this is over.:bsmile:

[gnarlyswine]

why not use one of the silicone rubber artificial anemones to tempt them away before you introduce possible substitutes then take out the fake again?