Help With Setup

[chrissaysyes]

Well, a 30 gallon would be much better, and much easier to keep up with. For one thing, there's no garauntee that your clownfish is going to host whatever anemone you choose. There are a lot of sites (and theres a chart here somewhere) which have charts that will give you an idea of which clownfish host whichever species of anemone naturally. A Condylactis or Hatian would be good and hardy but clownfish dont host those in the wild. Your hardiest and most likely candidate is probably a Bubble Tip Anemone. Find one that's captive bred as it will be much healthier and hardier.

 

[jeasko]

blake in you last post you indicate that you have already started setting the tank up?? if so how long has it been running as I really would be careful in adding the clown as if the tank hasn't cycled it will be very bad for the little fellow!

 

[blakenkayla]

about a week or so

 

[SkiFletch]

Have you been measuring Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate in the tank?

Also remember that some clownfish are not as likely to host as other clownfish. The commonly available Ocellaris ("Nemo") clownfish don't always host anemones. Even the nearly identical Percula clownfish seem to be somewhat picky on if/when they will host a nem. Their natural anemone is a Carpet nem, and don't even think about keeping these in a small tank for a beginner. Their survival rates in the care of experts is very poor, and they get BIG!

Clarkii and Tomato clowns almoast always exhibit hosting behavior IME right off the bat. And their wild hosts include most of the easier types of nems. Skunk clowns are also avid/active hosters

 

[chrissaysyes]

You can have a tomato clown "host" powerheads Anytime I've had one it always has a special spot it likes to retreat to and hover around...theyre not so much as cute as ocellaris though. I guess that's a matter of opinion though. And some may think a 10g tank would be too small for a tomato clown.

 

[Lynden]

I don't really care for ocellaris. Their natural hosts are mainly Heteractis magnifica, not carpets, which are amoung the most difficult anemone to keep alive.

However Stichodactlya haddoni are often incredibly hardy and can thrive under PC's. These are often considered the easiest wild-caught nem to keep alive long term.

 

[Musho3210]

i would just get an aquacultured bubble tip no matter what..... good way to start off with anemones, and higher hosting rate than condy, plus not as agressive. Get a bubble tip, 2 tank bred clowns (whatever type suits your fancy) and call it a day (or if you do it in the process of maybe 4-6 months, call it half a year). Then, all you can do after that, is pray, maybe lure the clowns into the nem, put a plastic nemo vege clip on the nem and see if the other "real" clowns follow.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Yeah, dont bother getting a condy if you want them to host it Make sure you have decent flow and lighting for the nem.

 

[SkiFletch]

However Stichodactlya haddoni are often incredibly hardy and can thrive under PC's. These are often considered the easiest wild-caught nem to keep alive long term.

Huh, my LFS owner agrees, except he also claims the survival rate of wild caught haddonis (especially the red color morph) through shipping is atrociously low. Although he does agree that if they make it through shipping they're as hardy as can be. I've seen him get a bunch in through the store and only two live in the last couple years I've been going there (both were the green color morph). One was still in his show tank until a member of our club bought it. Gorgeous nem, musta been a foot in diameter

 

[Lynden]

Yes, believe it or not, the vast majority of nems are done in beforehand by collection and shipping, and not so much by the aquarist. Doesn't make a huge difference though, if they die, they die.

 

[SkiFletch]

Agreed. I've only met one man who was/still is able to keep a magnifica alive. He's been reefin for the better part of 15 years though, so he might have a bit of experience

 

[Lynden]

It's a shame, too; they are so pretty. Best left in the wild in my opinion, though I found one website (forgot the name) that added antibiotics to their nem quarantine tanks and that apparently boosted survival rates by several hundred %'s. If they were able to captive breed them then we'd be set.