Quick Need Advice!!!

[Phischy]

A member of sdreefs accidentally got a shipment of 26 clownfish and the person who accidentally shipped them told him to keep him for fear the fish won't make the return trip.

So, he's selling false percula's for $10. My question is will it cohabitate with shrooms/open brain/alveopora ok? I know they host anemonies but I'm worried it'll try to hose the alveopora and the alve will hide from it. Thus starving to death. Should I be worried? I could always probably just sell it off but I don't want to piss off my current happy tank critters.

Oh, and it'll have to get along well with my yellow goby.

Any conflicts?

 

[Phischy]

NEvermind, I went ahead and got one. Apparentlyt he False Clowns aren't as aggressive and territorial as the wild ones. The guys were telling me that these are pretty dumb and that I don'thave to worry too much about it. We shall see...

 

[djconn]

I think everything should be fine. Nice buy at $10!

 

[Phischy]

Yup, he's in my tank right now. I guess it's good they're stupid b/c he hangs out in front of the tank w/ no fear of predators. Obviously I don't have any but he doesn't have the instinct to hide in the reef. So dumb fish can be good! My yellow goby hides alot but usually near my shrooms.

I haven't really seen it eat yet either. I need to get some mysis shrimp.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Great buy! Do you know if they are tank raised clowns or wild caught? Tank raised should accept just about any prepared food.

 

[Phischy]

All tank raised. I try to either buy frags or raised anything that goes into my tank. Less wild caught is better b/c it puts less stress on the worlds reefs.

Plus tank raised fish are dumb and not as skittish. That being said, a raised clown will most likely not host an anenomie b/c they haven't been taught to do so in the wild. A trade off for sure but....

 

[incysor]

All tank raised. I try to either buy frags or raised anything that goes into my tank. Less wild caught is better b/c it puts less stress on the worlds reefs.

Plus tank raised fish are dumb and not as skittish. That being said, a raised clown will most likely not host an anenomie b/c they haven't been taught to do so in the wild. A trade off for sure but....

I've had 3 occellaris, and 2 true percs. None of them were particuarly skittish after a couple days in the tank, and they all ate anything and everything I put in the tank. 2 of the occelaris were tank raised, and yep they were fairly dumb when it came to their host. One of them loved the cleaning magnet. It was hilarious to watch it chase it around when cleaning the tank.

It's possible the clown will 'get it' and then it will try to host anything wavy in the tank. At this point if the alveopora is the waviest it's a prime target, and may indeed starve. On the other hand the coral may figure out the clown isn't a problem and stop retracting and be fine. My bosses perc hosts a large alveopora in his 180 and it's fine. Of course it's a BIG coral. My male perc hosts my goniopora, and it seemed irritated at first, but after a couple days it didn't seem to care a bit. It doesn't retract even the slightest bit now from him rubbing on it. It's funny when it retracts for the night and he's left rubbing on few bare branches. I think he's taking to the new carpet anemone though, so maybe he'll leave the goniopora alone a bit.

Good luck, and great bargain.

B

 

[dragon79]

my experience

My girlfriend has a false perc, and like all of you say, he's always up in the front, and by the top usually when we get home from work and is just ready to be fed. If ever I need to do some arranging or whatever, the false perc will begin to go to my hand and peck at it like I'm food or something, lol. I like the fish, he has a lot of personality and just shows no fear, as he should, there is nothing of a threat in there.

Incysor:

the part in your post: "alveopora is the waviest it's a prime target, and may indeed starve. On the other hand the coral may figure out the clown isn't a problem and stop retracting and be fine."

What is alveopora? and with having a fake perc, how does it starve? Wont it continue to feed like any other coral? I get the idea with the anemone where the true percs will bring food to them, but didn't know that about regular long wavy corals. Tell me more, thanks.

 

[incysor]

Re: my experience

My girlfriend has a false perc, and like all of you say, he's always up in the front, and by the top usually when we get home from work and is just ready to be fed. If ever I need to do some arranging or whatever, the false perc will begin to go to my hand and peck at it like I'm food or something, lol. I like the fish, he has a lot of personality and just shows no fear, as he should, there is nothing of a threat in there.

Incysor:

the part in your post: "alveopora is the waviest it's a prime target, and may indeed starve. On the other hand the coral may figure out the clown isn't a problem and stop retracting and be fine."

What is alveopora? and with having a fake perc, how does it starve? Wont it continue to feed like any other coral? I get the idea with the anemone where the true percs will bring food to them, but didn't know that about regular long wavy corals. Tell me more, thanks.

Alveopora is a type of coral....Sometimes you see it labled branching flowerpot. Like regular flowerpots it doesn't have a great reputation for doing well in aquariums.

There are lots of corals that will starve if they can't or won't extend they're polyps to catch food in the water. If a clown continually rubs up against a coral, thereby triggering the coral to retract it's polyps the coral can't feed. If the coral adapts to the clown rubbing on it, and leaves it's polyps extended then it'll to as well as without the clown in the tank. That doesn't mean it won't die, it just means that it won't be from the clown trying to host it.

B

 

[mihkaail]

Hi all

I had a false perc in a 12gallon and, although i wanted it to host a really big frogspawn, he went over and hosted in a tiny (3inches expanded) alveo.

At first the alveo would retract and shudder when the clown got too close but after a while it kinda got used to it. But the clown was really small (less than an inch) and didnt irritate the alveo so much with extremely intimate contact.

Just my humble experience though

Mihkaail

 

[Phischy]

update

Tom the Clownfish (my girl demanded that I named it so I chose something bland to satisfy her and she won't let it die. She asks how Tom is doing and it always takes me a second to realize what she's talking about) is still dumb as ever. He doesn't go near any corals, just swims around. The yellow goby perches on everything and the alvepora doesn't mind. I think this clownfish should be called a pigfish, he eats everything! I've also now seen my goby eating mysis and cyclops. So that's cool.