Surrogate anemone, advice please

[paultaylor]

Hi All,

I recently (about a month ago) added a Condylactis gigantea anemone plus a couple of Amphiprion perideraion clown fish. I know that this anemone does not host anemone fish so I was a bit gob smacked yesterday when I noticed that the smaller one of the clowns has decided to make it its home.

Will this cause a problem for the anemone or will it put up with the clown fish needing a surrogate ?

http://chapelle.netculture.net/aquarium/clown.jpg

Many thanks for your replies,
Paul

 

[Juck]

It will probably be fine,,, skunks aren't as rough on their anemones as some other clown species like Premnas. I have 4 pink skunks being hosted by a brown condylactis,,, they hang around their carpet anemone during the day but prefer to sleep in the condy at night.

I think there's a lot of mis-information about clowns hosting in Condylactis anemones out there,,, I don't think it's terribly rare for some clowns to take to these anemones,, I've had Premnas, perculas and Pink Skunks live happily in the 2 condys that I've owned.

My percs had a choice of a carpet, Sebae/crispa and a condy and they chose the condy, the only anemone in the tank that is not their host in nature. Go figure.

Your other clown will probably take to it too,,, the dominant fish may kick the other out of the anemone, but my experience with skunks is that it will be let back in after a while.

 

[Anonymous]

I have had clowns live in elegans and fungia corals as well as in xenia. They do not seem picky about where they "shack up". Andy