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View Full Version : alternative host besides anemones?


JennaH
03/22/2010, 11:57 PM
i'm setting up my 1st reef which will prob be home to a pair of clowns (not sure which kind yet) . i am intimidated by the idea of having an anemone until i have experience with some easier things... so i'm looking for suggestions on what i could have that clowns may consider hosting?
12gal w/ 78w t5HO, still cycling

Nano Chris
03/23/2010, 12:20 AM
I used to have a lta (long tentical anemone), than i had a rbta (rose bubble tip anemone), but now my pair of clown fish host in my xenia. But they could do without till than till you get experience.

arioch
03/23/2010, 06:42 AM
They'll "be hosted by" pretty much anything including your in-tank equipment. Some corals, like euphyllias (torches, frogspawns, hammers), are great visual substitutes, if you actually plan to have any of those in your tank.

cdsheid
03/23/2010, 07:31 AM
Dont forget about mushrooms. Ive seen quite a few host mushrooms. Most of the time its the common purple mushroom you see overgrowing tanks.

stevetcg
03/23/2010, 07:35 AM
Lets see... my clowns host a powerhead, flower pot, BTA, overflow and one of them favors a large rock... so really anything. Put them in a tank and they will find a home.

discocarp
03/23/2010, 08:12 AM
Mine host in a big chalice coral. A long time ago I had a pair host in a toadstool leather. I think it is a great choice in a first reef. It is a very hardy coral and it looks good with clowns hosting in it.

What The?
03/23/2010, 09:45 AM
I have 2 that host the heater, and my cleaner shrimp. ( I wish i had a camera so i could post pic's )

enduserferg
03/23/2010, 12:00 PM
Mine went from hosting mushrooms which i removed to staying in between my Paly's. They ignore my frogspawn RBTA and hammers completely.

Fanof49ASU
03/23/2010, 12:02 PM
Another vote for Xenia. She loves it.

jupiter
03/23/2010, 12:55 PM
They'll "be hosted by" pretty much anything ...

It's funny that you made this correction yet every post after it makes the same mistake.

JennaH
03/23/2010, 01:44 PM
haha thanks everyone. i love hearing about the heaters and powerheads. i think i'll look into starting with some xenia and see if they want to be "hosted by" any of that.:beer:

Neoz
03/23/2010, 02:01 PM
My pair host in my Duncans.

velvetelvis
03/23/2010, 02:55 PM
Anthelia is another good one, although it will spread everywhere. A friend of mine has a female tomato clown who guards a huge patch of anthelia as her own personal anemone substitute (and her owner has the bites to prove it!). :p

reef321
03/23/2010, 04:36 PM
My clowns always find something to host them, a powerhead, almost any soft coral or lps, a corner of the tank. Anywhere they find comfortable.

NaClCrocodile
03/23/2010, 07:04 PM
I've seen frogspawn and some longer necked palys. The female hogged the anemone and the male would dart into the patch of palys.

invertaman
03/23/2010, 08:25 PM
Mine hosts a feather duster worm and a large colony of anthelia.

Saltcity
03/23/2010, 08:50 PM
Mine is in love with my Toadstool Leather!

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d89/reeforbust/IMG_0314.jpg

kingfisherflesh
03/24/2010, 09:36 AM
Any soft or LPS coral...my one baby (clarkii or allardii) actually goes between a couple different lps's...but he definitely has one favorite that I think he is going to stick with now.

Gorgeous tank Saltcity.

velvetelvis
03/24/2010, 08:25 PM
+1

That picture makes me want to get another toadstool and try to get my clowns interested in it...maybe then the little varmints will quit picking at my scolymia.

vt_snowman87
03/24/2010, 10:06 PM
what about full SPS tanks? with angelfishes, so what would be a good and appropriate host? any experiences or links or photos?