Clown fish and green flower pot..

Hey everyone I have a question about my clown fish and flower pot. The clowns are a mated pair and they are trying to host our coral. Does anyone have any solutions as for how to make them stop?? We have moved the coral to 3 different spots and the clowns keep going to it. We have had anemones is the past but the clowns have never hosted them. They have never hosted anything tell now. I dont know what their fascination is to the coral. Hear is a pic of the coral. Thanks everyone.

 

Is there a reason why you don't want them to host it? As far as they don't harm the coral or you see visible signs of distress from it, it should be just fine.

 

I thought that they could harm the coral?? By plucking the polyps out.. They seam to bite and nip at it. I was not sure if that would harm it bc when they do this the coral closes up. But if this does not harm it then I suppose its okay. I just thought they would kill it over time, maybe?

 

Just keep watching the coral. If you start to see signs that they are damaging it, then you need to do something about. Maybe pull it out and put it in a different tank for awhile. If the clowns are just starting to host it, then there will be a little bit of them picking at it, this is normal and should subside after they get totally attached to it.

 

There isn't really a way to get the clowns to stop trying to use the coral as their host AFAIK, it's their natural behavior. About the only thing I can think of is to try putting something else in the tank that they might like to host in more, maybe a torch coral or maybe an anemone if you're prepare for that. There is no guarantees what they will host in though, clowns will be clowns.

Also, it might just be the pictures but it looks like your goni is pretty bleached, is it under bright lights or has it been getting enough food?

 

unfortunately like stated above its there nature and that type of coral gets agitated very easily. It is also one of the harder corals to keep alive in captivity. They are very sustainable to brown jelly. especially if something starts picking at it. Make sure you target feed as much polyps as you can in one feeding.

The most I have been able to keep one is a year.(not saying that you can't keep it longer but I consider it a high maint coral.)

 

Thanks for the tips everyone!! To answer screwtape's question about bleaching them.. We have had the coral for about 2 months now and the colors have not changed.. Thats why I was so attracted to it. The bright green grabbed my attention when I saw it at the LFS about 4 months ago. We waited to by it tell the cyno was pretty much gone. We have been feeding it Kent Zooplex. Should we be feeding it something else? Next time we are at the LFS I will see if they have a torch coral. I always wanted one of those too. Hopefully the clowns will prefer that one..

 

the coral is not bleaching nor is it a goniopora. alveopora is usually this color and is actually easier to keep. the coral does best when fully extended, so if the clownfish is hosting and not allowing the polyps to extend then its an issue.

 

Daisy/Flowerpot Coral (Alveopora sp.)

check this site out. the second paragrapgh has something about clowns hosting

 

yes it likes meaty foods like brine shrimp, it can be a pain at first to get use to feeding it because the poylop will try to close if you get to close to it. And you want to get as many poyopls at onece when you do, squirt gently in each polyp and move to the next. the cool thing is polyps will try to take the food from other polyps.

I usually fed my twice a week with some brine and other frozen foods mixed. plus tou will see the food move down each tube. kinda cool lol.