29 Gallon Tank any tricks on how to get a clownfish to host an anemone?

I was just wondering if there were any tricks to get a clown to host an anemone? The tricks I know are take a strainer put it at the top of your tank and put your anemone and clownfish in it then wait, the other one I know is put a picture on the side of your tank of a clown hosting an anemone. Are either of them affective? are there any other tricks? Just wondering

 

OK - First, the anemone hosts the clown. Clowns do not host anything (sorry, but it's a pet peeve of mine)

You can't force nature. It will happen if and when it happens. It could be instant, it could take a week/month(s)/year(s). I have read many success stories of using the picture on the wall, but I've read just as many failures.

What type of anemone, and the fish. From memory you've got a Percula and Ocellaris, and I think you were getting a BTA. Ocellaris are more naturally found being hosted by a BTA, and Perc's not really. BUT - my BTA hosts my Percula pair.

It took months for my BTA. I used no fancy tricks, just waited patiently. JessI had hers hosting in a week or two IIRC.



I still think you're tank is too young (6 days) to be housing an anemone. Anemones are one of the hardest animals to keep alive in captivity (along with SPS corals). But I'm sure you and your LFS guy know what you're doing.


Also - I know you're going to think I'm hounding you, but has this tank cycled yet? If not, take the anemone back, anemones will not tolerate anything other than:
0.0 ammonia
0.0 nitrite
under 5ppm nitrate (even then, closer to 0 is better)
under 2ppm phoshpate (closer to 0 the better)


EDIT: I assume your LFS guy told you to cover up any power heads to prevent the BTA wandering and getting its tentacles caught? Did he mention if the BTA happens to get caught in a powerhead, there is a risk the BTA could release a poison that could take out the whole tank.

 

Oh I kept researching and I have 2 ocellaris I figured out that its dorsal fin is high and pointed also it fits a few other factors. The funny thing is my water is almost exactly how you described it needed to be. The one thing he didn't say is an anemone once it dies it releases a toxic poison that could kill the tank off. I will try the picture on the wall theory tomorrow (computer out of ink) and the tank has been cycled for a little bit. Finally it looks like its thriving, if it opens up fully and is at its full size will it move or has it chosen a home? Also my ocellaris (the one that I thought was a percula) keeps swimming over it and looking down is it examining (looking to possibly host it) or is it just being a normal clownfish?

 

The one thing he didn't say is an anemone once it dies it releases a toxic poison that could kill the tank off.

That's not entirely true. Anemones will release a toxin if they feel threatened, e.g. their tentacles get cut off in a powerhead. But just dieing, no-one knows for sure, some say yes, others say no. RogueAgent94 had his anemone die, and the tank was fine, no signs of toxin, but he did do a large water change (IIRC)

and the tank has been cycled for a little bit. Finally it looks like its thriving

Respectfully, a week (or day) is not enough to determine thriving. Call me again in 6 months, and let's see how things are going.

if it opens up fully and is at its full size will it move or has it chosen a home?

Maybe, maybe not. You need to give it time - took mine about 4-5 weeks to fully settle.

Also my ocellaris (the one that I thought was a percula) keeps swimming over it and looking down is it examining (looking to possibly host it) or is it just being a normal clownfish?

Were your fish wild-caught or captive? Wild-caught tend to look for a host anemone, captive bred can take longer.

 

IMO I would of waited 2 months before adding a BTA they can very sensitive to water parms. If you notice it closing or shooting white to brown slime out of it test your water. Anemones move until they find a spot they love and at NO point are you to try to move it you can hurt or kill it. Anemones need water parms to be 0,0,<5 mine is very sensitive to Nitrates if mine get to 5 she is closing into a tight ball. My LTA is also sensitive and well close up to the point she looks like a tight ball of yarn. My BTA took one week to start hosting my clown fry and my LTA took one week to host my female and two weeks to host my male. I just let nature take course like Ryan said it can happen or it can not host no one. It depends on the Anemone.

 

both of my clowns were tank bred.