Clown hosting a hammer?!?

[Reef noob_]

So my clown decided to host the new hammer I just picked up.... at least I think so

She’s pressing her head into it and it looks like she’s biting at it but she isn’t actually swimming through the coral.

The hammer is kinda angry now and is retracted to about 70% if it’s total size.

I’ve heard of clowns killing euphilla by hosting before. Can I stop her from doing it??

Video:
https://flic.kr/p/24vm6nn

I was thinking about getting an anenome anyways, should I get one and try to make the clown host it instead to avoid further harm to the hammer?

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[oldhead]

My clowns host my torch with no problems. Is that a branching or a wall hammer? I would think a branching would be easier for the clown to host.

[Reef noob_]

Originally Posted by oldhead

My clowns host my torch with no problems. Is that a branching or a wall hammer? I would think a branching would be easier for the clown to host.

Unfortunately it’s a wall. That’s why I was concerned with the clown killing it. After dinner last night she seemed to take less of an interest in it, maybe she was trying to eat something out of it?? I’ll keep an eye out regardless.


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[hearttx]

If you are really worried you could place a large net over to keep the clown away.

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[davocean]

Pretty common to take up hammer or frogspawn as an alternative to an anemone.
I would think it should not be a problem, hammer seems large enough to deal w/ it.

Many opt for euphyllia as opposed to an anemone as they don't wander.

[Tripod1404]

Imo clowns are too harsh for a coral to host them. Their "pressing against the coral" behavior will break septa within the coral tissue and eventually kill it.

I dont know any example where a euphilla was able to host clowfish long term. It always ends in coral dying.

You can try to move the coral, sometimes that is enough to deter them.

[MurphyLong]

In before someone throws a fit about the semantics of symbiotic relationship roles...

[davocean]

Actually many have opted for euphyllia long term many times, myself included, rarely do I see it being an issue as long as euphyllia is healthy and large enough

[AlSimmons]

FWIW my Clownfish are currently making a Bubble coral their home without any problems. They did however destroy a Duncan coral in the past though. The constant interaction just became too much.

[Reef noob_]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I think I’ll give it some time and see what happens. The clown isn’t constantly on the coral yet so maybe she won’t end up actually hosting it.

If I see a decline in the corals health I’ll move it and maybe remove the clown to my fuge. Id rather the coral than the fish honestly.


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[Vinny Kreyling]

IMHO --remove the clown now before regretting it!

[oldhead]

Originally Posted by Tripod1404

Imo clowns are too harsh for a coral to host them. Their "pressing against the coral" behavior will break septa within the coral tissue and eventually kill it.

I dont know any example where a euphilla was able to host clowfish long term. It always ends in coral dying.

You can try to move the coral, sometimes that is enough to deter them.

I
My clowns have hosted it since it was two heads


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[Tripod1404]

Originally Posted by oldhead

I
My clowns have hosted it since it was two heads


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Do they lay eggs? main issue happens when they decide to clean the stalk of the coral to lay eggs and rip away the tissue. In nature, anemones dont have stony stalks, so clownfish normally cant hurt it by this way.

Also for how long this behavior is going on? Based on the rock behind the coral the tank is not very old. Plus the clowns doesn't even look mature, their behavior will change when they decide to breed. I am talking about long term success here. Clowns live for 15+ years, coral would live hundreds if not thousands of years in nature.

Just because it worked for you for couple of months or couple of years doesn't mean it will always work. For most corals, all it takes is few broken septa, and they get an bacterial infection.

I had a pair of clowns hosting a Duncan coral for several years, it worked... well until it suddenly did not.

[davocean]

Originally Posted by Tripod1404

Do they lay eggs? main issue happens when they decide to clean the stalk of the coral to lay eggs and rip away the tissue. In nature, anemones dont have stony stalks, so clownfish normally cant hurt it by this way.

Also for how long this behavior is going on? Based on the rock behind the coral the tank is not very old. Plus the clowns doesn't even look mature, their behavior will change when they decide to breed. I am talking about long term success here. Clowns live for 15+ years, coral would live hundreds if not thousands of years in nature.

Just because it worked for you for couple of months or couple of years doesn't mean it will always work. For most corals, all it takes is few broken septa, and they get an bacterial infection.

I had a pair of clowns hosting a Duncan coral for several years, it worked... well until it suddenly did not.

I've been keeping clowns and anemone's for about 32 years now, and many times I've kept clowns hosted by euphyllia, I've never had an issue w/ this.

As for laying eggs, that is normally done on a rock nearby, regardless of whether or not clowns are hosted by an anemone or otherwise.

This is by far not anything new.

Your duncan may have been more sensitive, but usually hammer or frogspawn is no big deal as long as they are healthy and big enough.

[oldhead]

Originally Posted by Tripod1404

Do they lay eggs? main issue happens when they decide to clean the stalk of the coral to lay eggs and rip away the tissue. In nature, anemones dont have stony stalks, so clownfish normally cant hurt it by this way.

Also for how long this behavior is going on? Based on the rock behind the coral the tank is not very old. Plus the clowns doesn't even look mature, their behavior will change when they decide to breed. I am talking about long term success here. Clowns live for 15+ years, coral would live hundreds if not thousands of years in nature.

Just because it worked for you for couple of months or couple of years doesn't mean it will always work. For most corals, all it takes is few broken septa, and they get an bacterial infection.

I had a pair of clowns hosting a Duncan coral for several years, it worked... well until it suddenly did not.

Clowns and the torch are about two years old. Yes the rock is new that they are on because of the recent upgrade to a larger tank. The older rock is on the other side of the tank. I do plan to get an anemone but not until this tank matures. Not sure if they will switch over though.

[smatter]

My percs want to live in my hammers but they can't go in. The particular wall hammers I have are extremely sticky and toxic. If touched the tentacles stick and rip right off. The clowns hover over them but never go in. Their anal and pectoral fins are even a little "singed" looking. I have had clowns live in Euphyllia in the past with no problem and that was the plan with this pair. I'm going to take the percs out, too bad because they are a sweet wild pair.

[davocean]

Torch's have a stronger sting than hammer and frogspawn typically, and I do see sometimes posted that clowns may get black dots from that sting, once in a while I see a hammer may do so, but it's usually the clowns that show signs of stress in those cases.

I would not suggest an elegance, those are just way too sensitive, and some other soft corals as well.

[Bent]

Originally Posted by MurphyLong

In before someone throws a fit about the semantics of symbiotic relationship roles...

Bwahahaha

I came into this thread expecting to see a clownfish with a hammer coral riding on its back.

[Tripod1404]

Originally Posted by Bent

Bwahahaha

I came into this thread expecting to see a clownfish with a hammer coral riding on its back.

So if I get a anemone hosting hermit crab and the anemones on the hermit host a clownfish, can we say hermit crab is hosting clownfish due to the transit properties of hosting.

[Reefiez]

my clownfish hosts an elegance, when there's a perfectly fine RBTA 3 inches away!

[Santana]

Originally Posted by Reef noob_

So my clown decided to host the new hammer I just picked up.... at least I think so

She’s pressing her head into it and it looks like she’s biting at it but she isn’t actually swimming through the coral.

The hammer is kinda angry now and is retracted to about 70% if it’s total size.

I’ve heard of clowns killing euphilla by hosting before. Can I stop her from doing it??

Video:
https://flic.kr/p/24vm6nn

I was thinking about getting an anenome anyways, should I get one and try to make the clown host it instead to avoid further harm to the hammer?

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You should try to get an anemone.
Just watch out which type of anemone you get.reason why I say that is that years ago I had a 84 gal tank,& the same thing happen to me.I bought a carpet anemone,& the clownfish went in it immediatly.Sadly,the sea carpet anemone moves around,& in the process the carpet anemone stung my zoas and killed them.I would say buble tip,or rose tip anemone.
It also depends what type of clownfish you have.Since each clownfish goes to a specific anemone.

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[Santana]

Originally Posted by Reef noob_

So my clown decided to host the new hammer I just picked up.... at least I think so

She’s pressing her head into it and it looks like she’s biting at it but she isn’t actually swimming through the coral.

The hammer is kinda angry now and is retracted to about 70% if it’s total size.

I’ve heard of clowns killing euphilla by hosting before. Can I stop her from doing it??

Video:
https://flic.kr/p/24vm6nn

I was thinking about getting an anenome anyways, should I get one and try to make the clown host it instead to avoid further harm to the hammer?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's normal.see if you can get a rose tip anemone or a bubble tip anemone.It also depends what type of clownfish you have,since each clown fish likes to go to a specific anemone.Whateber you do,unless you don't have too many corals,DON'T GET A CARPET ANEMONE!!!!
I had put one on one of my tanks,& as it was moving around the tank ,looking for that current,it killed a whole bunch of my zoas.

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[Reef noob_]

To update on this thread since it's gotten a few new replies:

My clown (which is a wyoming white so an ocellaris) did not end up actually hosting in the hammer. He was either just interested in the new addition or was eating something out of it.

Id love to get an anenome but at this point, I don't think it'd be a good idea, it'd probably move around and kill some of my corals which I DO NOT want to happen. maybe in my next tank ill get one before I start adding coral.

thanks again for all the replies and info everyone!

[RCS82]

Clowns don't do the hosting. Anemones, or in this case a hammer, are the hosts.
Am I wrong?

[MurphyLong]

Originally Posted by MurphyLong

In before someone throws a fit about the semantics of symbiotic relationship roles...

Originally Posted by RCS82

Clowns don't do the hosting. Anemones, or in this case a hammer, are the hosts.
Am I wrong?

...and there we go.