[ewedge]

I have a Carpet Anemone & a set of Sebae Clowns.

Can you guys help me to understand the relationship?

I was told to feed the anemone once every 2 weeks (1 silverside)
I did two weeks ago (prior to the clowns establishing possession of the anemone)

I put a silverside on the carpet and in an hour or so the carpet engulfed it and moved it into his gut

this week I attempt to do the same and the clowns steal the silverside right out of the maw of the anemone. I take it back from the clowns and do it again, this time allowing enough time for the anemone to establish a good hold on it, by holding the clowns at bay!

This works for awhile and I think I've won the war, no way could the clown pull it from the anemone, so I stop chasing them away.

Bad move!

They move in and snatch it right out of the maw of the anemone again, this time taking it down and under the reef where I can't get it back.

So now I'm thinking that the clowns are going to eat it down there, I get another silverside to feed the anemone, and try again.

The clowns abandon the silverside at the bottom of the reef and come back up to do battle with me yet again.

This time I stay the course and babysit the damn anemone untill it is completely inside of the anemone.

So what is the deal, How do the anemone's ever get food in the wild if the damn clowns steal away anything the anemone catches?

I've been told that the clown will hold food in it's mouth and feed the anemone, I haven't seen any evidence to this

Can anyone out there shead some light on this for me?

Thanks

Ed
90gal Reef
2 clowns
4 damsels
2 cardinals
1 worm gobie
2 sand sifter stars
60 snails & blue leg crabs

PS one of my cardinals is missing 48 hours after putting him in the tank, I've not seen him for a week? puzzled

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by ewedge

I have a Carpet Anemone & a set of Sebae Clowns.

Can you guys help me to understand the relationship?

I was told to feed the anemone once every 2 weeks (1 silverside)
I did two weeks ago (prior to the clowns establishing possession of the anemone)

I put a silverside on the carpet and in an hour or so the carpet engulfed it and moved it into his gut

this week I attempt to do the same and the clowns steal the silverside right out of the maw of the anemone. I take it back from the clowns and do it again, this time allowing enough time for the anemone to establish a good hold on it, by holding the clowns at bay!

This works for awhile and I think I've won the war, no way could the clown pull it from the anemone, so I stop chasing them away.

Bad move!

They move in and snatch it right out of the maw of the anemone again, this time taking it down and under the reef where I can't get it back.

So now I'm thinking that the clowns are going to eat it down there, I get another silverside to feed the anemone, and try again.

The clowns abandon the silverside at the bottom of the reef and come back up to do battle with me yet again.

This time I stay the course and babysit the damn anemone untill it is completely inside of the anemone.

So what is the deal, How do the anemone's ever get food in the wild if the damn clowns steal away anything the anemone catches?

I've been told that the clown will hold food in it's mouth and feed the anemone, I haven't seen any evidence to this

Can anyone out there shead some light on this for me?

Thanks

Ed
90gal Reef
2 clowns
4 damsels
2 cardinals
1 worm gobie
2 sand sifter stars
60 snails & blue leg crabs

PS one of my cardinals is missing 48 hours after putting him in the tank, I've not seen him for a week? puzzled

Carpets eat fish. Hahahahahaha! In fact they LOVE FISH!

[unclejed]

I don't think jimw's answer was helpful so I will respond. The clowns become very possessive of their hosted anemone. They take care of it and as I posted before anemones do not need to be fed all that often. You may not see the clowns feed it but they are. One kind of gross way is by deification while they are "in" or over the anemone. So I wouldn't feed it or attempt to feed unless it looked sickly. Are you feeding DT's or coral frenzy? They will feed on that and that is plenty.

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by unclejed

I don't think jimw's answer was helpful so I will respond. The clowns become very possessive of their hosted anemone. They take care of it and as I posted before anemones do not need to be fed all that often. You may not see the clowns feed it but they are. One kind of gross way is by deification while they are "in" or over the anemone. So I wouldn't feed it or attempt to feed unless it looked sickly. Are you feeding DT's or coral frenzy? They will feed on that and that is plenty.

Im sorry. I dont have the years of experience or the writing ability of others here.

[furyous67]

Place a net, which is larger than the anemone, over it to protect it from the fish stealing food during feeding.
Remove it after the food is "swallowed."