Good coral to keep with Clown Fish

[PaulBuxton]

I am looking for something that a Clownfish might consider as a potential host, that wouldn't get too irritated by the fish, also something that doesn't have too long feeder tentacles as my tank is only 8 gallons!

[gabe3eb]

Euphylias would have longer tentacles than you want probably, but maybe it would host a softie like a leather. I have seen these guys host just about any and every "wavy" coral out there. Even mushrooms and zoas (which is kind of annoying).

 

It's really fish dependant.

[Chezwyn]

Had a fair amount of luck with Duncans. Have a clown trying out a long polyp toadstool too right now. My saddleback clown tries to host everything!

[jservedio]

Any coral can end up as a host to clowns and they really can't do anything to stop it (with the exception of an elephant ear mushroom, which would eat the clown!). My clowns decided to host a big acan echinata and did so much damage it took almost an entire year to heal, even though there was a big torch and toadstool available to them. They will choose whatever they want. They now picked a nice spot on the rockwork. There is really no way to make them take up residence in a coral of your choosing.

 

I've seen them "hosted" by zoas, gsp, duncans, toadstools, clams, acans, macroalge, and live rock - so literally anything you pick can be chosen by them.

[Mariaface]

Clowns aren't very picky; they'll try to turn anything into a host. Some have reported their clowns choosing their powerheads. I'd say choose whatever you think is nice to look at.

[jestep]

Personally, I like any coral the clown isn't going to host. With the exception of toadstool mushrooms, I've seen them host a number of coral to death including euphyllias and duncans. Some people are successful with them hosting for a long time, but it's not uncommon at all for the clown to kill a coral trying to host it.

[Jackal_Knight]

Yeah clowns are weird one of mine only host a lobo, and while the smaller one seems to host different coral though the day.

[jservedio]

but it's not uncommon at all for the clown to kill a coral trying to host it.

 

Take a look at this during and after of what my clowns did to their host in my tank...notice the toll they took on the color of the coral.

 

Here is the color of an Acan Echinata in my tank WHILE my clowns were hosting in it - they eventually wore a hole straight through to the skeleton in the center.

 

And here is the same Echinata about a year after they stop being hosted by it - you can still see the light spot in the center where they wore a hole in.

[PaulBuxton]

Hmm, ok looks like trying to tempt the fish into something wouldnt be the best idea!

[opaquelace]

I am looking for something that a Clownfish might consider as a potential host, that wouldn't get too irritated by the fish, also something that doesn't have too long feeder tentacles as my tank is only 8 gallons!

You could try a wall hammer. The tentacles don't extend as far as a torch or a frogspawn. We have a hammer (not wall) that our clownfish host in our 40 gallon.

 

 

Clowns aren't very picky; they'll try to turn anything into a host. Some have reported their clowns choosing their powerheads. I'd say choose whatever you think is nice to look at.

I had a clownfish host a Tupperware that was housing frags in my 12 gallon a few years ago lol.

 

Someone mentioned Duncan coral and that would be a great option too. The green stem Duncan coral is beautiful!

[clownfitch]

I had a pair of clowns that hosted a large green polyp toadstool for a long time. The toadstool stayed open and maintained polyp extension and the clowns would snuggle into it like a big'ol blanket. Toadstool is probably the best suited coral for a clown to host, the only problem is convincing the clowns of that! lol

[Nano sapiens]

I have two in a Ric garden and they treat the whole garden as one big anemone. Ricordia can work very well, but you'll need a lot of them so that the fish spread out their 'affections' among many, not just a few.