confused clowns

I have 2 common clownfish that are living within my mushrooms instead of my
carpet anenome. Plus i tried feeding them pellet food, and they want nothing
to do with it, they love flake though. Is that normal?

I am also looking at running an empty canister filter for extra water
capacity and movement. Its a cascade 1500, approx 4g capacity. Will this
cause more harm than good?


11g via-aqua tank
cpr bakpak skimmer
15 lbs LR
3in dsb
2 clowns
1 carpet anenome
mushrooms
approx 9 blue leg hermits
2 astrea snails
1 turbo snail
1 emerald crab

On 3-Jan-2004, "...." wrote:

have 2 common clownfish that are living within my mushrooms instead of my
carpet anenome. Plus i tried feeding them pellet food, and they want
nothing
to do with it, they love flake though. Is that normal?


Carpet anemone and common clown fish is rather vague statement. Depending
on what kind of carpet anemone you have will depend on which type of
clownfish will host to it.

Stichodactyla gigantea (giant carpet anemone) will host Clark's, Ocellaris,
and True Percula clownfish

Stichodactyla haddoni (Haddon's carpet, Saddle Carpet) will host Saddleback
and Clark's clownfish

Stichodactyla meriensil (Merten's carpet, Sri Lanka Carpet) will host
Clark's and Ocellaris clownfish

Again these are not guarantees but more or less positive statistics of types
of clownfish and carpet anemones that host them. Clownfish will host to
whatever they like and find. It could take months for the clownfish to
select an anemone or it may never happen at all.

I have a maroon that has taken the likes of a torch coral. Before that he
liked a trumpet coral. So clownfish are unlike a magnet, the two poles will
not always connect.

As for food, they eat what they like. Again if you don't like liver and
onions you will not eat it. If you offer choice to the fish they will eat
what they like. Pellet food could be too large for the fish, depending on
the size of your clowns. I would not worry too much about what kinds of
food your fish doesn't like but more if it is eating or not.

I am also looking at running an empty canister filter for extra water
capacity and movement. Its a cascade 1500, approx 4g capacity. Will this
cause more harm than good?

As for your canister idea, like everyone will tell you, more water the
better. Again with that being said, the more tubes and devices the more to
clean. Even though you are thinking about running it empty the tubing and
canister may still collect waste inside it. Just make sure that you clean
it when you do you general maintenance.

HTH,
Joe