First, I enjoy reading your articles in Marine Fish Monthly. I wish I had started reading them before I started my reef aquarium though, sure would've saved me a lot of time and money. Maybe you'll know about this. I have a clown fish that has moved into my bubble coral like it was an anemone. He hides behind the "bubbles" right in front of the mouth just like he would in an anemone. He is also quite protective of his new home, chasing away any fish which come close. Is this a normal situation or do I have a confused fish? It really is quite cute to see it peeking out from there. Almost as strange is that the coral doesn't seem to mind the fish living there. Thank you for your time and some really good articles!

Mike Norris

Mike,

I don't really think your fish is confused. Maybe this would be considered "confused" in nature (?), but it's common for clownfish to pair up with corals in reef aquariums. In aquariums they will also sometimes pair up with types of anemones that they might not pair up with in the wild. I was about to tell you that one of my tank-raised tomato clowns likes to snuggle in the fingers of my tank-raised green sinularia - nice color contrast. I'll put a picture of it on my web page. The other tomato clown likes the cladiella during the day, but sleeps in a cluster of Zoanthid polyps. I used to have an ocellaris clownfish that snuggled in the soft branches of a big cladiella all night and intermitently during the day. Before that, it had also liked a goniopora and at another time a cup coral. Goniopora seems to be a favorite of clowns, but it is unfortunately a difficult coral to keep. I've seen them in rhodactis, goniopora, sarcophyton and more. They never seen one hurt a soft coral and they very often do not hurt stony corals either. The coral will often be a little irritated at first, but will usually adapt to the clownfish also. I've seen and heard of all types of clowns in many types of corals, but it usually takes them some time to pair up with a coral, unlike with an anemone.

Nice picture! It certainly is cute! Everybody will want one like yours now.

Can I put this letter and picture on my web site? Also, are you a reef poet or a a joke teller/cartoonist? My web site needs these as well as other contributions too.

Tanks-

Tom Miller

Tom,

"Tanks" for the reply so quickly! You are more than welcome to use my letter and picture on your web site. As for my being a reef poet or a joke teller/cartoonist, I'm neither, I am a mechanical contractor who put a 110 gallon reef tank in my office to "relax" me. It hasn't done that, but I am getting a heck of an education in chemistry and marine biology. I can't really complain because I have only been in this reef tank hobby 7 months. I get a lot of compliments about it and it has inspired two other people to start tanks of their own. Of course I recommend they start by reading Marine Fish Monthly! I can't say thank you enough for the help I have gotten from your, and the other writers', articles in MFM. Lastly, if you're in the neighborhood stop and visit my web site at http://www4.enter.net/mnorris there isn't any fish stuff there yet but I am planning to put some pictures up and could put a link to your site.

Thank you again,

Mike