Anyone know of a local LFS that has LARGE BTA's?

KarenLR75

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 We have a pair of mated percula clowns that are fairly large.  The female is about 4 inches..and the male is about 3 inches.  They are in a 112 gallon tank but as we've added more fish, they have gone from spending a LOT of time in the front of the tank to spending more time in their 'corner'.  This is a tank with PLENTY of swimming room, it's not overly loaded with rock nor is it overly loaded with fish.We'd like to get them a preferably beautifully colored BTA and see if they are happier with a nem.  We had anemones in a fish only tank we had 20 years ago but it took 2 years to find out the anemones can MOVE!  I had no idea and after 2 years it was quite a shock.  Most of the fish hang around the middle and right side of the tank.  If we can find a BTA that is large enough to survive/handle attempted hosting of 2 clowns this size, we'd like to give it a try.I'm still about concerned about the anemone's ability to 'travel' though and have wondered if there is anything that can be done (humanely) to keep it at least to a specific side of the tank (yeah, I know...not likely).  We've gone to Mid Cities Aquarium and DNA but all the BTA's they have, just the 1 male clown is BIGGER than the BTA's.  Are we going to have to buy online to get what we want?  
 
A few thoughts on this:1) Someone on here probably has a new they could sell that would work but....2) Clowns, especially captive bred ones are funny about being hosted by nems, especially in your case a species of nem which is not a natural host.  When I had clowns they spent about 2 minutes in the nem, but decided to stay in ~2 month increments alternating between frogspawn, torches, the filter return, a favia, assorted mushrooms, and their favorite, a blue and purple maze brain.3) It's quite possible that your clowns have decided that corner is their little home to settle down in, I've seen clowns pick a 12" square in a 72" tank and never venture beyond that unless there is food.4) Yes, nems travel.  They may stay put for years then suddenly decide they want to walk over to your most prized coral, wrap around it until it is nearly dead, then walk right back to their home.  If you can set up a rock island in your sandbed your odds are much better as they don't like crossing sand.5) Depending on the mood of the clowns a large torch/hammer/frogspawn sometimes works.  I know where to find those, but per item 2 it may not work at all.  On the bright side you have a nice LPS piece.6) I don't want to make it look like nems are all bad, I had several for years and accepted the occasional hit to my other corals, but it is a risk you have to be willing to accept.
 
Thanks jccaclimber,I meant to come post an update after I did more research as based on the type of clowns there are only, depending on which site you read, 2 to 4 species/types that host perculas naturally in the wild and if you base it on only 2, they seemed to be deem the most difficult to have.  I had wondered about whether they would  host in an LPS...and thinking this may be the better bet.I think we have to carefully consider mixing up our first reef tank with an anemone of any kind.  Especially with still having a steep learning curve on corals.
 
Husband did point out that they were hosting an anemone when we bought them, however we don't recall the type.  He is thinking it was a BTA but having been at DNA a lot, I don't remember them having a large BTA..but again, we got the perculas almost a year ago.  I'm not sure if they'd consider having an anemone like 'riding a bicycle' simply due to the fact that when we bought them, they liked the nem idea (and who knows for how long they would have liked the nem).... 
 
I have a rock that has six RBTA on it that I have been trying to decide what to do with.  I have 3 or 4 more in the tank since they keep splitting.  The rock with 6 on it has one large, a couple mediums and a couple small ones.  I have tried to keep the rocks with the anemones on it separated from the rest of the rock work in order to reduce traveling.  Learned that a little too late that's why the others wandered! Contact me if you'd like to talk about the larger rock with the multiple RBTA on it.
 
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