Any advice on catching an Aiptasia Eating Filefish?

[Patman]

I've had an Aiptasia Eating Filefish for 2-3 months, he's cleared the tank of Aiptasia which worries me, he does not eat anything but Aiptasia, I've tried everything, bloodworms, mysis, brine, rod's, lrs fish frenzy, it doesn't matter nothing interests him. He's a shy fish to top it all off and I can't bait him. I would like to catch him and move him on to someone else. Any ideas? It's a 200+ gallon 6 foot tank with over a hundred pounds of LR unfortunately.

 

[Pistondog]

No help here.
Mine won't touch aptasia anymore, but he's well fed on the things you mention.
Very easy to catch in a net when I put the turkey baster in the tank, usually containing food.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I waited till early morning time. Dim blue light if u have it. Low flow. Scoop out with a net well hes fish sleepin. Hths
D

 

[Terry Le]

My eat pellets. But yes they are so slow you can catch with a net best before lights go on

 

[Patman]

I waited till early morning time. Dim blue light if u have it. Low flow. Scoop out with a net well hes fish sleepin. Hths
D

I'll set an alarm and give it a try! He has a cave that he sleeps in usually though.

 

[Patman]

No help here.
Mine won't touch aptasia anymore, but he's well fed on the things you mention.
Very easy to catch in a net when I put the turkey baster in the tank, usually containing food.

Mine does not see me as a food source at all, if I come to the tank he slinks away.

 

[Tired]

Depending on his size, you could try a bottle trap. Cut the top 1/4 to 1/3 off a bottle, then turn it around and shove it back into the open top of the other piece so it makes a funnel into the bottle. Poke some decent-sized holes in the bottle for ventilation, preferably attach a string so you can easily pull it out, and lay it horizontally in the tank.

The trouble here is bait. Can you get an aiptasia-laden shell or two from someone else to put in the trap?

 

[BuBBlyFish&Corals]

Copper band butterflyfish. I had such a bad outbreak in my 125 I almost shut it down. I tried 5 different filefish, chemicals, super glue, aptasia wand, and nothing. I made one last-ditch attempt and bought a copper band butterflyfish and within 3 weeks I can not find any aptasia at all. (NONE) Now the butterflyfish is eating brine shrimp and other prepared foods and mind you this was a wild-caught fish and not captive bred that I only paid $40.00 for.

 

[Patman]

Copper band butterflyfish. I had such a bad outbreak in my 125 I almost shut it down. I tried 5 different filefish, chemicals, super glue, aptasia wand, and nothing. I made one last-ditch attempt and bought a copper band butterflyfish and within 3 weeks I can not find any aptasia at all. (NONE) Now the butterflyfish is eating brine shrimp and other prepared foods and mind you this was a wild-caught fish and not captive bred that I only paid $40.00 for.

My filefish has been amazing, I got the regular one on liveaquaria, not the ORA captive bred. He does work, it's time for him to help someone else out, don't want him getting hungry and getting a taste for coral, that would be a shame.

 

[Patman]

Depending on his size, you could try a bottle trap. Cut the top 1/4 to 1/3 off a bottle, then turn it around and shove it back into the open top of the other piece so it makes a funnel into the bottle. Poke some decent-sized holes in the bottle for ventilation, preferably attach a string so you can easily pull it out, and lay it horizontally in the tank.

The trouble here is bait. Can you get an aiptasia-laden shell or two from someone else to put in the trap?

I'll see him pick off the rocks on occasion (eating pods?), maybe I'll try some pellets, I only feed a mix of frozen (only way for me to keep balanced no3 po4 without dosing.) Had some pellets and flakes but they'd break down and I'd have 0.00 po4 and no3 would be 5-10ppm

 

[Patman]

My eat pellets. But yes they are so slow you can catch with a net best before lights go on

What's a good pellet to try?

 

[Terry Le]

Depending on his size, you could try a bottle trap. Cut the top 1/4 to 1/3 off a bottle, then turn it around and shove it back into the open top of the other piece so it makes a funnel into the bottle. Poke some decent-sized holes in the bottle for ventilation, preferably attach a string so you can easily pull it out, and lay it horizontally in the tank.

The trouble here is bait. Can you get an aiptasia-laden shell or two from someone else to put in the trap?

What is aiptasia-laden shell? Thanks

 

[Tired]

A seashell or piece of rock with a lot of aiptasia on it. "Laden" is an older word that means it has a lot of something on it.

 

[M Stein]

I waited till early morning time. Dim blue light if u have it. Low flow. Scoop out with a net well hes fish sleepin. Hths
D

Better turn on the reds. Fish don't see red light.

 

[Patman]

What is aiptasia-laden s

Yeah it took me a second too, I'm slow.

Better turn on the reds. Fish don't see red light.

That's what my local reefing community told me to do as well. After watching him, he has been eating a lot of pods, there is an endless supply in the tank so I'm not so worried anymore, I'll wait till I get a good opportunity and grab him. QT is all ready for him LFS gave me some small rocks with aiptasia so I have bait if needed.

 

[MnFish1]

I've had an Aiptasia Eating Filefish for 2-3 months, he's cleared the tank of Aiptasia which worries me, he does not eat anything but Aiptasia, I've tried everything, bloodworms, mysis, brine, rod's, lrs fish frenzy, it doesn't matter nothing interests him. He's a shy fish to top it all off and I can't bait him. I would like to catch him and move him on to someone else. Any ideas? It's a 200+ gallon 6 foot tank with over a hundred pounds of LR unfortunately.

I am not sure that bloodworms, miss, brine, etc are going to work. Mine eats LRS vegetarian (sorry I cant remember the exact name) like crazy. Why are you moving him on - just leave him in the tank - unless he is doing somethong