Filefish Aptasia dependence

EvanDeVita · Dec 26, 2020

Hi all,
I have aptasia in my tank and I’m thinking of adding a filefish to help me out. The problem is that the aptasia isn’t in any huge colonies, but it is spread out among the tank. I’ve used Aptasia X twice and it has only caused the aptasia to spread. How dependent are filefish on aptasia for food, and is there a guarantee that the filefish will find the scattered aptasia?

Ron Reefman · Dec 26, 2020

Not at all. I have a file fish we caught dragging some estuary grass flats and it's eating food just like all the other fish and in just a few months we have noticed it's growing. And I've not seen any new aiptasia in the tank.

User1 · Dec 26, 2020

The matted filefish will forage around the whole tank. When foraging it will move pretty slow over the rocks and around objects in the tank. Looking and poking around. It will go after the spores first then work its way through smaller to medium, then larger aiptasia pieces. At least that is what the few I've owned have done. They are fun to watch as they will change colors to some degree to match what they are near. Usually they will also eat prepared food such as pellets, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and even nori. I had one that would rip a sheet of nori off so it would float on the surface and it would hang out under. Oddball.

Anyway they will roam around the tank foraging and finding places to sleep with lower current or that they can snuggle into. BIOTA has captive bred that are amazing. Just be aware that it isn't uncommon that matted filefish will also munch on zoas and pick on some LPS. Mine went after Xenia, zoas, duncan, and frogspawn corals. I had another who was fine other than xenia.

rockinzebra457 · Dec 26, 2020

I had two captive bred file fish and they wiped out all my aiptasia.
They are any good I added to the tank as well.
After they cleaned out all the aiptasia they ate all my zoas and acans in a matter of days.
So I would have a rehoming plan if you decide to add them to your tank.

emilio365 · Dec 26, 2020

You should try to get your hands on a couple berghia nudibranchs I heard they are miracle workers with aiptasia. Have you heard of Josh @joshporksandwich he has been breading Berghia nudis with a lot of success. He is a member of R2R, I seen how much success he’s had with the nudis on Instagram.

AgSoldier47 · Dec 26, 2020

I hear they are a hit or a miss. The file fish I had in my system was a miss. Ate very little of the aphasia, and was constantly picking at my Acans, meat corals, and hammers.

Jeff Jarry reef · Dec 26, 2020

I just a got a filefish and all does is nothing I'm about to remove him soon. He's seen in take about a month and hasn't touched one Aptasia. Nudis they are doing a great job just a little bit slower. If you get a file fish make sure you know he already eats aptasia

EvanDeVita · Dec 26, 2020

saf1 said:
The matted filefish will forage around the whole tank. When foraging it will move pretty slow over the rocks and around objects in the tank. Looking and poking around. It will go after the spores first then work its way through smaller to medium, then larger aiptasia pieces. At least that is what the few I've owned have done. They are fun to watch as they will change colors to some degree to match what they are near. Usually they will also eat prepared food such as pellets, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and even nori. I had one that would rip a sheet of nori off so it would float on the surface and it would hang out under. Oddball.

Anyway they will roam around the tank foraging and finding places to sleep with lower current or that they can snuggle into. BIOTA has captive bred that are amazing. Just be aware that it isn't uncommon that matted filefish will also munch on zoas and pick on some LPS. Mine went after Xenia, zoas, duncan, and frogspawn corals. I had another who was fine other than xenia.

Will my torches and hammers be at risk? My zoas are overgrown so I'd be fine if he picked at them (unless its bad for the tank)

EvanDeVita · Dec 26, 2020

emilio365 said:
You should try to get your hands on a couple berghia nudibranchs I heard they are miracle workers with aiptasia. Have you heard of Josh @joshporksandwich he has been breading Berghia nudis with a lot of success. He is a member of R2R, I seen how much success he’s had with the nudis on Instagram.

I just messaged him- thanks!

User1 · Dec 26, 2020

EvanDeVita said:
Will my torches and hammers be at risk? My zoas are overgrown so I'd be fine if he picked at them (unless its bad for the tank)

Mine did not touch my torch or hammer. My hammer is rather large though about the size of a softball. It did go after my frogspawn frag which was very small. It was not able to withstand the nips and the filefish did enough damage such that there was only a few pieces left receded into the coral skeleton. That is when I returned that little fella. It has now recovered and larger than what it was originally. My duncan is also coming back after the filefish did a number on it.

It is hard to say what they will go after or for how long. It is hit or miss although both of mine appear to have gone after similar corals. There was a thread on this board whereas someone from BIOTA also mentioned that they see their filefish going after duncans.

If the corals are large enough then chances are high they can withstand the nip and tuck here and there. On the other hand if they are small, frags, sort of size then they can't and won't recover unless isolated. I was not able to move or isolate either so the filefish went to the LFS. It honestly just depends.

Regarding Berghia's - they are also known to remove aiptasia. My only issue is cost and predators. If you have a copperband or wrasse then the berghia's may not make it. If cost isn't an issue then I would say give them a try. Just do not introduce with wrasses or peppermint shrimp or so I have heard.

EvanDeVita · Dec 26, 2020

saf1 said:
Mine did not touch my torch or hammer. My hammer is rather large though about the size of a softball. It did go after my frogspawn frag which was very small. It was not able to withstand the nips and the filefish did enough damage such that there was only a few pieces left receded into the coral skeleton. That is when I returned that little fella. It has now recovered and larger than what it was originally. My duncan is also coming back after the filefish did a number on it.

It is hard to say what they will go after or for how long. It is hit or miss although both of mine appear to have gone after similar corals. There was a thread on this board whereas someone from BIOTA also mentioned that they see their filefish going after duncans.

If the corals are large enough then chances are high they can withstand the nip and tuck here and there. On the other hand if they are small, frags, sort of size then they can't and won't recover unless isolated. I was not able to move or isolate either so the filefish went to the LFS. It honestly just depends.

Regarding Berghia's - they are also known to remove aiptasia. My only issue is cost and predators. If you have a copperband or wrasse then the berghia's may not make it. If cost isn't an issue then I would say give them a try. Just do not introduce with wrasses or peppermint shrimp or so I have heard.

Crap. So my Naoko and Leopard wrasse are threats? Is my blood shrimp?

najer · Dec 27, 2020

I just caught mine yesterday and put it in my sump, it clearer all the aips and then started on softies and then moved on to lps, I saw it start on my blastos yesterday.

EvanDeVita · Dec 27, 2020

najer said:
I just caught mine yesterday and put it in my sump, it clearer all the aips and then started on softies and then moved on to lps, I saw it start on my blastos yesterday.

dang

EvanDeVita · Dec 27, 2020

Thanks everyone for the help, I’ve decided against Filefish- I’m not trying to lose any Torches!

MCWL · Dec 27, 2020

Some are good tankmates and dont eat coral. And others do nip and pick. I have had mine for years, and it does not pick at the corals. When I put a bta in, it nipped it once, then moved back quickly. It has not bothered anything else since.