He did it....FileFish

Webslinger · Jun 10, 2020

I came home from work and my aiptasia colony was missing. All but a few were left, this morning not one to be found. I've had the filefish in my sump for about a month as he was being blown all over the DT (he was the size of my thumb nail). He grew 3 times in size in a month so I added him back to the DT. He ate like a pig for the last 2 weeks but didn't touch the aiptasia till yesterday. I hope my Euphyllia colonies are safe!!! I like the file fish more than any coral but my wife might get mad!

Should I not risk it and sump him?

vetteguy53081 · Jun 10, 2020

Youre one of the lucky ones. I hear mostly horror stories and had one ever that went right for my zoas.

Webslinger · Jun 10, 2020

vetteguy53081 said:
Youre one of the lucky ones. I hear mostly horror stories and had one ever that went right for my zoas.

Just worry about my Euphyllia, He can eat all the Zoa's he wants.

najer · Jun 10, 2020

It is a crap shoot, I added one on Sunday that is very small and not eating aips yet, my last one went for my lps once the aips were gone but not my zoas.

GaryE · Jun 10, 2020

I'm trying peppermint shrimp.. just added two yesterday.

User1 · Jun 10, 2020

I've had two. One that I picked up from the LFS. Great success with the little guy and it cleared all form of aptasia. One day it went after a Xenia frag I introduced and so I returned it to the LFS. Everyone missed the guy because it had such a great personality and always up front when you walked by.

Second one is in my 210 gallon today. I ordered it from Pacific East Aquaculture since it is captive raised BIOTA. Like yours the size of a dime if that and didn't make it in my display no matter how much I tried. Sump was out of the equation since it is someone small and 3 pumps to navigate so I threw together a 5 gallon nano for about 2 months. I put in test rocks with aptasia and it would eat it without hesitation. So I knew that was going to work...

Today, 5 months later, nothing is really safe from this guy or gal. It took out two maxima's, duncan, zoas, and starting on my hammer coral now. Having said that it has left alone my rose bubble tip anenomes, montipora, cabbage coral, xenia, acan, and a few leathers. So I ask myself every day if this is acceptable to keep aptasia in check. So far I say yes because I know aptasia is in the plumbing and sump and a few rocks the fish doesn't get to. Berghia are too expensive in my opinion and I have not found a copperband that I like yet since the world pandemic.

So we are more or less at peace with one another and I take responsibility for the acceptable loss

seaplane · Jun 10, 2020

I added Freddie the filefish to my 55g softie tank a couple weeks ago and he quickly became my favorite fish. He has wiped out every aptasia he could find. Hasn't touched any corals and eats everything I feed.

Fishko · Jun 10, 2020

Is your tank big enough for a copperband?

najer · Jun 10, 2020

I branded my little one on the other side after the pep talk before it went in, it reads "Corals are not food."

Let's see how that goes?!

Webslinger · Jun 10, 2020

Fishko said:
Is your tank big enough for a copperband?

Why? I have a filefish!...haha

dazoc · Jun 10, 2020

My 2 are a pain, lay eggs every 5 days or so and then I cannot use my flipper!
As far as corals go they behave when I’m watching...

jd371 · Jun 10, 2020

I've had mine for about a year now and the only thing I saw him go after was a gorgonian that didn't make it and acans that I moved to another tank. Everything else in my 75g mixed he hasn't touched. I've never really seen him eat any aptasia but the only ones I see now are out of his reach and deep in the crevices of the rocks.

GBRsouth · Jun 10, 2020

najer said:
I branded my little one on the other side after the pep talk before it went in, it reads "Corals are not food."
Let's see how that goes?!

You forgot to add "corals are not a chew toy!" ;Nailbiting

aurora.k · Jun 10, 2020

I had no issues with mine eating coral except small zoas and Xenia - never touched a euphyllia but then he got stuck on top of the flimsy lid I had one night (since replaced).

. I don’t have aptasia so now I have the Ora white spoted Pygmy filefish that haven’t picked at any coral at all and are so darned cute!