Matted Filfish aka aptasia eating file fish issues

boeingn747 · Apr 27, 2021

I have a 120 fatboy mixed reef, a 75 mixed reef, and a new fiji cube 22.4 aio (going to be a rock flower reef). I recently got a matted file fish because I wanted one and I found a baby aptasia and wanted to be on the proactive side of controlling it. Any way fast forward a month and a half and I have noticed that some of my soft type corals like GSP, and blue sympodium (I have several frags of each type in my tank along with small colonies of each) have been staying closed all night/day. I also have 2 new frags of pulsing xenia that are like completely gone from the frag plug. I do not know if filefish are interested in eating soft corals or not. I have read that some reports about them nipping at acans, and blastos, etc. I have both and they are all fine. I have not physically seen him nip at them or bother them, its just odd that several corals of the same and similar varieties are not opening. My parameters are all fine, so this is not a water related issue. The other fish in the tank are small powder blue, bangeye cardnial, 2 clowns, royal gramma, baby blue hippo tang, and a blue spot leopard wrasse. I also have 2 fire shrimp and 2 cleaner shrimp, hand full of red blue leg Hermits, a variety of snails, and a couple emerald crabs. Let me know if any of you have personal experience with the matted filefish nipping at your similar soft corals. Or if you have had any similar issues with any of the other fish or inverts that I have listed. Like I said before, I have not witnessed anything messing with the above mentioned corals, but I just can't figure out what would be causing these select few corals to be staying closed. The strange part to me is for instance I have 3 areas of wwc purple polyp gsp I have a 6"-8" colony and I have 2 decent size frags of it. All 3 are closed. I have 5 or 6 frags of white center gsp along with a colony, all but one is closed. Blue sympodium will open a few polyps but then leave the rest closed. I have 2 frags of pulsing xenia and one colony the 2 frags look closed up tight and the colony looks great. Those are the things that don't make sense to me. Hope you can offer a suggestion with the info provided. Thanks.

Lost in the Sauce · Apr 27, 2021

I would venture a guess that your aptasia eating file fish had not more aptasia to eat and has in turn, started muching corals.

I just saw one the other day at a new fish store munching on a huge toadstool. Apparently they found a few aptasia in the tank, introduced the file fish. It did what it was supposed to do by eliminating all the aptasia and has now started on the toadstool.

jorwill · Apr 27, 2021

Mine doesn't touch corals, also doesn't touch aiptasia sadly.

Haydn · Apr 27, 2021

I feel quite sorry for this fish and the ad mans spin. Be honest with yourself how many of you would even look at it in a LFS without the 'Aiptasia-eating' prefix. ORA or whoever tank bred them must have been delighted when they found they ate Aiptasia- WOW what a label to add and a magic selling point for a unexciting mottled brown fish.

Do they feed exclusively on Aips- NOPE
Do aips consist of a major part of their diet- NOPE
Do they find an aip and rip it apart-NOPE
Will they thrive on normal aquarium fare- YEP
Will they pick on corals and small inverts- YEP

I think these wonderful fish should be called General-coral-eating-filefish but who would buy them then.

boeingn747 · Apr 27, 2021

jorwill said:
Mine doesn't touch corals, also doesn't touch aiptasia sadly.

Ok. I do feed him well. I also add seaweed daily for everyone to hit, he spends a fair amount of time picking at it.

boeingn747 · Apr 27, 2021

Haydn said:
I feel quite sorry for this fish and the ad mans spin. Be honest with yourself how many of you would even look at it in a LFS without the 'Aiptasia-eating' prefix. ORA or whoever tank bred them must have been delighted when they found they ate Aiptasia- WOW what a label to add and a magic selling point for a unexciting mottled brown fish.

Do they feed exclusively on Aips- NOPE
Do aips consist of a major part of their diet- NOPE
Do they find an aip and rip it apart-NOPE
Will they thrive on normal aquarium fare- YEP
Will they pick on corals and small inverts- YEP

I think these wonderful fish should be called General-coral-eating-filefish but who would buy them then.

If you read the beginning of my post you would see that I got one because #1, I wanted one and #2, I found a baby aptasia and wanted to see if he would stay ahead of it. My main reason for buying was because I wanted it. The fact that it may eat aptasia was a bonus. I think they are a cool fish.

landlubber · Apr 27, 2021

boeingn747 said:
Ok. I do feed him well. I also add seaweed daily for everyone to hit, he spends a fair amount of time picking at it.

utility fish (tangs, algae eating blennies, filefish ect) generally are less inspired to eat problem algae or aiptasia if they're already receiving an easier diet elsewhere. some of them don't eat the problem to begin with.

Bpfor3 · Apr 27, 2021

I have an ORA one in a 150 mixed reef. I have not seen mine nibble on corals, but it is possible. I don't have any aphasia either. Just thought it was a cool fish. Mine is lime green in the morning and changes to mottle brown thought the day. I do feed a lot. My 2 cents for what its worth, which is slightly less than 2 cents.

jorwill · Apr 27, 2021

Haydn said:
I feel quite sorry for this fish and the ad mans spin. Be honest with yourself how many of you would even look at it in a LFS without the 'Aiptasia-eating' prefix. ORA or whoever tank bred them must have been delighted when they found they ate Aiptasia- WOW what a label to add and a magic selling point for a unexciting mottled brown fish.

Do they feed exclusively on Aips- NOPE
Do aips consist of a major part of their diet- NOPE
Do they find an aip and rip it apart-NOPE
Will they thrive on normal aquarium fare- YEP
Will they pick on corals and small inverts- YEP

I think these wonderful fish should be called General-coral-eating-filefish but who would buy them then.

I actually like mine, it is a very unique fish especially the way it swims. He eats like a pig with fish food, just isn't interested in aiptasia or corals, which is fine. I also do not have aiptasia currently in my new system anyways.

Haydn · Apr 28, 2021

boeingn747 said:
If you read the beginning of my post you would see that I got one because #1, I wanted one and #2, I found a baby aptasia and wanted to see if he would stay ahead of it. My main reason for buying was because I wanted it. The fact that it may eat aptasia was a bonus. I think they are a cool fish.

So do I- I have 2 in my tank, they were part of my strategy to use biological aiptasia control, they along with Molly miller blennies, pep shrimps and dwarf angelfish ridded my FO tank of a huge infestation. Mine used to pick at the rockwork round the base of large Aips, I think they were eating the tiny ones. But I would have stocked a couple anyway I think they are such interesting characters.

In my post I was trying to say buy these wonderful fish because they are wonderful in their own right and not because the adman says they are a magic aiptasia predators

Ardeus · Apr 28, 2021

Today I brought a few rocks filled with aiptasia and xenias from the sump up to the tank. I'm sure tomorrow the aiptasias will be gone and in a few days, the xenias will suffer the safe fate.

I have a trio of filefish and their favorite corals are:

1 - Aiptasias
2 - Xenias
3 - Bubbletip anemones
4 - Hammers
5 - Palythoas

Deep · Apr 28, 2021

mine doesnt touch corals and takes care of my aiptasia issues. if you have a cam you could record for while you are not around, Fish behave very differently when they know youre not watching.