My experience with a flashing tilefish

[Adamantium]

Here we go

 

[i cant think]

Here we go

That’s actually the same thing as what my tile did when he entered the tank so in my eyes he’s good and not going to be quite so hard to keep.

 

[Adamantium]

That’s actually the same thing as what my tile did when he entered the tank so in my eyes he’s good and not going to be quite so hard to keep.

So glad to hear it. He finally went for a piece of PE Mysis, but he missed and grabbed a piece of rubble. Then he gave up lol

I’m sure he just needs to settle in a bit.

Appreciate having someone with firsthand experience helping out!

 

[i cant think]

So glad to hear it. He finally went for a piece of PE Mysis, but he missed and grabbed a piece of rubble. Then he gave up lol

I’m sure he just needs to settle in a bit.

Appreciate having someone with firsthand experience helping out!

It’s fine! I love mine, what I recommend it trying to get a piece of mysis infront of him and see if he’s grabs it. I find this fish to be VERY underrated and almost never kept due to the bad reputation the tilefish family gets. I mean mine jumped out of the tank once in the whole 3 months I’ve owned him.

 

[Adamantium]

He’s eating!!!

PE Mysis only, so far, but that’s fine. He flashed almost every time he took a bite. This thing is incredible.

 

[i cant think]

He’s eating!!!

PE Mysis only, so far, but that’s fine. He flashed almost every time he took a bite. This thing is incredible.

That’s great! He has the same behaviour as mine! My guy goes a white/EXTREMELY light blue when he goes to eat some mysis/brine. Hell soon get the hang of it and eat brine too

I mean the most important part is he flashes even when not stressed and he is eating.

 

[i cant think]

This fish is harder than a damsel to kill, he has jumped and hit the mesh lid several times and still come out unharmed, survived a 5 foot drop, ate within 3 days of introduction, stands up to a tang AND foxface. The only thing I can think of strong enough to possibly have him die in a few months is Copper (This is why I really don’t want to dose Melafix into my reef for the tang to recover - Although my coral and inverts can thrive even when dosed, I don’t know how he’d react).

 

[Tamberav]

lol tilefish are cool... I don't dare try to keep them as anything super skiddish dies thanks to my cats. Many fairy wrasse and firefish graves until I gave up.

 

[Adamantium]

Welllll this sucks. My little guy’s left fin was absolutely thrashed by my purple tang. Got dangit.

I immediately put him into a breeder box, and he’s not breathing too heavily or anything, but he’s incredibly lethargic, and not eating.

I guess at least I know he ate yesterday. Hopefully he’s eating before too long, and I can nurse him back. My biggest concern is that this breeder box usually ends up becoming a coffin when fish already aren’t doing well. I think it’s the stress of being in that little box. Any suggestions?

I’m debating putting the purple tang in there instead, but that seems almost too cruel.

This sucks.

 

[Adamantium]

I put in a few big chunks of chaeto to give him some cover. Man, this sucks.

 

[i cant think]

Welllll this sucks. My little guy’s left fin was absolutely thrashed by my purple tang. Got dangit.

I immediately put him into a breeder box, and he’s not breathing too heavily or anything, but he’s incredibly lethargic, and not eating.

I guess at least I know he ate yesterday. Hopefully he’s eating before too long, and I can nurse him back. My biggest concern is that this breeder box usually ends up becoming a coffin when fish already aren’t doing well. I think it’s the stress of being in that little box. Any suggestions?

I’m debating putting the purple tang in there instead, but that seems almost too cruel.

This sucks.

I would instantly try to get rid of the purple, I think try getting him to eat and get used to you is the main thing, I’m not too good in Disease but @Jay Hemdal may know what to do.

As long as he’s not breathing heavy he should be able to recover, is he flashing? If so then try get food circulating the breeder box. Once he eats he should be alright.

 

[Adamantium]

Okay, I moved him back into the display and the purple tang into the boo boo box. I’ve had such awful luck with sick fish in that thing, that this seems like the safer bet.

Appreciate the help, and if anyone else wants to chime in, that would be great.

 

[Adamantium]

He is flashing, but he looks so lethargic. He’s just kind of lying on the sand. Poor guy

 

[Adamantium]

Aggression is actually why the purple tang was in this tank to begin with. Should’ve just taken the hint and brought him in to an LFS for credit. Dang.

 

[i cant think]

Okay, I moved him back into the display and the purple tang into the boo boo box. I’ve had such awful luck with sick fish in that thing, that this seems like the safer bet.

Appreciate the help, and if anyone else wants to chime in, that would be great.

That I think is a better move, these are sensitive to aggression and as said above even indirect aggression can send these fish into hiding and panic. I really hope someone can chime in and help with the lethargic issue. It may be a case of spot feeding for a couple days and see if he recovers, I don’t recommend anything with copper in to help this fish. They are EXTREMELY sensitive to it and I have lost a few different species of tilefish when it came to dosing copper. It gives them copper burns on the gills and impacts their life by a lot. I know what I do is a risk but I’d rather add these fish into an established reef and deal with it in there instead of in QT.

 

[i cant think]

Owning this fish in person and not just in an LFS display tank really makes me want to set up a 3’x2’x2’ tank for just the tilefish & gobies. Gobies mainly due to how good they are at pest eating and over here, tilefish are classed as gobies (Not a clue why but they’re labelled as “Tile Goby”).

 

[Adamantium]

Aaaaand now his breathing seems labored. Great. Hopefully that’s just the stress of being moved. I really don’t want him to die. In 10 years in the hobby I’ve never seen one D:

 

[i cant think]

Aaaaand now his breathing seems labored. Great. Hopefully that’s just the stress of being moved. I really don’t want him to die. In 10 years in the hobby I’ve never seen one D:

Try keeping flow going past his gills and through his mouth if it isn’t already.

 

[Adamantium]

Good advice, thank you. I just redirected a power head a bit.

 

[Adamantium]

I'm very distraught to say he passed. I'm never finding one of these again. I feel like I've committed a travesty by allowing this to happen. Sorry