Orangespot Filefish

[Steven91]

Hey everyone,

Was wondering if anyone keeps or has kept the orangespot filefish? The research I've been doing says they eat acropora and maybe mysis. It is a beautiful fish and my lfs has one, though before I buy it I am trying to make sure i know all the care requirements about it. Any advice or opinions would be great.

Thank you

 

[pcon]

Obligate corallivores, so they may need acro frags to eat. Very few aquarists are successful long term even the experts at public aquariums don't always do well with them. They require many daily feedings, some sources recommend 10+ times a day. This is the type of fish that requires months of research, planning and preparation. If you are serious about keeping these fish I would start with looking into the people who have bred the two species. Then look into some of the more recent postings on this forum suggesting success may have to do with high fatty acid content in the foods. This is absolutely one of the Expert Only fish that have well earned the title.

 

[Steven91]

Obligate corallivores, so they may need acro frags to eat. Very few aquarists are successful long term even the experts at public aquariums don't always do well with them. They require many daily feedings, some sources recommend 10+ times a day. This is the type of fish that requires months of research, planning and preparation. If you are serious about keeping these fish I would start with looking into the people who have bred the two species. Then look into some of the more recent postings on this forum suggesting success may have to do with high fatty acid content in the foods. This is absolutely one of the Expert Only fish that have well earned the title.

Thank you for the info, I may just skip this fish all together and let it be, and ouch on the 10+ times a day feeding. I might just keep doing research and if I see another one down the road might give it my hand

 

[najer]

I did try, it should not be in the trade imo.
I can feed most things and I bought an auto feeder, it was getting fed 8 - 10 times a day and ate pretty much anything I tried it on, it still started on my acros so was removed.

 

[Steven91]

I did try, it should not be in the trade imo.
I can feed most things and I bought an auto feeder, it was getting fed 8 - 10 times a day and ate pretty much anything I tried it on, it still started on my acros so was removed.

I don't have any acros in my tank and I don't think I will (though that might change). When you were feeding it 8+ times was it healthy?

 

[Softhammer]

They have to have Acropora. That’s what the word obligate means, no acros=dead filefish. The only real way to keep them is in a absolutely packed reef tank of sufficient size that they won’t tear through all of the corals. And yes corals will die, that’s 100% what they do.

 

[najer]

I don't have any acros in my tank and I don't think I will (though that might change). When you were feeding it 8+ times was it healthy?

Yes but still had that instinct for acros, I doubt but don't know that they will transition to other sps, best left in the sea imo.