Aptasia eating Filefish

[jaytizzle]

Regarding the clams, I have a 4" maxima in my tank and he hasn't nipped at all. There were actually a bunch of huge aiptasia on the clam's shell that he delicately picked off. As I have said in previous posts, now my clam can open up full and happy for the first time in a long time!

 

[Paul_N]

Clam free here so idono. They are related to the trigger so i'm going to guess they are not invert safe, but its going to depend on the fish. I had a filefish around 4yrs ago and had to get rid of it for tearing up most of my fish. It was mean as crap. Thats why i was so hesitant to try this one out. This one seems more of a camoflauge (sp) artist than a open reef feeder. But time will tell. I would be even more hesitant if i had a clam. The issue i'm worried about is if he is a nipper, how do i catch him out of my tank?

A couple posts I read stated, like Jared did, that they are slow moving. They waited till the lights were off for a while and netted it in a corner.

 

[Paul_N]

I tried the peppermint route and I feed to much so they won't work for me. I am assuming my yellow wrasse ate them cause I haven't seen them in over 3 months. I check everywhere at night with the flashlight also.

 

[jaytizzle]

The issue i'm worried about is if he is a nipper, how do i catch him out of my tank?

When mine gets scared (i.e. EVERY time I come near the tank and especially so when I clean the glass with the magnet cleaner) he wedges himself up one of the top corners of the tank. He will be SUPER easy to remove if the time comes. I dunno about other, though. Maybe I am just lucky in this regard...

 

[luke33]

Hopefully i don't need to worry about it, but thanks for easing my mind a bit : )

 

[treylane]

IMO - these guys aren't reef safe at all, they don't just nip, they devourrrr... Days 1 & 2 were like yaaaay he's eating my aips and majanos! Day 3 was like "hmm, why are all my zoas closed?" ... and they also go after SPS & LPS in short order.

 

[luke33]

Well, so far he's just hovering around everything and not picking at anything. Still gives me that eerie feeling the whole time, especially when he hovers above my chalice farm : ()

 

[luke33]

Day 4. Aptasia still hangin out. BamBam zoa's colony gone : ( Nothing else harmed, but just that being done makes the purchase a complete loss imo.

 

[Paul_N]

Day 4. Aptasia still hangin out. BamBam zoa's colony gone : ( Nothing else harmed, but just that being done makes the purchase a complete loss imo.

I agree if you want to keep zoas definitely not worth it. I was not going to keep zoas anymore anyways. I have some on my base rocks. I liked them but if I had to sacrifice them.....:xd:

Jared, how is yours doing? You have a ton of high end zoas!!oh:

 

[Stray32]

So far so good, but now I am a bit worried after Luke's problem. Mine hangs out in one spot during the day. I haven't seen him eating Aiptasia, nor any coral. I am definitely going to keep a better eye on him now though.

 

[stedfast82]

I have used filefish for aptasia. just when it all gone get them out they will eat anything!!!! they are for sure not safe at all for the reef!!!!I had a very bad problem apt. it's all gone now but lost coral as well.

 

[Paul_N]

So far so good, but now I am a bit worried after Luke's problem. Mine hangs out in one spot during the day. I haven't seen him eating Aiptasia, nor any coral. I am definitely going to keep a better eye on him now though.

I think I am stopping by Wet Pets on the way home today. I spent a couple hours last night trying to move some stuff around to use kalk paste and a syringe.I got several more but there are still a ton that I can't reach.

 

[luke33]

Yea, the bam bam's are the only nice zoa i have. I have a ton of ugly one's i've been trying to erraticate for a few yrs now so if i can take out my nice one's and let him eat them and the apt we'll call it even. But if i see hit even nip at my sps he's getting pulled out the game.

 

[Paul_N]

OK file fish is in the tank. Crossing my fingers. I like the fact that the purple tang came up tried to bully him and the filefish just stopped dead in his tracks and turned slowly and looked at the purple tang as if to say " Dude your joking right?"

 

[Stray32]

Good luck man. If mine ends up getting a taste for Aiptasia and cleans me out, I will gladly bring him over to you.

 

[seafansar]

I almost got a filefish for my aiptasia problem. A guy was selling one, cause it cleaned up his aiptasia and would have kept it, but it was bullying his hawk fish. He said it never picked at any of his corals. But I chickened out and didn't buy it.

I tried a Klein's butterfly instead, but found out, while in QT thankfully, that he loved zoas. So I sold him and got some peppermints and a CBB instead. Note, when buying a CBB, the bigger the better. I've never gotten small CBBs to eat, but all the big ones I've had will eat. My aiptasia are almost all gone now.

 

[luke33]

You guys having any luck with your file's? Mine hasn't eaten any aptasia yet, only some zoa's. Funny as i have tons of zoa's and only one kind that are nice, can u guess which colony he ate? At this point hopefully he eats the one's i consider a nuisance, but i'm sure he'll move on to bigger and better corals with my luck : )

 

[Paul_N]

I have seen mine eat frozen food but no aiptasia yet. But, to be honest he is always in the back of the tank lurking and never comes out to the front yet. That's a good thing though because that is where all the aiptasia are that I can't get too. None of my zoa's are missing yet either. I really like the fish though, pretty cool how it just hovers around instead of darting like my other fish.

 

[stedfast82]

well if you guy's need file fish to eat aipt. you pay the shiping and i will send the crew i have 2 M/F and will kill every thing just send them back to me when there done!!!!!! buy the way i can use some frag's so be cool

 

[hawkfishman]

nothing works better than XL peppermint shrimp period!