Aptasia eating Filefish

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luke33

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I've tried pep's to no avail. Only if you starve them will they eat aptasia imo. But crap, may have to dump some money on them too : ) Maybe i'll find a good one!
 

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I tried the CBB route and had to remove him since he rather eat LPS over aips. Ive found Peps only good for small aiptasia while large ones need kalk paste. This is the first time Ive heard of using file fish but thats a bit scary to me. Ive got duncans and zoas I rather not get eaten. I think my vortech sucks my peps in and blends them at night though...
 

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I tried 3 in my 75 and nothing. The didn't eat one **** aiptasia. I never saw them again after the first night. Not sure if my yellow wrasse got them.
 

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I tried the CBB route and had to remove him since he rather eat LPS over aips. Ive found Peps only good for small aiptasia while large ones need kalk paste. This is the first time Ive heard of using file fish but thats a bit scary to me. Ive got duncans and zoas I rather not get eaten. I think my vortech sucks my peps in and blends them at night though...


I'll let you know. I got duncans, frogspawn, hammer, balstos and several zoas. He can eat the zoas as long as he eats the aiptasia also.
 

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I'll let you know. I got duncans, frogspawn, hammer, balstos and several zoas. He can eat the zoas as long as he eats the aiptasia also.

Thanks, I got clams, as well so curious what happens. I could move most of the zoas over to my sons tank. I do have a nuisance brown paly that's everywhere along with majonos and aips so some stuff that needs to be eaten.
 

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Thanks, I got clams, as well so curious what happens. I could move most of the zoas over to my sons tank. I do have a nuisance brown paly that's everywhere along with majonos and aips so some stuff that needs to be eaten.

I also have clams, one about 4 inches and one about 10 inches. I actually have been wanting a filefish so this was a great excuse.
 

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Mine went after my purple tang last night and tried to take a bite out of his side. The purple was trying to harass him and after the 3rd time in a couple seconds he was fed up and snapped and just missed him. Needless to say the purple tang swam very quickly every time he went by the file fish.
 

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I am 99.9% sure mine has started eating aiptasia. He hangs around the back right corner of the tank near my return. The return had at least 15+ aiptasia on it and when I looked earlier today the entire one side was clear of them. Trouble is I haven't actually seen him eat them.
 

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I am 99.9% sure mine has started eating aiptasia. He hangs around the back right corner of the tank near my return. The return had at least 15+ aiptasia on it and when I looked earlier today the entire one side was clear of them. Trouble is I haven't actually seen him eat them.

Not sure what happened, but I am guessing it was my Sixline. He harassed him from day one, so he may have just gotten really stressed out.

Paul, if your Filefish cleans out your tank and you need a new home for him, let me know, I will buy him from you. Glad to hear he is starting to munch on some aiptasia.
 

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Not sure what happened, but I am guessing it was my Sixline. He harassed him from day one, so he may have just gotten really stressed out.

Paul, if your Filefish cleans out your tank and you need a new home for him, let me know, I will buy him from you. Glad to hear he is starting to munch on some aiptasia.

I'll definitely let you know. He will set your sixline straight also..:xd: I'll be happier when I actually see him eat them. If I sit near the tank he still isn't comfortable with me yet and kind of goes back into the corner under my green cap or on the other end behind and under my overflow box. I have not seen any damage to any zoa's or other coral either.
 

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OK I just got done watching him eat some! I had a ton behind my HOB overflow box and they are all gone just some on the one side of the box now. I'll try and get a pic of a couple batches of Aiptasia I have and get some after pics of them cleaned off. I just have to cross my fingers that he keeps his munching to Aiptasia and frozen food, He eats mysis like a cow eats grass.
 
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luke33

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Well, an update. He hasn't eaten any more zoa's (knock on wood) but hasn't eaten any aptasia either. I did notice that one of the large aptasia is staying hidden, so i do wonder if he tried to pick it off. I sure hope so. He does eat like a pig and still hovers over the same spots all day long. Fish makes me nervous.
 

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Haha... its funny that the fish makes you nervous. Mine is quite a nervous fish and behaves a lot like others have described. He has been in the tank for over a month now and still scurries away at the sight of someone within 4 feet of the tank. All of my aiptasia are either gone or stay retracted into the rocks. None of them are brave enough to expand all the way anymore! I can still see a few of them but they look like huddled refugees hahaha.

As I have said before, I think he is a pretty cool fish. Unless he starts eating corals or clams I probably will keep him around. I have been watching the clams closely as I just got a new crocea and squamosa to go with my maxima. If all is well I may have a lead on a tuamotu maxima to add to the collection!
 

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It definitely makes me a little nervous the way it lurks. Just looks like it's up to no good..:snicker: I have a huge maxima clam that had about 15 aiptasia on it's shell and a couple that were touching the mantle and as of this morning I count 4 and none near the mantle. All in all I am VERY happy with the fish. I have seen him hover near all my coral and never nip so hopefully he keeps on track. How big is everyone's filefish? Mine is full grown already at 4". Just curious.
 
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