Filefish

[Brah02]

I started stocking my tank, and after finding a couple spots of aptasia on the live rock I used, I got a peppermint shrimp and an aptasia eating filefish to make sure there’s no more that sprouts up. I superglued the three small ones I found so the filefish and shrimp are more cautionary for future aptasia. My problem is, I plan to get anemones, and coral soon. Did I mess up by adding the filefish? I’d hate to have any coral I add just be a snack.

 

[coastalcoraline5181]

I started stocking my tank, and after finding a couple spots of aptasia on the live rock I used, I got a peppermint shrimp and an aptasia eating filefish to make sure there’s no more that sprouts up. I superglued the three small ones I found so the filefish and shrimp are more cautionary for future aptasia. My problem is, I plan to get anemones, and coral soon. Did I mess up by adding the filefish? I’d hate to have any coral I add just be a snack.

hi there! good idea for aptasia control, however filefish are known to not be entirely reef safe. it may try to pick at some corals, nems, and inverts over time. it's not a guarantee though, i have a friend who's filefish has no interest in their corals. for what it's worth, i'd recommend keeping a close eye on them if you do introduce any corals, nems or inverts and see how they're doing together. if it starts nipping, probably not a good idea to continue keeping them together

 

[fish_collector]

Yeah they're hit or miss, and you can't just say they're good if they've left things alone for the first weekend. They will just start munching on things for no apparent reason. Seems like all they do is sample corals though, once they find out it doesn't taste good they will leave a coral alone. I have 2 that don't bother anything but I'm sps dominant.

 

[Brah02]

Yeah they're hit or miss, and you can't just say they're good if they've left things alone for the first weekend. They will just start munching on things for no apparent reason. Seems like all they do is sample corals though, once they find out it doesn't taste good they will leave a coral alone. I have 2 that don't bother anything but I'm sps dominant.

Thats good to know. If its just a nip here and there I think it'll be fine.

 

[OrchidMiss]

I had a file fish completely eat LPS.
I lost several cynarina and a torch before I could catch ot to remove it.

 

[BryanM]

Thats good to know. If its just a nip here and there I think it'll be fine.

My filefish had to go. It ate 15-2% of a cynarina.

Thankfully I managed to nurse it back to health.

 

[Brah02]

I had a file fish completely eat LPS.
I lost several cynarina and a torch before I could catch ot to remove it.

Well shoot. I really like the way they swim around the rocks. But I do plan to add coral so maybe i'll need to rehome him.

 

[Brah02]

My filefish had to go. It ate 15-2% of a cynarina.

Thankfully I managed to nurse it back to health.

Dang it!

 

[BryanM]

Dang it!

Yep. Whats worse to me was that the filefish was a dork. Just meandered around, slow, weird. Never would have thought it was him - Someone else mentioned it, then I finally caught him in the act.