harlequin filefish experinces

[DrPterois]

Good day friends, I have thought about buying a harlequin file fish, I have read a lot about your requirements and I have found persons who have maintained them with good success.

Have any of you kept it in your aquarium?

What can you tell me about it?

thank you very much.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Just to make sure we're talking about the same fish, do you mean the Oxymonacanthus longirostris?

I kept them. The male died rather quickly, but I didn't identify that he was sick when I got him. If I had of treated him, the outcome may have been different. It was a smaller tank, however, so I realized it was better to just keep the female and not replace the male.

Were you planning on getting them already eating frozen, like from Divers Den, or were you planning to get them from the LFS?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Ohhhhh..... Mexico. Guess divers den is out, but do you have a source for some already eating frozen?

 

[sundog101]

I had one a while back. He lasted about 4 or 5 months. I think mine possibly died due to cyanide poisoning. He was eating great but never put on any weight and eventually died. So just try to get a healthy fish from the start (most are not).

As for feeding, mine was picky in the beginning. I made a white worm feeder to get him started. I then moved to blackworms, live brine, and clams. Be prepared to feed a type of live food in the beginning. They are very shy and slow eaters so I think they would do best in a docile tank with other "special diet" fish like mandarins, pipefish, or seahorses.

Worm feeder. It's pipette with holes in it.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

My girl ruled the roost after awhile and outcompeted the anthias for food. It took awhile, but she came out of her shell with time.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I used live SPS and SPS skeletons smeared with frozen food in a training tank. I feel it's important to pick them up when they arrive at the LFS because they get super skinny pretty fast. Every day wasted at the LFS is a day less you'll have to train them before they starve.

 

[sundog101]

^ Also a good idea. There was a good article in a magazine by someone who bred and raised them, I can't remember his name. Using live sps and frozen food on skeletons is how he got his fish eating.

 

[sundog101]

Matt Pederson, I found it
https://reefbuilders.com/2011/03/04/orange-spot-filefish-impossible-challenging-captivity/

 

[DrPterois]

Ok, thank you very much, for your contributions, I also saw in reefbuilders the article they mention and there the guy used gel food, which the fish consumed very well, in other videos on youtube I have seen some animals feeding on frozen and even flakes.

I am aware that it is a very delicate fish that requires a lot of dedication, so I want to know everything about it so as to ensure its survival within my aquarium.

Salu2

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I used the gel stuff to smooth on the coral skeletons. My girl LOVED pellets and I fed her everything. One thing I did was freeze little chucks of fresh fish and shave it with a microplaner. Her favorite fish was salmon.

When I got mine I went through a bit of "they are obligate SPS feeders and you'll fail" anger from the peanut gallery. I loved showing them 6 years later how well she was doing. Once you have them accepting frozen well, they are actually a very hardy fish.

When I get home from vacation later this week, I will dig up my week by week account to see the path I followed and some brand names of things I've tried. I've trained 3 of them, so it's very doable.

 

[watchguy123]

I think this is one of the most spectacular colored and unusual saltwater fish and truly a treasure to behold thriving. Were you @Lionfish Lair able to train it to eat supplemental food exclusively and leave sps alone or did they still enjoy sps polyps

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Once I took them out of their training tank, they never saw SPS again.

 

[evolved]

Matt Pederson, I found it
https://reefbuilders.com/2011/03/04/orange-spot-filefish-impossible-challenging-captivity/

He's on here @mpedersen

 

[wowkingjames]

Thanks for the info.

 

[drawman]

Once I took them out of their training tank, they never saw SPS again.

Pics please! Is the female still alive?

 

[Lionfish Lair]

No, I don't have her anymore I lost her after 6 years and it was my fault :-( I had back surgery and pretty much lost everything through neglect.

One of my favorite pictures is the "Before & After" shot. She was so skinny originally.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Enjoying some brine....

 

[drawman]

No, I don't have her anymore I lost her after 6 years and it was my fault :-( I had back surgery and pretty much lost everything through neglect.

One of my favorite pictures is the "Before & After" shot. She was so skinny originally.

Sorry to hear it she was a beautiful fish!