Is this a matted filefish aka aiptasia eating filefish?

[Jonathan lee]

Aiptasia took over my tank after a crash 10 days ago after the corals died. Now i only have a candy cane and one small colony of favites. Aiptasia for some reason grew so fast and big during the crash. Thinking of adding a aiptasia eating filefish to clear the aiptasia before i add corals. When i add corals i will be moving the filefish to my fish only system. My lfs has this matted filefish but the colour is way lighter green and not as blotchy and dark as the kind Ora breeds. Is this the same species but different colour variation? My lfs will have both the dark mottled one and this lighter coloured one at the same time and sold as the same thing. But i could use some confirmation before buying it. I had one before and it did eat aiptasia but it was the darker mottled variant not this lighter coloured one.

 

[KrisReef]

Take a rock with aiptasia into the store and see. I have bought a few of these "matted filefish" and now I don't believe they eat aiptasia until I see them eat aiptasia. Some of these eat flesh and the rest appear to be vegetarians? I think it's a religious thing with them.

 

[CasperOe]

Never had one work for me! I bought a Molly Miller Blenny who's doing a fantastic job though!

 

[KrisReef]

Never had one work for me! I bought a Molly Miller Blenny who's doing a fantastic job though!

Kleine's Butterfly, and a copperband butterfly have ruined my Aiptasia farms, while the filefish just eats fish food?

 

[CasperOe]

Kleine's Butterfly, and a copperband butterfly have ruined my Aiptasia farms, while the filefish just eats fish food?

Agreed! I have a pearl scale butterfly in another tank munching happily away on them as well as my utter chaos zoas

 

[Jonathan lee]

Take a rock with aiptasia into the store and see. I have bought a few of these "matted filefish" and now I don't believe they eat aiptasia until I see them eat aiptasia. Some of these eat flesh and the rest appear to be vegetarians? I think it's a religious thing with them.

I doubt it would start picking aiptasia that quick? Mine took over a week to settle before it started eating it. I guess if it doesn’t eat the aiptasia it will be a pet in my fish only setup

 

[Jonathan lee]

Never had one work for me! I bought a Molly Miller Blenny who's doing a fantastic job though!

In asia we dont get them. Ive only seed it once and it was sold immediately the moment the guy posted it on fb

 

[KrisReef]

In asia we dont get them. Ive only seed it once and it was sold immediately the moment the guy posted it on fb

Oh, that's a tough market. Hope you find a good one! We have more access but as noted, they don't always perform.