Matted Leatherjacket File or Copperband Butterfly?

[Simon Lipscombe]

Hello everyone,

So I'm having some aiptasia issues in my mixed reef tank, and I don't have time to do Aiptasia-X every day. I've tried Berghias, but I've got a Molly Miller blenny that eats them every time I get them. Peppermints just don't seem to eat the aiptasia. So what it comes down to for me is this: I'm willing to take the risk of introducing a fish that may or may not nip at my corals, as long as it eats aiptasia. Does anyone know the pros/cons behind a Copperband, and the pros/cons behind a Matted Leatherjacket file fish? Thanks in advance! :]

P.S: I'm not concerned about the difficulty of feeding the copperband, I can take care of that.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Copperbands are hit-and-miss as far as eating aiptasia and some are reluctant feeders. But, are safer with corals than a matted filefish.

The matted leatherjacket is hardier and more likely to eat aiptasia, but much more likely to begin nipping corals once the aiptasia have been eaten.

 

[Simon Lipscombe]

Copperbands are hit-and-miss as far as eating aiptasia and some are reluctant feeders. But, are safer with corals than a matted filefish.

The matted leatherjacket is hardier and more likely to eat aiptasia, but much more likely to begin nipping corals once the aiptasia have been eaten.

Cool, thing is, I have a couple smaller tanks without corals that I could put the file fish in after its done its job, so I get to keep it, obviously the copperband would get too big for a small tank