Odd Tank Mate¿

[Camaronero]

Good afternoon,
BACKGROUND: Still cycling the WaterBox 25 Peninsula...This tank is bare bottom and I will likely stock a majority of softies, some ornamental macroalgae, and maybe one photosynthetic gorgonian. Trying to build the tank solely for a Yellow Banded Possum Wrasse (Wetmorella nigropinnata) but heard they will just hide if it’s the only fish.

DEBATE: Could I stock a white spotted Pygmy Filefish (Rudarius ercodes)¿ I see their available from ORA so would that lessen the chances of severe competition for food¿I see on some sites they’re listed as a 10 gallon minimum and on live aquaria as 30 gal someone lmk. I was leaning towards getting a helfrichi fire fish, but I heard it’s also kind of a gamble since they can also sometimes be shy/timid.

Hope everyone who reads/replies has a great rest of the day¡

 

[Bucs20fan]

I would recommend larger than a 10 gallon, but as always it can be done. the biggest downside to the filefish is sometimes they just up and decide to eat softies. Not to say all will, but they have been known to on occasion.

 

[Sharkbait19]

You’ll definitely have better luck with the firefish imo. Once settled they can be pretty outgoing.
The filefish can work, but as mentioned they are more likely to nip at coral in a smaller tank.

 

[Bucs20fan]

+1 to the firefish for sure.

 

[davidcalgary29]

The ORA whitespotted pygmy filefish are, hands-down, one of my favourite aquarium fish. In fact, I'm saving the last space in one of my tanks so that I can have a small group of them. Unlike my matted filefish, which is an LPS-eater, I never saw my original pygmy filefish go after any coral.

 

[Camaronero]

You’ll definitely have better luck with the firefish imo. Once settled they can be pretty outgoing.
The filefish can work, but as mentioned they are more likely to nip at coral in a smaller tank.

Thanks for the input, I’m the most indecisive person in the world; it gets worse with fish since they come with specific needs/behavior, aside from their looks. I’m stuck wondering if a wild fire fish would have better long term results vs an ORA captive file fish. Do you think a captive bred specimen trumps a wild caught but easier to maintain wild caught fish¿

 

[Sharkbait19]

Firefish are one of the hardiest reef fish you can get, so I would think that such a fish would inevitably be easier than the more specialized filefish, even if it’s captive.
That said, as far as long term goes, I’m pretty sure filefish has a much longer lifespan than a firefish.

 

[Camaronero]

The ORA whitespotted pygmy filefish are, hands-down, one of my favourite aquarium fish. In fact, I'm saving the last space in one of my tanks so that I can have a small group of them. Unlike my matted filefish, which is an LPS-eater, I never saw my original pygmy filefish go after any coral.

Would you consider it an outgoing fish even though they move awkwardly¿ I’m just trying to find a unique tank mate that can serve as a dither fish (to an extent since I know the filefish behavior is far from let’s say a chromis or fire fish). It seems like all of the fish I like are all shy(PSW and coral crouchers), or semi aggressive (Pygmy Hawkfish).

 

[davidcalgary29]

Would you consider it an outgoing fish even though they move awkwardly¿ I’m just trying to find a unique tank mate that can serve as a dither fish (to an extent since I know the filefish behavior is far from let’s say a chromis or fire fish). It seems like all of the fish I like are all shy(PSW and coral crouchers), or semi aggressive (Pygmy Hawkfish).

They helicopter around the tank, not move awkwardly in them. They're very nimble, and can turn on a dime, and buzz around all over the aquarium. And outgoing? Most certainly. These filefish (and some of their relatives) are often the type of fish that come up to beg when they see you approach the tank. They're also temperate water fish, so you can keep them with other lesser-seen aquarium fish, like hulafish. You could probably also keep them without a heater.

But I'm not trying to turn this into a filefish vs. firefish debate! Purple firefish are stunning, gorgeous fish, and even the red ones are very nice. Helfrichi firefish are just too expensive for my taste, and all firefish tend to be jumpers, so you should have some type of lid on your tank.