Please tell me about Purple Tilefish...

[Calmwaters]

I'm having a hard time finding much info on this beautiful fish that I would love to add to my 125 gallon. So please tell me all you know about them. I have a glass lid with 0 gaps in it. But what else do I need to make sure it lives and thrives. This is my current stock list as well as others I would like to add unless anyone sees an issue.
Current Stock:
2 Ocellaris Clownfish
Springeri Damsel
Citron Clown Goby
Leopard Wrasse
Chocolate Tang
One Spot Foxface
Brazilian Royal Gamma
Serpent Starfish
Scooter Blenny
Red Fire Fish
Coral Beauty Angel
Purple Tang
Cleaner Wrasse

Would like to add:
Ruby Red Dragonet
Midas Blenny
Pearly Jawfish
Mandarin Goby

 

[i cant think]

I'm having a hard time finding much info on this beautiful fish that I would love to add to my 125 gallon. So please tell me all you know about them. I have a glass lid with 0 gaps in it. But what else do I need to make sure it lives and thrives. This is my current stock list as well as others I would like to add unless anyone sees an issue.
Current Stock:
2 Ocellaris Clownfish
Springeri Damsel
Citron Clown Goby
Leopard Wrasse
Chocolate Tang
One Spot Foxface
Brazilian Royal Gamma
Serpent Starfish
Scooter Blenny
Red Fire Fish
Coral Beauty Angel
Purple Tang
Cleaner Wrasse

Would like to add:
Ruby Red Dragonet
Midas Blenny
Pearly Jawfish
Mandarin Goby

IMHO, a glass lid will end up likely causing more harm to the fish as if she jumps - which looking at your stock, any Hoplolatilus will likely be skittish with them to start due to the high activity and this is when they’re most likely to jump is during their settling stages when they’re being their most skittish selves.
A glass lid and jumpers often leads to more harm due to a higher risk of spinal injuries.

Overall they’re quite hardy to keep, just skittish to settle.

 

[Calmwaters]

IMHO, a glass lid will end up likely causing more harm to the fish as if she jumps - which looking at your stock, any Hoplolatilus will likely be skittish with them to start due to the high activity and this is when they’re most likely to jump is during their settling stages when they’re being their most skittish selves.
A glass lid and jumpers often leads to more harm due to a higher risk of spinal injuries.

Overall they’re quite hardy to keep, just skittish to settle.

Thank you! I also have light diffuser panel that I could replace the lid with and netting from BRS do you think that would be better?

 

[i cant think]

Thank you! I also have light diffuser panel that I could replace the lid with and netting from BRS do you think that would be better?

Yes, a mesh lid is almost always best with these fish. I have found a mesh that tilefish will be unable to escape from but I cannot remember the name of it. I believe Inappropriate Reefer has it over his tank.

 

[CHSUB]

It is a hard fish to keep thriving. Had several over many years, with really only 1 that survived long term. Any gap in lid it will find, gets picked on by many fish, and can be difficult to feed. You have lots of fish and that might be a problem getting it comfortable?

These two got through qt easy, however one jumped in a vent to cool the tank and the other didn’t eat in DT because of Kole tang.

 

[cba191]

@christinna77 had a phenomenal post about tilefish. Personally, i think it should be invluded in the articles section.

 

[Calmwaters]

It is a hard fish to keep thriving. Had several over many years, with really only 1 that survived long term. Any gap in lid it will find, gets picked on by many fish, and can be difficult to feed. You have lots of fish and that might be a problem getting it comfortable?

These two got through qt easy, however one jumped in a vent to cool the tank and the other didn’t eat in DT because of Kole tang.

Thank you for the info!

 

[Calmwaters]

@christinna77 had a phenomenal post about tilefish. Personally, i think it should be invluded in the articles section.

Thank you maybe she will chime in or i can find it through a search when I'm on lunch in a bit.

 

[cba191]

Found it

https://www.reef2reef.com/posts/14280927/

 

[Calmwaters]

Found it

https://www.reef2reef.com/posts/14280927/

Thank you so very much!!!

 

[christinna77]

Thank you so very much!!!

Here's the article: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/the-complete-guide-to-hoplolatilus-tilefish-in-the-reef-aquarium.1181/

I also have the same guide on my website, which is a liiittle bit easier to navigate: https://tilefi.sh/articles/hoplolatilus-tilefish-guide

 

[Calmwaters]

Here's the article: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/the-complete-guide-to-hoplolatilus-tilefish-in-the-reef-aquarium.1181/

I also have the same guide on my website, which is a liiittle bit easier to navigate: https://tilefi.sh/articles/hoplolatilus-tilefish-guide

Thank you!

 

[christinna77]

I agree with the other posters that the tangs and even the coral beauty could be a problem for the tilefish, especially if it's added later. Mine definitely gets stressed when it gets picked on and I've had to rehome fish I never expected I'd need to. That included my starry blenny (to be fair, though, he was picking on all the fish) and my borbonius anthias. He scared my skunk so badly that he flew into the lid several times. I'm also trying to rehome my growing biota YT - he's getting too comfortable and I've seen him swim into my tilefish's cave and try to strike him with his spine a few times before, so he's gone lol, I don't let any fish bully my tilefish whatsoever.

 

[cba191]

I'm wanting to add a pair of chocolate tangs along with 2 marcosis. I wonder if that would be trouble.

 

[Calmwaters]

I agree with the other posters that the tangs and even the coral beauty could be a problem for the tilefish, especially if it's added later. Mine definitely gets stressed when it gets picked on and I've had to rehome fish I never expected I'd need to. That included my starry blenny (to be fair, though, he was picking on all the fish) and my borbonius anthias. He scared my skunk so badly that he flew into the lid several times. I'm also trying to rehome my growing biota YT - he's getting too comfortable and I've seen him swim into my tilefish's cave and try to strike him with his spine a few times before, so he's gone lol, I don't let any fish bully my tilefish whatsoever.

Thank you I read that in your other post so I'm thinking it's not going to be a good fit for my setup.

 

[LagunaGlide]

I have had one for about 6 months now. It went into a quarantine tank with a fairy wrasse, who bullied it a bit, but they sorted it out.

Then out of nowhere it started acting weird. Wouldn't come out to eat for days, and would just lay nose down in a PVC pipe. Then suddenly was fine again.

Went into the display and it spent the first few days at the top of the tank just swimming around bumping it's face against the mesh lid. Ate fine, but just surfed the top of the tank, checking the lid.

Settled in, and was fine. Then tank got ich. Everyone came out, and has made it through copper treatment. This fish was my biggest concern for having issues with copper, but all went well.

Eats like A PIG. Very aggressive eater. Kind of a strange fish overall. Every time I go down to feed the hospital tank it goes to the top of the water, and pokes about 1/4 of it's body out of the water over and over again until I put food in.

When it was in the main display and settled in it would swim from it's hidey spot on one side of the tank, squirm into a hole in the rock on the other side near the cleaner shrimp, and the cleaner shrimp would just hang out around it's head. It also would just sit and watch our porcelain crab wave it's arms about. Quirky fish, and adds some personality to the tank for sure.

Just for reference I have 1 purple tang, 1 sailfin tang, 1 tomini tang, 1 pintail fairy wrasse, 1 beaus fairy wrasse, 1 starry blenny, 1 canary top wrasse, and 1 hi-fin goby. I have seen the tile fish and the hi-fin goby fight, like lock jaws together, but otherwise no aggression since everyone has settled in.

My hospital tank is a 55 gallon, and my main display is 130 gallon 5 ft tank.

Super excited to get everyone back in the main display at the end of this month!

 

[Landagne]

I bought two and they came in last week. Sadly, one did not make it out of the bag alive. Luckily it was within 5 hours of delivery, so I was able to get a refund for that one fish. The other darted off under the rocks somewhere as soon as I out him into the water. I didn't see it for several hours. When the lights came on, he emerged. I know where he sleeps now. Anyway, I'm going to have to keep an eye on how he eats. He seems to be a bit slow at eating the food that's floating around him, so the other fish are eating more than him. He's a beautiful fish, and seems to be very healthy right now. I'm glad he was able to find a safe place to be, as he was bigger than I thought he would be, 4.5 inches long.

 

[cba191]

I got two skunks on thursday. They were doing great in qt. Eating like pigs. This afternoon, one is doing real poorly. Floating more than swimming.

 

[christinna77]

I bought two and they came in last week. Sadly, one did not make it out of the bag alive. Luckily it was within 5 hours of delivery, so I was able to get a refund for that one fish. The other darted off under the rocks somewhere as soon as I out him into the water. I didn't see it for several hours. When the lights came on, he emerged. I know where he sleeps now. Anyway, I'm going to have to keep an eye on how he eats. He seems to be a bit slow at eating the food that's floating around him, so the other fish are eating more than him. He's a beautiful fish, and seems to be very healthy right now. I'm glad he was able to find a safe place to be, as he was bigger than I thought he would be, 4.5 inches long.

Sorry one of them didn't make it. From my experience, these fish are easily outcompeted by others, especially in the beginning, and they can go on hunger strikes too.

I really prefer to put them in at least an observation tank first, so they can get used to me, the feeding tube and the food itself, before any other fish are around to steal it from them.

Hope yours starts coming out more and eating more aggressively!

 

[christinna77]

I got two skunks on thursday. They were doing great in qt. Eating like pigs. This afternoon, one is doing real poorly. Floating more than swimming.

It is possible it tried to jump out at night and hit the lid hard? Might just be still stunned. I'd recommend recording a 30s video and posting to the diseases forum, so fish medics can properly assess it.