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!