Tell me about your filefish!

[Scott's reef]

I have 2 file fish, both were tiny when I received them but slowly getting bigger. In the past I'd ordered a adult file fish and he eradicated the aptasia. My best advice I could give you is call Jeff at reef town. Just goggle nudibranks and you'll pull him up. He's a very nice guy and will recommend the appropriate amount and he's more reasonable then anyone I checked with. Hope this helps.

 

[1stNoel]

My filefish mows down aiptasia, as there are none in my display but I still have a bunch in the sump. Unfortunately, he also attacks euphyllia and zoas...so my display tank is now SPS only.

Timid for a month or two once introduced to the display tank, he is now is one of the more aggressive eaters at feeding time.

 

[Laurence Kofsky]

So today I decided to purchase an Aiptasia eating filefish (hopefully Aiptasia eating) all of my pepperment shrimp have died over the years and I’ve started to see Aiptasia come back, as you can see in picture! Haha I would like to hear your guys thoughts on these or successes/failure stories.

My tank was totally infested at one time. Added a matted filefish like the picture. Within one week no matter what size it was, they were all gone and I have never seen a trace of them again.

 

[Westside Guy]

Always hiding in the shadows.

Mine is always hiding also and I believe that it might be normal behavior for a filefish.

 

[BobFageUK]

So today I decided to purchase an Aiptasia eating filefish (hopefully Aiptasia eating) all of my pepperment shrimp have died over the years and I’ve started to see Aiptasia come back, as you can see in picture! Haha I would like to hear your guys thoughts on these or successes/failure stories.

 

[WIReefer]

Mine is always hiding also and I believe that it might be normal behavior for a filefish.

Mine seems to be out in the open fairly often he was scared of me at first (typical) now he comes right to me when I feed I was surprised.

 

[BobFageUK]

I had a bad out break of the dreaded weed. I got an adult 'loan' file fish that was guaranteed to eat them. He arrived and he came out from behind the rock and the weed in front of him was gone... great did not eat any more of them but joined the other fish at feed times enjoying the frozen food and the dried food. But he had to go after he stared to eat my Duncans.. he had a couple of heads in one sitting. So he went back to the shop. I have a baby file fish at present hoping he will leave the Duncans and Zoas alone. I have peppermint shrimps, Copperband fish and also the nudibranch that eat the weed. I have used Aptasia X by red sea and a cheaper brand plus I have used lemon juice. But I still have Aptasia around the tank. If any thing that would have me leave keeping a reef it is two things 1) is Aptasia and 2) is a pistol shrimp (worse buy ever).

 

[WIReefer]

I had a bad out break of the dreaded weed. I got an adult 'loan' file fish that was guaranteed to eat them. He arrived and he came out from behind the rock and the weed in front of him was gone... great did not eat any more of them but joined the other fish at feed times enjoying the frozen food and the dried food. But he had to go after he stared to eat my Duncans.. he had a couple of heads in one sitting. So he went back to the shop. I have a baby file fish at present hoping he will leave the Duncans and Zoas alone. I have peppermint shrimps, Copperband fish and also the nudibranch that eat the weed. I have used Aptasia X by red sea and a cheaper brand plus I have used lemon juice. But I still have Aptasia around the tank. If any thing that would have me leave keeping a reef it is two things 1) is Aptasia and 2) is a pistol shrimp (worse buy ever).

Well I hope everything works out for you! I ordered three peppermint shrimp years ago and they totally eliminated the Aiptasia but they have all died off by now not sure if it was age or what. But I’m hoping my guy keeps picking at Aiptasia!

 

[Clown Fish Harem Tank]

So today I decided to purchase an Aiptasia eating filefish (hopefully Aiptasia eating) all of my pepperment shrimp have died over the years and I’ve started to see Aiptasia come back, as you can see in picture! Haha I would like to hear your guys thoughts on these or successes/failure stories.

Total success with my File Fish. Ate all my aiptasia, however has now been nipping at my BTA. It's happened a few times, I see bite sized BTA tentacles on the sand bed. My tank has 12 BTA, I feed my file fish plenty of food to prevent him from nipping at the BTA.

 

[kapnkush608]

I picked one up and it's has destroyed patches of Aiptasia that berghia I have had for ~a year hadn't touched. + Side it also decimated my majanos. I've done this several times and some are hit and miss. I've always had the best luck with wild caught ones. I have ho visible aips or majanos after hitting plague proportions about a month ago.

 

[Hincapiej4]

Mine hunts copepods, eats aptasia, and doesn't touch my coral. yea.

 

[Ali-F]

I just added my guy two days ago after keeping cubberband butterfly for 6 months and a scatfish for 3 months with both swimming around the aptisia like they don't see it. I used aptisia-x on one aptisia but it came back after sometime. I also added two peppermint shrimp two weeks ago and they disappeared in the tank after 30min and I can't find them till now.

This guy is my hope now. The aptisia number in my tank increasing slowly but I want to stop it before they take over.

 

[danieyella]

I voted yes and no. This is the 2nd time I've tried a filefish. The first was smaller (then a small kleini butterfly) they knocked out aiptasia (i thought) then started knocking out other things (acans, zoas) so they had to go. This one I purchased much larger. It eats the small aiptasia, and aiptasia rx kills the big ones that were already in the tank. This one hasn't messed with any corals so far, and its been a couple months. I hope it continues to behave because it's one of the most interesting fish to watch in the tank.

 

[WIReefer]

Great stories everyone! Keep me coming I love hearing them thank you all for sharing!

 

[jfjt7]

So today I decided to purchase an Aiptasia eating filefish (hopefully Aiptasia eating) all of my pepperment shrimp have died over the years and I’ve started to see Aiptasia come back, as you can see in picture! Haha I would like to hear your guys thoughts on these or successes/failure stories.

Mine eats more than just Aiptasia alright. (Every coral ever)

 

[Westside Guy]

I think the secret is to feed enough regular food once the tank is aiptasia free and your filefish will not eat your corals.

 

[Laurence Kofsky]

So today I decided to purchase an Aiptasia eating filefish (hopefully Aiptasia eating) all of my pepperment shrimp have died over the years and I’ve started to see Aiptasia come back, as you can see in picture! Haha I would like to hear your guys thoughts on these or successes/failure stories.

I have had a matted filefish, like the one shown in the picture, for over a year now. My tank was infested with Aiptasia, They were everywhere and I tried about everything to get rid of them. Then my local aquarium shop suggested a matted filefish. I finally obtained one and in less than a week they were all gone even the largest ones, never to see another one to date. The filefish is also a great eater and has funny personality.

 

[GJak]

I tried a file fish as a last attempt fighting my ongoing, losing battle with aiptasia. The wrasses just murder every nudibranch I put in there, the 20 peppermint shrimp cleared out the aiptasia from my zoa garden and never stepped an inch further into the tank so they only keep one rock formation clear.

And for the filefish... He eats every piece of dry or frozen food that I feed the tank and has never once attempted to nip at a single coral or aiptasia for the four months he's been in there.

 

[Colbymac92]

I’ve only had luck with adult file fish who would eat the aiptasia. Anytime I get a juvenile file fish they end up dying too :/

 

[laverda]

I had a mated pair that spawned a few times in my tank. The smaller one was out all the time swimming along side my fully grown sailfin tank that was close to 10 times is size at 14”. Especially at feeding time. They eat pretty much anything I fed them. They cleared out the aptasia in my tank so I cycled rocks from my sump and other tank in and out and the cleaned them all. At some point after a couple years the big one died, although I never saw it sick or anything. The smaller on has grown and taken to eating corals. I am pretty sure it eat all my button polyps(thank you) then my zoas, and finally my palya grande’s, glad I never bought into the crazy priced zoas.
They are still cool fish. How many other fish change their color and texture?