Aiptasia Eating Filefish (acreichthys tomentosus)

[albano]

We have had our Tomentosus Filefish for over a year in our SPS dominant, mixed reef and he has kept it Aiptasia free.


In our experience, multiple small feedings and offering some "greens" (which we have to do anyway since we have Angels, Tangs and Wrasses) has been key in keeping our Filefish (and our Regal Angel) happy and less likely to pick at our corals.

+1
I have a pair that both look like this (Female is slightly diff. color), they are in 450g DT with MANY fish that are smaller, including Occ. clowns...never a problem. Eats all foods, but is always hungry for aptasia/majanos.

 

[prop-frags]

Mine never touches aiptasia, or any of the coral for that matter. Also he looks a bit different than the one in the photo. I wonder if its the same species.

That is definitely not a Tomentosus, but is a very cool looking Filefish.

I'm no expert, but it looks a lot like a Colurodontis paxmani.

 

[Froggy]

Thank you for your contribution to this thread.

Wow, sounds to me that you definitely got your money's worth out of that fish. For someone is the situation you described I couldn't see any other practical way to get control of that huge of an infestation.

How long have your been aiptasia free? I'm curious to know if once the aiptasia are gone will the fish turn to other foods to supplement it's diet since it is only eating mysis.

I have had my File fish for about 8 months now and have been aiptasia free for around 4 months. He still grazes the live rock constantly and turned to eating zoanthids when the aiptasia disappeared. He loves frozen mysis but will not even consider other foods added. I am surprised but he also ignores cyclopeez..... He did such a good thing for my tank by cleaning out the aiptasia that I could not even get upset at the Zoa munching.:bdaysmile:

I often wonder if there are still hidden aiptasia lurking out of sight, If there is, a heavily fed tank will again become overun with aiptasia. I can live without zoanthids and will keep the file fish. Maybe I will get him a big aiptasia covered rock for Thanksgiving :celeb3:

 

[kels]

mine picked at many of my acans...

 

[Crawdawg]

Now im curious how many people have the second fish pictured. I also thought I had tomentosus, and based on those pics I don't. Could be why mine doesn't eat aps. After reading the mixed results, and how some fish damage corals, I wonder if we've been talking about two different fish.

This fish was sold to me as tomentosus...

I'm attached to it, but torn as i'm thinking it won't eat aptasia for me...

 

[jmadden]

I'm pretty sure that is the same fish that I had. I notice a difference between these two fish. One has a blue eye and the other does not or is this just photos. Here's a picture of the guy I just returned to the LFS.

<a href="http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q253/mad_dog1884/Fish%20Tank%20Stuff/?action=view&current=IMG_4030.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q253/mad_dog1884/Fish%20Tank%20Stuff/IMG_4030.png" border="0" alt="filefish"></a>

 

[jmadden]

That is definitely not a Tomentosus, but is a very cool looking Filefish.

I'm no expert, but it looks a lot like a Colurodontis paxmani.

Mine never touches aiptasia, or any of the coral for that matter. Also he looks a bit different than the one in the photo. I wonder if its the same species.

Okay, this fish looks very much like mine. Notice the blue inside of the eye. Here is the file fish that I had. I see much resemblance.

<a href="http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q253/mad_dog1884/Fish%20Tank%20Stuff/?action=view&current=IMG_4030.png" target="_blank"><img src="http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q253/mad_dog1884/Fish%20Tank%20Stuff/IMG_4030.png" border="0" alt="filefish"></a>

 

[jmadden]

mine picked at many of my acans...

Do you have a photo of this particular filefish? It seems that various different filefish are being labeled and sold as the tomentosus when they are in fact not.

 

[jmadden]

Just found my female true onyx perc (big mamma) dead. She finally succumbed to her wounds inflicted by the filefish on Sunday. The male seems upset and lonely. He leaves his frogspawn and takes a lap around the tank and returns like he is searching for her. They had been together for over two years.

 

[tdwright1971]

thing is if you look at these two the second one looks like mine.http://www.midwestmarineguy.com/marine-life-kb/fish/id/bristle-tail-filefish

 

[prop-frags]

Just found my female true onyx perc (big mamma) dead. She finally succumbed to her wounds inflicted by the filefish on Sunday. The male seems upset and lonely. He leaves his frogspawn and takes a lap around the tank and returns like he is searching for her. They had been together for over two years.

I am really sorry to hear about your female onyx percula. :sad1:

 

[PSU REEFER]

+1--sorry for your loss and his