Anyone Have Filefish?

[SoloChromis]

Ive always been fascinated by filefish, but can never get a solid answer one which species can more easily be successfully kept in a reef. They're like slow moving, docile to a fault, mini triggers, and to me they're one of the most interesting groups of fish available. Anyone here keep a filefish in their reef?

 

[twon8]

I have two in my 300. I git them mostly for aiptasia control but they are very cool fish. I don't have any zoanthids as they would surely eat them.

 

[Myles]

What kind are you interested in? I've got 3 files in different reefs. Love them.
Myles

 

[johnike]

I have a pair of Matted in the 240, quite enjoyable fish. Very shy and docile.
Nothing bothers them, though.

 

[SecretiveFish]

We had a matted filefish in our 150g. He was fine in a reef for almost a year before he decided to start chowing down on corals (LPS and acroporas). He had to be removed.

We had an orange tail filefish in another reef tank, and that was a huge mistake. A beautiful fish, but snacked on everything and once he saw the cleaner shrimp was relentless in trying to eat it. He was removed too before he could eat the cleaner shrimp.

I really like filefish, but am not going to try one again until I will have a FOWLR.

 

[biomek]

We have a matted in my 225g and love it. he's a little shy when anyone approaches the tank but eventually comes around if there isn't a whole lot of activity going on outside the tank. awesome fish!

 

[mark54321]

I have pair of orangespotted filefish in my NPS tank, no SPS. They are one of my favorites.

 

[SoloChromis]

What kind are you interested in? I've got 3 files in different reefs. Love them.
Myles

I really think they're all pretty cool, but I especially like the mimics, radials, fantails, pygmy etc. Which species do you keep, and with what kind of coral/inverts?

 

[Myles]

My radial is in a 40g soft coral tank. One coral gets picked on often but no harm has been done. All other corals, shrimps, crabs, hermits, and snails are ignored.
I have two different fantails. The Hawaiian fantail is in my 125g mostly SPS tank-pokes at everthing sand, rock, and coral but has done no damage. All my corals are growing like crazy so no problem. I've been able to keep emerald crabs, turbo snails and a brittle star without issue. Nassarius snails and urchins are hunted and had to be removed. My cleaner shrimp did not survive when I went on a vacation and the feeding was reduced although the culprit may have been a bird wrasse.
I also have another species of fantail-green with an orange tail-in a180g mixed reef. Again the file pokes at everything but absolutely no damage. In this tank I am able to keep pretty much anything: shrimps, crabs , starfish, hermits, abalone, nassarius snails etc. The only problem ever is when I try to add a small frag the file will occaisonaly pester it. But even this is rare but it happens.
Myles

 

[tc2007]

My matted filefish was the best utilitarian fish one could have. Cleared all aiptasia and mojano in a matter of days. Then cleaned up all my zoas too Unfortunately it died when I upgraded my tank and the LFS guy just put him in the new tank in cold water.

I also has a orange fantail filefish but it died for some reason in 2-3 weeks.