aptasia eating file fish results

[jon1985]

I have been doing some research and it seems like the most reliable fish solution to majanos is an aptasia eating file fish.

Have any of you used one to rid your tank of majanos? how long did it take?

Thoughts?

 

[jd474]

A. tomentosus? I've kept one in a mixed reef (zoanthids, softies, LPS, SPS, and clams), that had a persistent majano problem. ~6 months, and no poblems.....yet. I'm sure at some point he'll have to be removed, though. It took him about 2 months to start clearing any majano out, but once he started, they went pretty quickly. Will also eat aiptasia. Most likely they are to be treated on an individual basis, like a lot of other questionable reef safe fish.

 

[prop-frags]

We have had a Tomentosus Filefish in our mixed reef for over a year. We call him the Aiptasia Assassin as he devours the stuff. He is easy to catch, so we move him to our prop tank and refugium on occasion to keep them aiptasia free as well.

He (along w/our Regal Angel) will eat brightly colored zoanthids and they devoured an Elegance Coral. We have since moved our zoa's to a separate tank. Other than that, he has been a model citizen.

 

[jon1985]

it would be starting in my frag tank as a few large corals I piced up have some majanoes on them. IF he behaves in my frag tank he will get transfered into my dt to clean up a few majanoes.

 

[btkrausen]

I've had one for over a year, always destroys any aiptasia in the tank, and hasn't touched anything else. He hangs out in the corner of the tank mostly, but comes out to eat everything including pellets and mysis.

 

[sanchoy]

have both matted and green filefishes.

Both devour aiptasia and majanos. Both easy to catch as well if need be.

 

[jon1985]

great, I will pick one up the next time I am at the LFS, he has several 'loaners'.

 

[mfish1]

Great workers

 

[Peale]

I love mine. He/she cleaned up all my aptasia in about a month. It does nip a Welso Brain I have, but the brain has been on it's way out for some time, anyway.

 

[MichellenMike]

I have also been looking at them. Will it eat my RBTA?

 

[JVManlius]

Not just file fish, but also the Copperband butterfly. Although difficult to acclimate, and not a good choice for the inexperienced reefer, they will consume aptasia. Also, they are reef safe, unlike most file fish.

 

[snorvich]

Not just file fish, but also the Copperband butterfly. Although difficult to acclimate, and not a good choice for the inexperienced reefer, they will consume aptasia. Also, they are reef safe, unlike most file fish.

Well, not all Copperbands will eat aiptasia. And definitely not all are "reef safe". Some will not eat at all.

 

[iamwrasseman]

i have two file fish that are great aptasia eaters and they relaced my copperband b fly when he passed away . they are great work horses for ridding aptasia IMO.

 

[scapes]

And definitely not all are "reef safe".

definately true!! i acquired a BIG one from a fellow reefer as i had an enormous outbreak in my 180g. he was a known aptasia eater so i snagged him up for a great price of $30. he immediately started chowing down, not only on my aptasia, but my newly acquired $300 gold hammer, a pink hammer, a purple hammer, and a lobo! oh, and a mini anemone. that's the corals he's taken out so far in the past 5 months. i have not a single aptasia, but i've lost a few other things as well....:thumbdown

 

[JVManlius]

I guess I've been very lucky with my Copperband not turning to coral for food. I do keep the tank well feed and believe that helps.

 

[iamwrasseman]

yes you have as my CBB was great but every now and then i would see some recession on my torches and i didnt know what it was from .when my CBB died and i got the file fish it all ended as the file fish doesn't go after any of my other corals so i have no recession at all .
my CBB was a model citizen for a couple of years and then got a taste for some other corals as i look back on what was happening .

 

[JVManlius]

What species of file fish is the most reef safe?

 

[sanchoy]

What species of file fish is the most reef safe?

None are guaranteed reef safe.. but i had luck with the matted filefish and the green filefish. They will not go after sps corals but love to eat LPS candy canes and zoas.

I heard when they get bigger they will eat cleaner shrimps as well.