File fish for aiptasia

[Znut Reefer]

Has anyone tried this file fish for control of apitasia? Acreichthys tomentosus

It's not reef safe. But sounds interesting.

 

["Umm fish?"]

They seem to work pretty well (and they have been captive-bred with relative ease, so someone should start a business). My LFS uses them to keep their display and sales tanks aiptasia-free, so in with corals and clams without much problem.

 

[badguitarist]

I have used this fish many times with great success including in reef tanks. Here is a history of the tanks I have used them in.
My first encounter with this fish after quarantine I put it in a soft coral prop tank for aiptasia control. this tank housed mushroom anemones (discosoma and ricordia), a few leather corals, zoanthids and anthelia. They nipped at the anthelia but didn't pay attention to anything else. After all the aiptasia were gone I moved them to 225 gallon SPS tank with aiptasia. they did a great job at ridding that tank of aiptasia. This tank contained many large sps colonies )acroporiids, pocilloporids etc.) as well as a large sebae anemone, and a colony of blue cespitularia (a xeniid) they ate the cespitularia but nothing else.
My next use of this fish came in a clients tank that had some aiptasia. I bought 2 fish and one died in quarantine. the other has been in her tank for about 8 months and has eaten all aiptasia. This is a 150 gallon tank dominated with, leather corals, lps (euphilia, trachyphilia etc.) and mushrooms, The filefish haven't bothered any of the corals. Interestingly, This tank also had anthelia (a cutting from the same colony in my prop tank) but the filefish in this tank doesn't even touch it.
I now have a single new fish in quarantine for a new seagrass tank I am setting up.
I hope this info helps you make a good decision. This fish has quickly become one of my favorites for its beuty as well as its utilitarian purposes.
Thanks,
Kyle.

 

[jay2525]

I have kept them for years without issue. seagrass and green/black file.

 

[Znut Reefer]

Jay were you keeping them with a mixed reef? The one I'm thinking on is just called a Apitasia eating file fish. It looks tan in color.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I had a pair that destroyed acans and zoas. But when I moved them to my SPS reef, they were fine. They decimated aiptasia.

 

[Znut Reefer]

I had a pair that destroyed acans and zoas. But when I moved them to my SPS reef, they were fine. They decimated aiptasia.

Thanks! Thats what worries me, I do have acans and a few zoas in my sps tank. I think I'll try another copperband.

 

[wdt2000]

I have a pair. One is perfect, does not touch coral. The other nips SPS but leaves other coral alone. No damage that I can tell on the SPS.

They seem to enjoy eating aiptasia.

 

[iamwhatiam52]

After reading that Acreichthys tomentosus eats mojanos as well, I put one in my mixed up reef. VERY cool fish, always in plain sight. I have a little bit of everything, sps, lps, sopfties, anthelia, mushrooms, anemones, gorgonians. In the 4 months before it went carpet surfing it never hurt a thing, including the aptasia and mojanos!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

I put one in my 55 gallon fuge and it destroyed the aiptasia in two days. Can't speak to its reef safeness but it was a very cool little fish, highly color variable and very hardy.

 

[jean19]

it dépend on the fish , some are nice and don't touch a thing some other are nipping a everythings .

 

[wdt2000]

On a side note, I found these fish very easy to trap so it should not be hard to remove them if they start eating coral.

 

[Chupakabra-King]

Will these filefish be safe with a BTA ? I just bought a BTA and I dont want anything to happen to him.

 

[turbois300]

Is this the fish that you all are talking about?

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+30+2562&pcatid=2562

I'm having an outpreak of both majanos and aptasia. Should I get 2? I have a 90 display but 3 other tanks in the same system. Once they get done in the 90 they will get put into the others. I do have a large cleaner shrimp and a coral banded shrimp. Will they mess with them?

 

[Nihoa]

i have one in a mixed 54g reef. doesnt nip any of the sps, btas, clams, zoas, softies but i suspect it might be nipping at our dented brain. doesnt appear interested in the acans. i never had any aptasia, just bought him cus hes frigging coold lookings. eats mysis like a hog.

 

[wdt2000]

Will these filefish be safe with a BTA ? I just bought a BTA and I dont want anything to happen to him.

Mine showed no interest in my haddoni, however it does have a pair of percs hosting. They also didn't try to eat any shrimp that I am aware.

 

[Chupakabra-King]

Well I got my filefish in . I put him in the 12 gallon nano because I was too afraid he would much on my coral and anemones in the display tank. I put a few rocks with aiptasia on them in the nano . The nano also house several frags of palys/zoas I am growing out . I watched as he eyed the zoanthids really close , and there was a aiptasia growing on one of the zoa colonies . He went straight for the aiptasia and leaves all the other corals in the nano alone . If he keeps it up he will be going in my display ! Looks like i got a good one ! :beer:

 

[turbois300]

Where?

Where?

Did you order yours or pick it up online? If online can you tell me where? I am in desperate need of one that eats the aptasia. It's comming on strong in my tank. Thanks for the info.

:beer:

 

[Chupakabra-King]

Did you order yours or pick it up online? If online can you tell me where? I am in desperate need of one that eats the aptasia. It's comming on strong in my tank. Thanks for the info.

:beer:

PM sent

 

[pancho]

I had a pair in my 240 that never ate any aiptasia. They did eat my palys but they never touched any other coral.