Filefish...aiptasia eaters?...info.

Sk8r

Staff member
RC Mod
There's buzz going around that this fish will eat aiptasia. Some straight info here.
First, the fish you might want is a 'matted file fish'. This guy stays under 5" long. Other filefish may grow huge, REally huge.
Second, some WILL eat aiptasia, some won't.
Third, a positive: they are the easiest fish in the world to catch: they move slowly and hang head down. So if you think you might want to try one and move it back to the lfs if it doesn't work out, you can catch him even in a reef.
Fourth, aiptasia isn't all they eat: apparently xenia and zoas are on their menu, too. Be aware of that. But they will need other food once they have eliminated your problem: their diet: "shaved shrimp, squid, scallop, mysis shrimp, freeze-dried krill soaked in a vitamin supplement, and frozen marine algae." Formula 2 frozen cubes might work: that's algae and squid. But he may not be trustable with shrimp. They are also VERY slow, deliberate feeders, and an aggressive fish that's a food-hog may starve him out, so watch that.
Fifth: I know that they can get along with big damsels---in fact, they may sort of pal around. They're completely non-aggressive, and should be good tankmates to weaker fish.
Sixth: if you are no-go for filefish because of their habits, you might consider pep shrimp. If you want shrimp that will eat aiptasia, get about 5 juveniles, and one may become a real successful aiptasia hunter. They are hit and miss, but one good one is a jewel. NOT in a tank where something likes shrimp, however.
Seventh: there are butterfly fish that will go after aiptasia: (the copperband and the raccoon) unfortunately these are delicate feeders and not reefsafe. In the first place, aiptasia are no big deal if you have just fish, so don't sweat them at all. THink of them as a hardy part of the CUC. If you do have a reef, the butterflies are taking a real chance; plus they are quite, quite fragile, and require expert care, with low nitrate, all the condition that pertains to a reef---where they love to make their living, nibbling corals as well as pests. I do not at all recommend these for a novice tank.
 
I just got one of these, and it was from ORA and gauranteed to eat aptasia.
I was kind of bummed that on release it went straight to a gorgonian...:(
But on the bright side it was easy to catch and is now in my fuge, where I do have some aptasia, I'm hoping it develops a taste.
 
I got one to eat Majano and it got them all. That was 18 months ago. It does not bother any of my SPS or LPS and is leaving cleaner shrimp and all the inverts alone. He gets in with the Tangs and Two Barred Rabbitfish for the Nori when posted. Also eats my frozen.

I think with its looks and swimming pattern it is a pretty cool fish a cool looking ugly fish.
 
I have a matted file fish that I purchased from Blue Zoo that absolutely wiped out a majano infestation I was dealing with. I had very few aiptasia, but it seems to keep that in check too in the display tank. I suspect it might nibble on some zoas but not enough that it has destroyed any colonies & it never seems to bother any of my ornamental shrimp. I agree with hkgar that its look and swimming pattern make it an interesting addition, kind of like a pajama cardinal in my opinion, not the prettiest thing but an interesting fish to keep.
 
THe orange spotted filefish is an obligate coral eater. Ie, it will eat your corals, esp acropora, and will starve to death otherwise. Should not, ime, be sold in the hobby. THis is why you ALWAYS look up the diet before getting a fish, even one that sounds like another harmless one.
 
I have a matted file fish that I purchased from Blue Zoo that absolutely wiped out a majano infestation I was dealing with. I had very few aiptasia, but it seems to keep that in check too in the display tank. I suspect it might nibble on some zoas but not enough that it has destroyed any colonies & it never seems to bother any of my ornamental shrimp. I agree with hkgar that its look and swimming pattern make it an interesting addition, kind of like a pajama cardinal in my opinion, not the prettiest thing but an interesting fish to keep.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I have four Pajama Cardinals and I think they are a good looking fish. Pretty even. Hard to explain, but they never seem to move but if you look away they are in another part of the tank.

Pajama Cardinal is my avatar.
 
I got a matted file fish and after about two weeks it destroyed all of the aiptasia in my tank. :dance:

HOWEVER it started eating my blasto's so I got it out and gave it to a friend. Now 8 months later I'm covered up in aiptasia once again. I just got an ORA matted file fish from Petco that they ordered for me and only for $19.99 I put it in about a week ago. It's a small one barely an inch and a half and so far hasn't touched any aiptasia but not hitting corals either.

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he gets a taste for them
 
There's buzz going around that this fish will eat aiptasia. Some straight info here.
First, the fish you might want is a 'matted file fish'. This guy stays under 5" long. Other filefish may grow huge, REally huge.
Second, some WILL eat aiptasia, some won't.
Third, a positive: they are the easiest fish in the world to catch: they move slowly and hang head down. So if you think you might want to try one and move it back to the lfs if it doesn't work out, you can catch him even in a reef.
Fourth, aiptasia isn't all they eat: apparently xenia and zoas are on their menu, too. Be aware of that. But they will need other food once they have eliminated your problem: their diet: "shaved shrimp, squid, scallop, mysis shrimp, freeze-dried krill soaked in a vitamin supplement, and frozen marine algae." Formula 2 frozen cubes might work: that's algae and squid. But he may not be trustable with shrimp. They are also VERY slow, deliberate feeders, and an aggressive fish that's a food-hog may starve him out, so watch that.
Fifth: I know that they can get along with big damsels---in fact, they may sort of pal around. They're completely non-aggressive, and should be good tankmates to weaker fish.
Sixth: if you are no-go for filefish because of their habits, you might consider pep shrimp. If you want shrimp that will eat aiptasia, get about 5 juveniles, and one may become a real successful aiptasia hunter. They are hit and miss, but one good one is a jewel. NOT in a tank where something likes shrimp, however.
Seventh: there are butterfly fish that will go after aiptasia: (the copperband and the raccoon) unfortunately these are delicate feeders and not reefsafe. In the first place, aiptasia are no big deal if you have just fish, so don't sweat them at all. THink of them as a hardy part of the CUC. If you do have a reef, the butterflies are taking a real chance; plus they are quite, quite fragile, and require expert care, with low nitrate, all the condition that pertains to a reef---where they love to make their living, nibbling corals as well as pests. I do not at all recommend these for a novice tank.

I agree with all except not all copperband butterfly fish eat aiptasia. In a FOWLR tank, racoon butterfly fish are guaranteed to it it.
 
THe orange spotted filefish is an obligate coral eater. Ie, it will eat your corals, esp acropora, and will starve to death otherwise. Should not, ime, be sold in the hobby. THis is why you ALWAYS look up the diet before getting a fish, even one that sounds like another harmless one.

eh, like many things in this hobby, this comes with many asterisks.

my OSFF pair has been happily living with me for about 10 months now.

i wouldn't recommend these fish to most keepers, but they can be kept.
 
Glad you've had luck with them. Certainly not for beginners---beautiful colors, but if you've got the setup and the skillz and probably a bit of luck, many things can be worked with.
 
The matted filefish and the peppermint shrimp are not doing anything with the aiptasia in my tank. All the filefish does is hide in the rocks.

I'm next thinking the Berghia nudibranches.
 
i will say that the amount of effort, especially in the early days of getting them through QT, was absolutely Herculean. i basically had a part time job feeding them, maintaining cultures, cleaning QT tanks, etc...

certainly not for the faint of heart.

it was very hard to keep weight on them initially, even with multiple daily feedings, and for the first 5 - 6 weeks they would only eat live white worms. i was able to get them on to some other foods, which has helped, but the biggest improvement in their condition has come with moving them to my main system, packed with enough acros to allow to graze in between feedings. that, i think, has been one of the big keys to keeping them happy.

i think it would be possible to keep them without having a fully stocked acro pantry, but there would be considerably more effort required, and your margin for error would be basically non existent, on a fish where the margin of error is already razor thin.
 
The matted filefish and the peppermint shrimp are not doing anything with the aiptasia in my tank. All the filefish does is hide in the rocks.

I'm next thinking the Berghia nudibranches.

Are you sure you got a matted file fish? It's the only one that eats aiptasia. Also there are many places selling camel shrimp for peppermints. Especially if they only have the camel's when you go in asking for peps.

I'm not saying that your's aren't but it happens quite often.
 
I have a green Filefish and a red tailed Filefish - love them both - very cool fish, but they don't eat aiptasia - at least not yet (I've had them a week). Remind me of triggers, but more peaceful. They love mysis shrimp and are way faster than you might think. Very precise swimmers.



 
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