Flashing Tilefish (Hoplolatilus chlupatyi)

[vegaskid11]

I just picked up one of these guys from Greg at Blue Reef Aquatics. :bounce1:
I shot a couple quick videos of him. What an amazing fish! The first vid is the shortest and shows good coloration change. The second vid is long and just shows him in the specimen container. The third is me releasing him into my reef. :beer:

 

[seafansar]

Very cool! How's it doing in the tank? Got any more pictures of it? Does it flash much in the tank? I have a purple tilefish and was considering getting a flashing one too.

 

[soulsigma]

:eek2: Oh how I wish my tile fish hand not taken the jump. Nice fish beautiful color.

 

[snorvich]

I have one. Brilliant coloration, but flashes infrequently.

 

[suta4242]

To the OP: congrats on a beautiful fish!

I have one. Brilliant coloration, but flashes infrequently.

So whats the normal colouring like... is it a pale blue? Also is it true they only flash when stressed?

 

[snorvich]

The normal coloration of mine is an electric blue. Mine has no stress so I cannot comment.

 

[mrp2g]

Amazing looking specimen...

I have inquired here about these fish, but with little feedback. I here they are not too hardy and need dim light in the reef. Is that accurate?

What type of tankmates do you guys have with them..??

 

[snorvich]

I don't know about dim lighting as mine is under 400 watt radiums. I have it with fairy and flasher wrasses, a gem tang, a pair of mandarins, etc. At this point I have had it for well over a year.

 

[seafansar]

My purple tilefish is under 250W MH's and T-5's. It took him about a week to get used to the lighting. At first it looked like he couldn't see the food, but now eats like a pig. He's in with an orange shoulder tang, 2 mandarins, tailspot blenny, 5 carberryi anthias, and 2 neon gobies, which I swear he's going to accidently eat one day. He goes crazy when there's food in the water and so do the neon gobies. They're so bite sized, I think he's going to accidently mistake them for food one of these days.

 

[vegaskid11]

Thanks for the comments. The fish is a beautiful electric blue and he doesnt flash unless he gets spooked. I notice him flash when fish speed past him from behind. Mine is still in constant hiding right now. It could be the lights (3x400 watt) and all the activity from my other fish (35+ fish). I have a pretty active reef and he will hopefully adjust to that. Its hard to say if he is eating yet as he only hides from rock to rock and I can't follow him. My reef is too big to try and babysit feed him so I have been just feeding extra the last week or so that he has been in there.

Im feeding PE mysis, rods and brine all soaked in zoe,zoecon and garlic along with my auto feeder flake/pellets. I hope he can adapt. I will get some pictures of him when he makes an appearence.

 

[seafansar]

So how's the fish doing?