Orange Spotted filefish

[thefishbowl2006]

Has anyone ever had an Orange spotted Filesih before. It seems to be eating brine, but also did a number on my montipora. I've read they will only survive with acropora? I bought this not knowing the special requirements.

I thought maybe someone in this forum might have had luck

Anyone got any acropora to frag or part with?

Scott

 

[ReefNutPA]

Correct, they will only survive long-term with the correct food...which in this case happens to be acropora. I've known a few people that had them and they ate enriched live brine, however, they still died within a few months.

Tom

 

[fours2many]

Do you have a picture of this fish? I want to make sure I NEVER get one of these!!! I need my acros!!! and not as fish food!!! LOL! Pictures needed!!

Kristin

 

[ann83]

I saw a post on wetwebmedia by SilverSeahorse from [COLOR=red]Linky removed, please fe...ing forums here, and at your local reef club.

 

[pledosophy]

That's one expensive fish to feed acro's.

 

[sugartooth]

I bought one as well not fully understanding the requirements. I was told by the LFS (don't go there anymore) that they are just fine and do well in a nano.
I tried to return it once I found out it doesn't do well and they wouldn't take it back, insisting they sell many of them and they all eat great.

I ended up upgrading tanks, and adding every acro, monti, poci, etc. I can get my hands on to keep him alive. I had him only 3 weeks and broke my heart when he died due to some sort of infection (white spot on it's side) that I treated incorrectly. I'm not sure if I would have been able to care for him long term, but I did everything I could.
This fish is the sole reason for getting into reefs.
Here's my baby, may he rest in peace:

 

[sugartooth]

I bought one as well not fully understanding the requirements. I was told by my LFS that they are just fine and do well in a nano.
I tried to return it once I found out it doesn't do well and they wouldn't take it back, insisting they sell many of them and they all eat great.

I ended up upgrading tanks, and adding every acro, monti, poci, etc. I can get my hands on to keep him alive. I had him only 3 weeks and broke my heart when he died due to some sort of infection (white spot on it's side) that I treated incorrectly. I'm not sure if I would have been able to care for him long term, but I did everything I could.
This fish is the sole reason for getting into reefs.
Here's my baby, may he rest in peace:

 

[JIM260]

This goes back to "never buy a fish you have not researched". A minimal amount of investigating online or in basic reef fish publications will tell you that you are 99.9% gauranteed failure. Even public aquariums are skiddish on this fish.

NEVER use a LFS employee recommendation as your sole guidance. Certainly listen to what they have to say, but do your own research also.

 

[ann83]

Sorry for using a link to another web site. I was just trying to direct the poster to another keeper (not another web site) who had had success with this difficult fish, and as far as I know, the keeper isn't on this board.

 

[Nanook]

Sorry I went a little overboard with the edits...carry on

 

[X_flamingo_X]

I also remember SilverSeahorse (Terri) keeping one of these little guys for a while. I have no clue what she fed it, but I can look it up.

An lfs a few hours from where I live has one of these little guys in- amazing animal but they had no luck with it. It was healthy, but they couldn't get it to eat anything offered. They tried brine, mysis, bloodworms, daphnia, squid, mussel, you name it... and it just ignored everything. Of course, soemone else may have had a little more luck with it. They're one of those "they think they know what they're doing just because they can get in fancy fish" kind of stores . I was willing to take it off their hands and try my luck with it, but they wanted around 50 bucks for it.

 

[thefishbowl2006]

Well he is now eating frozen brine, and live gutloaded with Selcon

 

[JIM260]

These forums are filled with well intended, good hearted, wishful thinkers. Its common to read threads about fish timidly accepting food that is not their normal food. The question is-what is your goal? To keep the fish for a few months until malnutrition slowly takes its toll or to keep a fish for its natural lifespan (in most cases years). This fish is an obligate coralivore. It eats only coral polips in the wild. How long do you expect it to survive on brine shrimp (even gut packed ones).

A while back I read someones opinion on rescuing unkeepable fish from the LFS. The intent is great, the result is not. The fish stores viewpoint is, "heh, we sold one and made a profit, lets get another". This then sells another for the wholesaler, the collector, etc.

I made the mistake of buying an unkeepable fish a long time ago. When i discovered what i really had, i donated it to a public aquarium figuring it had its best chance there. It lived for years.