Orange-Spotted Oxymonacanthus longirostris Filefish

LeLutinBanni

New member
Hi all,

I want honest opinions of people who have experiences with them: Orange-Spotted Filefish Oxymonacanthus longirostris.

I think it's pretty hard not to love this fish.

I know he is not 100% reef-safe ... but how ?

I know he eats coral ... He will eat some Zoan? He shreds a brain? He will destroy all my pumping xenias ?

If his diet is good will he still be considered difficult?

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This is the first fish that makes me irrational. I hope you will bring me back down to earth :crazy1:
 
Mine are fed 6 times per day but that won't stop them from doing what comes natural to them and that is to pick at coral polyps all day long. Mine will kill any acro or digi but won't mess with encrusting monti's. Acans are a favorite coral to pick at and they can do some damage to these but most of mine survive. Zoas aren't touched at all. I have a hammer that they like to mess with every once in a while but not too often. Constant favorites are gorgonians. Not all but I have a nice Caribean sea whip that is constantly being picked on but seems to weather the harassment quite well. A yellow polyp gorgonian is never touched. Blasto Wellsi is left alone but Blasto Merletti gets picked on a good bit and does not react well to the attention. It does however recoup well when left alone the next day. A more comprehensive list of my OSFF experiences with corals in my 150 gallon mixed reef follows.

Eunicea mammosa, Swollen-Knob Candelabrum - mostly left alone

Euphyllia paranchora, Branching Hammer Coral - mostly left alone

Actinodiscus sp, Mushroom Coral - never bothered

Ricordea florida, Ricordia Mushroom Coral - never bothered

Zoanthus sp, Zoanthid Polyp Coral - never bothered

Sinularia spp, Tree/Finger Leather Coral - sometimes messed with causing coral retraction

Blastomussa wellsi, Blastomussa Coral - never bothered

Caulastrea curvata, Trumpet Coral - mostly left alone

Favites spp, Favites Brain Coral - mostly left alone

Blastomussa merletti, Aussie Blastomussa Coral - often messed with but survives fine

Goniastrea palauensis, Goniastrea Brain Coral - mostly left alone

Acanthastrea lordhowensis, Acan Lord Coral - often messed with, a few have perished

Echinophyllia aspera, Aussie Chalice Coral - never messed with

Montipora undata, Encrusting Montipora Coral - mostly left alone

Protopalythoa sp, Paly Button Polyp Coral - never messed with

Entacmaea quadricolor, Rose Bubble Tip Anemone - never messed with

Tridacna crocea, Crocea Giant Clam - never messed with

Dendrophyllia fistula, Dendro Sun Coral - mostly left alone

Platygyra sp, Brain/Worm Coral - mostly left alone

Xenia sp, Pulsing Xenia - never messed with

Pseudoplexaura sp, Sea Whip/Rod - often messed with but survives ok.

Pseudoplexaura sp, Sea Whip/Rod (yellow polyp) - never messed with

Acropora sp, Acros of all varieties - messed with to death

Montipora sp, branching Monti's - messed with to death

Montipora capricornis, Caps - messed with to death

Duncanopsammia axifuga, Duncans - often messed with but survives ok
 
Raul,

Do you find the fish are actually nipping the polys or does it seem like they're more interested in the mucous on the coral polyps?

Just wondering, because once we weaned our pair, they've been in a FOWLR/live macro algae setup. IME, they hunt pods in the macro between feedings much like SH.
 
Greg, I couldn't really say one way or the other because I haven't observed it that closely but it would be interesting to find out.
 
Greg, I couldn't really say one way or the other because I haven't observed it that closely but it would be interesting to find out.

I've read a few things about that based on analysis of stomach contents, so I was curious. It was mentioned that there really weren't that many polyps in it, so the supposition is that it may be like dwarf angels and clams.
 
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