Purple Tilefish

[dca22anderson]

That is awesome! I hope mine starts to eat stuff other than frozen foods. Do you think they prefer being in pairs? I'm thinking about getting a second one...

 

[dca22anderson]

Here is mine with some new tank mates

 

[cakemanPA]

Nice looking Tilefish! Mine still loves the frozen mysis and some of my other frozen foods best. But it will eat anything.

I have never kept mine in pairs. I have not seen the need with the specimen that I have kept.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I have never kept mine in pairs. I have not seen the need with the specimen that I have kept.

can you provide a link to your aquarium showing the Purple Tilefish in it please?

(My very first post on RC was in regards to keeping this species)

 

[cakemanPA]

I'll have to see if I can get a FTS with mine current Purple Tilefish. This is current. It actually comes up to me while feeding and tries to take the food right from me. This one is unlike the other tilefish that I have had

can you provide a link to your aquarium showing the Purple Tilefish in it please?

(My very first post on RC was in regards to keeping this species)

 

[caribfan]

I have had my purple tilefish pair for over a year now. My pair sounds similar to cakemanPA in that they are voracious eaters and will eat just about anything I put in the tank, including spectrum.

They are definitely jumpers, I have glass lids on my 120 gallon. I always keep the lids closed unless I am feeding them and actually had one fly out of the tank during feeding time and land on my 3 month old son. He had no clue and I just put the fish back in right away and it was fine.

This is a specie that I love and am always wanting to know more about. I would love to try to breed this fish and wonder if there is any information on their spawning. I started a thread in the breeding forum a while back on this, but it never went anywhere.

I think the key for me was to choose two specimens that were eating well and then ensure that they had a peaceful environment to thrive in. I offer them PE Mysis, Sally's plankton, any of the ON formula products and the pellets. Occasionally they get bits of shrimp, clam or scallop as well if the Blue Throat trigger doesn't eat it all.

 

[caribfan]

I have had my purple tilefish pair for over a year now. My pair sounds similar to cakemanPA in that they are voracious eaters and will eat just about anything I put in the tank, including spectrum.

They are definitely jumpers, I have glass lids on my 120 gallon. I always keep the lids closed unless I am feeding them and actually had one fly out of the tank during feeding time and land on my 3 month old son. He had no clue and I just put the fish back in right away and it was fine. That kid has loved the aquarium from day 1.

This is a specie that I love and am always wanting to know more about. I would love to try to breed this fish and have wondered if there is any information on their spawning. I started a thread in the breeding forum a while back on this, but it never went anywhere.

I think the key for me was to choose two specimens that were eating well and then ensure that they had a peaceful environment to thrive in. I offer them PE Mysis, Sally's plankton (which no one seems to care for), any of the ON formula products and the NLS pellets. Occasionally they get bits of shrimp, clam or scallop as well if the Blue Throat trigger doesn't eat it all.

 

[Monkeyfish]

dca22anderson - How long have you had the "schools" of chromis and damsels? Do they hang out together still and how are they getting along?

 

[dca22anderson]

I have had the Chromis for over two years...they were in my previous system. The damsels don't school with the Chromis so much but the whipfin fairy wrasse loves to scatter the school by swimming through the middle of the school while fins fully extended! The damsels have territory in the rock structure and stay close to it...

 

[cakemanPA]

A crappy iphone video of the Tilefish eating pellets. It has learned that some of the pellets float.



And a couple of iphone pics

 

[dca22anderson]

Love the pics! Thats cool that he eats pellets! I'll give that a try...

 

[dca22anderson]

He is eating well and loving the swimming room!

He is eating well and loving the swimming room!

Natural sunlight through the window adjacent to the tank.

 

[Greymalkin]

I have had my purple tilefish pair for over a year now. My pair sounds similar to cakemanPA in that they are voracious eaters and will eat just about anything I put in the tank, including spectrum.

They are definitely jumpers, I have glass lids on my 120 gallon. I always keep the lids closed unless I am feeding them and actually had one fly out of the tank during feeding time and land on my 3 month old son. He had no clue and I just put the fish back in right away and it was fine.

This is a specie that I love and am always wanting to know more about. I would love to try to breed this fish and wonder if there is any information on their spawning. I started a thread in the breeding forum a while back on this, but it never went anywhere.

I think the key for me was to choose two specimens that were eating well and then ensure that they had a peaceful environment to thrive in. I offer them PE Mysis, Sally's plankton, any of the ON formula products and the pellets. Occasionally they get bits of shrimp, clam or scallop as well if the Blue Throat trigger doesn't eat it all.

We share the same dream, but you're really lucky! I've never dared to try my hand at keeping this fish because of the scary stories about carpet surfing etc. But God, they're beautiful...I do hope you can reproduce them, because such a stunning creature, so full of personality should be easier to find. I would try that myself if I could. Good luck!

 

[sc50964]

Purple Tilefish

I once had a purple, 2 skunks, and 2 blue heads in an 180 gallon tank. They lived for about 6 months. The purple found a small hole and jumped out, and the rest died as a part of tank crash. It's possible to keep them for a long time but need a large tank with vey ducile tank mates. Mine were the first ones in the tank but I gradually added tangs and angels. They stood their ground and competed for food well at the beginning, but gradually lost ground as others got bigger and bolder. They would hide in a pile of rocks that only they had the abilities to get in. That is a must to keep this specie for long, as they don't like others in their sanctuary.

 

[Lmax8rn]

if anyone reading this thread has kept a purple tile long term (greater than a year or two) please chime in

I have had three purple tilefish for a year and a half. They are stunning, friendly and always out front and center. I recently added a blue headed tilefish and two flashing tilefish. I have a VERY secure top; I custom made my own clear mesh screens for the top, had to install gutter guard to the tops of my overflows, and even had to attach PVC to the sides of the center brace, glued high to where it meets the mesh screen. Yes, they were jumping up there too, even though there is only about 1/2" space..... They have jumped out a few times, but only when I have been standing there. I only remove the tops to feed or do tank maintenance.

 

[laga77]

I have had three purple tilefish for a year and a half. They are stunning, friendly and always out front and center. I recently added a blue headed tilefish and two flashing tilefish. I have a VERY secure top; I custom made my own clear mesh screens for the top, had to install gutter guard to the tops of my overflows, and even had to attach PVC to the sides of the center brace, glued high to where it meets the mesh screen. Yes, they were jumping up there too, even though there is only about 1/2" space..... They have jumped out a few times, but only when I have been standing there. I only remove the tops to feed or do tank maintenance.

I had a Purple and a Blue head for 9 months. The purple jumped out of a hole I never thought he could fit but did. I was there but he died a week later. Blue head is doing great. Eats everything I feed. No pellet or flake. Great fish.