Whitespotted Pygmy filefish?

[el aguila]

One of my local LFSs is talking about bringing in some of the ORA whitespotted filefish. Trying to do some research, but not finding much info from hobbiest who actually have experience at keeping them. Below are my questions:

1. Anyone have one that eats aptasia or does yours not touch it?

2. My understanding is that they don't nip at corals. Any issues?

3. In the wild they are supposed to be able to change colors from brown to green to match their background. Any color changing in a reef tank observed?

4. Anyone try a pair of them?

5. What does yours eat?

My stocking list for my 190G DT with 400G in the system is as follows
1 Quoyi Parrotfish
1 Sargassum Trigger
4 Kupang Damsels
4 blue Fusiler Damsels
1 Sunburst Anthias
3 Carberryi Anthias
1 Dispar Anthias
2 Mandarins
1 Comet
1 Yellow Anthias
1 Blue Striped Pipefish

While none are overly aggressive the first few are more aggressive eaters and can pester other fish. Any problems with any of these?

 

[Kolkri]

1. Anyone have one that eats aptasia or does yours not touch it? No idea

2. My understanding is that they don't nip at corals. Any issues? Nope they don't nip.

3. In the wild they are supposed to be able to change colors from brown to green to match their background. Any color changing in a reef tank observed? Yep mine well change colors

4. Anyone try a pair of them? Yes I have two. Not sure they are a pair or not.


5. What does yours eat? Flakes, copepods, brine shrimp, bloodworms. So far they eat anything I offer them.

Info is hard to come by on these. They have not been in the pet trade very long. I have had mine only two weeks. So far I love these little guys.

 

[SoloChromis]

1. Anyone have one that eats aptasia or does yours not touch it? No idea.

2. My understanding is that they don't nip at corals. Any issues? Haven't heard of anyone having issues (mine is still in QT)

3. In the wild they are supposed to be able to change colors from brown to green to match their background. Any color changing in a reef tank observed?
Yep. Brown to tan to green to yellowish w/spots

4. Anyone try a pair of them?
I could only get my hands on one so far, but plan on getting another to try pairing them.

5. What does yours eat?
Mine has eaten everything I've fed so far (NLS flakes & frozen mysis)

One of my new favorite fish, and he is currently in QT with a much larger quoyi parrot (who does nip at him occasionally)

 

[DaveRaz]

I lost one around 3/4 long in QT yesterday. The scarlet red scooter blemmy is doing well. The filefish didn't handle the stress of the second tank transfer well and started randomly swimming into things and died. Poor guy.

Good luck with yours. They are tank raised and my LFS said they are fairly hardy.

 

[el aguila]

Thanks everyone.

In what little I could find, I did see 2 reports that they weren't eating aptasia. I don't have a bad infestation, but was thinking of buying a fish to control it rather than more aptasia X.

The owner of the LFS is Michael_cb_125 who used to be well known here on this forum. I've asked him to see if he can get any info from ORA when he orders them.

Michael opening an LFS here in Charlotte is the best thing that has happened to this town. While there are several other good LFSs around, his knowledge and love of fish is hard to beat. He gets in all kinds of things that I've never seen in an LFS during my 10 years in the hobby.

They sound like cool little fish. If I do get a pair of them, I'll probably take my trigger out of the DT for a week or 2 to allow them to settle in without him pestering them.

 

[turbo2oh]

Any feedback after some time on any coral nipping?

 

[dendrite]

I've had a bonded pair of the ORA pygmy filefish bought at DD for about four months. They've been model citizens, eating everything, no coral nipping, changing color, and increasing 50% in size, and greeting me in the morning when I show up with food.

 

[dendrite]

BTW I would be a little hesitant about the filefish sharing a tank with triggers. They are pretty laid back, not passive but certainly live and let live, and they ship pretty small

 

[turbo2oh]

I've had a bonded pair of the ORA pygmy filefish bought at DD for about four months. They've been model citizens, eating everything, no coral nipping, changing color, and increasing 50% in size, and greeting me in the morning when I show up with food.

Cool, good to hear! I've been considering adding a pair of these to my 60g instead of a bangaii cardinal pair. Are they pretty out in the open?

Right now I have:
midas blenny
ocelar. clown pair
pink streaked wrasse

 

[dendrite]

very sociable, out in the open, like to swim in the current, sometimes swim together and sometimes spar. They will have a show of self defense against any other fish that wants to pick on them but it usually ends quickly and harmlessly with just show. Probably one of the smarter fish in the sea, certainly aware of your presence and aware of their surroundings. I originally had a single ORA filefish that survived quarantine but soon withered in the DT. I think based solely on that experience and nothing else that they would do better as a pair.

 

[golferbud101691]

any idea if they jump? or try to jump?

 

[bat21]

any idea if they jump? or try to jump?

I don't think so. They are pretty slow, deliberate swimmers if they aren't being pushed by the current.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

The only file fish that eats aiptasia to my knowledge is the Matted File Fish. I'm not sure if any of the others do or not.