Matted (Aiptasia Eating) Filefish

Some of you may have seen my thread titled "Majano" started a day or two ago. So, after doing a bunch of research over the last couple days, I picked up a matted filefish last night. So far over the first day he's chowed down on mysis and anything else I feed, but he hasn't touched aiptasia or majanos. Mostly, he's just been swimming up and down the back wall, nose to the wall, as if he's trying to swim out of the tank. He has stayed entirely along the walls on the fringes, and hasn't come down into the rock work as I hoped. Mostly, he's been up top hiding among the powerheads and pipes. I cut off one powerhead and directed most of the flow toward the surface to cut down on the in tank flow so hopefully he can adjust and I can re-increase the flow slowly over the next week or so. Right now I'm just hoping he doesn't jump. He jumped at the LFS ended up in a tank below where he was. He tried jumping a few minutes ago when the mag float spooked him, but he didn't make it out of the tank. I have a canopy on there, but there's a good sized opening in the back I'm afraid he could find. GIven he acclimates, I'll let you know how he does on majano and aiptasia and how he is reef safe wise, as he is a potential a potent anti-aiptasia/majano weapon if my research is correct.

 

It would be smart to hold off or minimize feedings until he eats majanos.

 

I'm more worried about the fish getting acclimated first, then I will try to get him to go to work on the majanos.

 

I agree with your plan. I would get him acclimated then slow down on feedings so he will go for the pest anenomes. Best of luck. Acclimation can be stressful sometimes.

 

Ya. I've read that they've been successful in reef tanks, but they are naturally more of a lagoon fish, so it may take some time to get him use to the reef tank setup. Also, its been in a 20 gallon tank at the LFS for about 8 months with almost no flow, so it could take a bit to acclimate.

 

Oh jeeze. I can imagine. Thats a big transition. Im sure with time he will become acclimated and a happy resident of your tank. I honestly dont know much about this fish, keep us posted on how it is doing in your tank.

 

We were beginning to doubt our pair would eat appies. Then after about 2 months, the appies disappeared.

 

How did your pair do in a reef setup? Did they have trouble adjusting?

 

Intresting...tagging along.

 

I have never seen a bristletail NOT eat aiptasia. They are definitely shy when you get them in and hiding in the corners of the tank is something I've seen many, many times. (Normally they are face-down instead of face-up though).

I'm trying to figure out how this thing stayed at the LFS for 8 months. I always order all that are available and they will all be gone in a week. There's almost always 1 or 2 on the Livestock Waiting List.

They are monsters on Aiptasia....they don't always eat Majano's though.If yours won't eat Majano's, you need a Klein's Butterfly.