My orange-spotted filefish (and friends)

[Postal]

I bought a pair of orange-spotted filefish in October 2011. They were both emaciated and I convinced the LFS to sell me the pair at a low price since it was obvious they would be dead soon without some TLC.
After getting them home, I was lucky enough to have some fellow Tampa Bay Reef Club members donate some sacrificial SPS to provide some immediate food for the two. I also purchased some Instant Ocean gel food and started offering it to the pair on SPS skeletons as I have seen others do with some success. The female started eating immediately and quickly put on weight. The male ate, but without as much vigor and continued to weaken. I think he was just too far gone when I got him and he died after about 5 days.
About a week later, I ran across another male that was larger and relatively healthy looking. The pair have been together ever since and are both fat and happy. They live in a 40 breeder filled with macro and are joined by a WC SI perc in her malu, a meleagris leopard wrasse, and a pair of black leopard wrasses. The filefish will still only eat the gel food, but we have started mixing NLS pellets into the gel food and they are eating them as long as they are stuck in the gel.
Special thanks to my wife, who had little to with my hobby until now. She works from home, so twice a day she takes the SPS skeletons out of the tank and smears the smelly gel food NLS mix onto them. Then back into the tank it goes for a feeding frenzy since the clown and 2 of the 3 leopard have learned to eat off the SPS as well.

Now onto the pics...

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/postal33610/40%20Breeder%20-%2025%20Cube%20-%2040%20Breeder%20Setup/IMGP1629.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/postal33610/40%20Breeder%20-%2025%20Cube%20-%2040%20Breeder%20Setup/IMGP1628.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/postal33610/40%20Breeder%20-%2025%20Cube%20-%2040%20Breeder%20Setup/IMGP1635.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/postal33610/40%20Breeder%20-%2025%20Cube%20-%2040%20Breeder%20Setup/IMGP1547.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/postal33610/40%20Breeder%20-%2025%20Cube%20-%2040%20Breeder%20Setup/IMGP1636.jpg

[kga943]

real nice

[psteeleb]

awesome - ive been wanting a pair of those but haven't taken the plunge to try to get them to eat something besides acropora

can you tell me more about the food you are using?

[Postal]

The food I am using is Instant Ocean gel food (omnivore diet). I take a packet or two and squeeze it into a dish and then mix in NLS spectrum pellets. The place it in the fridge to use as needed. The gel food softens the pellets which I think makes it easier for the filefish to eat them.
Two or three times a day, my wife or I will take two SPS skeletons out of the tank and spread some of the mixture over them. Then we place them back in the tank on opposite sides. The male filefish will often chase the female away from the food while he is eating so we set up two feeding stations so they can each get their fill. Interestingly enough, my leopard wrasses have now started eating of the skeletons as well. I'm not complaining since they can be rather sensitive fish as well.
Hope that answers any questions you may have. Also, if you get the from Divers Den I believe that have them eating frozen mysis before they are put up for sale.

[Postal]

7 months in and still going strong.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/postal33610/40%20Breeder%20-%2025%20Cube%20-%2040%20Breeder%20Setup/IMGP1795.jpg

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l47/postal33610/40%20Breeder%20-%2025%20Cube%20-%2040%20Breeder%20Setup/IMGP1782.jpg

[rogermccray]

gorgeous fish!

[Haddonisreef]

Awesome!