Matted Filefish -Captive Bred or Wild Caught for Aiptasia?

[lespaul339]

Does it make a difference whether you buy captive bred or get a wild caught specimen on having better luck with these fish eating aiptasia? I have a bad infestation and need a fish that eats it. I've done peppermint shrimp in the past but it's to the point where I need something that can wipe them out completely. Planning on getting one of these fish. I know sometimes they aren't necessarily reef safe, but I can just put it in my sump once it wipes out my aiptasia and then put him back in display when they start popping up again. What do you think, ORA or wild caught?

[Fish4udog]

Never had any luck with the filefiah eating aiptasia tool back to LFS bought a copper banded butterfly have to look to find them now its a gamble either way you go i know some haven't had any luck with the butterfly either ,the copper banded is a prettier fish

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[lespaul339]

I have a copperband. He ate them at first. Now he won't touch them. :headwally:

[Half Vaped]

I think a lot of the people who claim that their Matted Filefish doesn't eat Aiptasia may not have an actual Matted Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus). I've read that often times, wild Matted Filefish offered for sale are really a similar-looking species that don't even eat Aiptasia.

I highly recommend a captive-bred source for Acreichthys tomentosus, to make sure you have the correct species. I read that some breeders even force-feed them Aiptasia when rearing the juveniles. I got mine from Diver's Den; I think it was sourced from Bali Aquarich, but ORA should be just as good. Eliminated any trace of Aiptasia in my 150 G in under a month.

[lespaul339]

Ok cool. Thanks for the advice! Good to hear it eliminated your aiptaisa! Hoping the one I'm going to get does the same! Do you have any problems with your's eating any coral?

[Half Vaped]

I thought that my Filefish is completely safe with corals, but just the other day, I saw it picking on a piece of dying Torch Coral. I'm not sure if it was only picking at it since it was already sickly, though.

I never saw it pick on any healthy coral for the year or so I've had it. I keep all kinds of SPS, LPS softies and clams.

[lespaul339]

Awesome. I hope I get as lucky with mine as you are. Thanks for the advice and input.

[laga77]

Most Aiptasia eating fish do so out of necessity. It is not their first choice but they will eat them when hungry. Same with peppermint shrimp. Once they get fed a regular and steady diet they ignore the aiptasia. The exception to this is the Raccoon Butterflyfish. These suckers just love aiptasia. In fact, to keep mine happy, I pull aiptasia out of the sumps of my tanks and throw them in by him.

[Half Vaped]

Awesome. I hope I get as lucky with mine as you are. Thanks for the advice and input.

Good luck with your Filefish, they have a unique personality and are interesting to watch even after all the Aiptasia is gone.

I feed all my fish heavily (my Filefish loves going after the bigger pieces of PE Mysis) and it still manages to snack on Aiptasia in between meals. A lot of people on here had great success with captive-bred Matted Filefish taking care of their Aiptasia. Much hardier than Butterflyfish as well.

[Walla2GSP]

My Matted Filefish was Captive bred and chows down on Aiptasia if it pops up. He cleared my 35 and 80 gallon tanks both in about 2 weeks, but I only had a small outbreak. I haven't seen a single Aiptasia since I got him though.

[lespaul339]

Glad to hear! Just got my captive bred one from ORA today. It is in QT and will be going through TTM. Going to put some small rocks from my DT in with him to see if he eats the aiptasia on them.

[BigJohnny]

Anyone know where I can get a captive bred aiptasia eating filefish? Sold out everywhere

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