Anything I can do to fasstrack a Filefish into eating Aips?

[laezur]

I just added a new Emerald filefish (I believe this is the type that can eat aiptasia), he';s fairly small and I see him going around and picking at rockwork and sand but I'm not seeing him actually target any of the aips specifically just yet.

Is there anything I can do to help coax him towards doing this? I have some fairly big aips, and it's getting to plague proportions now which is why I've gone down this route as my peppermint shrimp wasn't doing anything at all.

I'm happy to keep the fish either way, I think he's a cool little dude but I would also like him to do his job LOL.

Thanks

 

[Cthulukelele]

If you have a qt tank, a lot of people have success "training" them that aiptasia is food by putting them in a qt tank with an infested rock. Mine never showed interest in aiptasia--only rose bubble tips, clam mantles, and lps lol so YMMV

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

If you have a qt tank, a lot of people have success "training" them that aiptasia is food by putting them in a qt tank with an infested rock. Mine never showed interest in aiptasia--only rose bubble tips, clam mantles, and sps lol so YMMV

This. Mine devoured aiptasia, then started in on certain zoa's!

 

[Cthulukelele]

They are fascinating attractive fast growing fish though, so I don't want to talk you out of it. Just know the risks. They're probably the least reef safe aiptasia controlling fish/invert people commonly buy.

 

[laezur]

They are fascinating attractive fast growing fish though, so I don't want to talk you out of it. Just know the risks. They're probably the least reef safe aiptasia controlling fish/invert people commonly buy.

Oh he's already in the tank lol, I may have jumped the gun a little bit on him. I've got some euphyllia, and a bubbletip but he's not been anywhere near them. I don't think the clownfish would actually let him anywhere near the bubble tip if he tried, and the anemone is literally about 10x the size of him - it could eat him. He also doesn't touch the euphyllia.

Like I said, I see him pick at the rocks but not specifically aips yet I dont think. I've tried everything at this point, Aiptasia X didnt seem to work, shrimp didnt work. So I'm now here, desperate as theyre becoming like a plague covering some rock almost entirely now.

Where to go next, I'm not sure