How safe are the radial filefish and the matted/aiptasia eating filefish with small invertebrates?

[formallydehyde]

By small invertebrates I am thinking of basically any crustacean or mollusc that's between 0.5 and 1 inch long (1.25-2.5 cm). In my specific case it would be a juvenile lettuce sea slug, a juvenile peppermint shrimp and an adult pom-pom crab that I am concerned about getting harassed, injured or killed by either of these two species.

If you could tell me about your observations of either of these fish with little guys that would be great!

 

[KrisReef]

I think if the Peppermint shrimp doesn't eat it that the filefish won't either?

Filefish for Aiptasia are hit or miss in what they eat in my tanks, so I would not take anything for gospel in what a wild fish will nibble on.

Not much help, but that's all I got.

 

[formallydehyde]

I think if the Peppermint shrimp doesn't eat it that the filefish won't either?

Filefish for Aiptasia are hit or miss in what they eat in my tanks, so I would not take anything for gospel in what a wild fish will nibble on.

Not much help, but that's all I got.

My question wasn't about aiptasia control... I just think filefish are cool and want to get a couple small filefish when I upgrade my tank.

 

[carol3]

I would also really like to know this, in my case I would like to add sexy shrimp to the list. So... are Radial or Aptasia eating filefish safe to not eat or bother, juvenile lettuce sea slug, a juvenile peppermint shrimp, an adult pom-pom crab or sexy shrimp?

 

[VintageReefer]

Can’t speak for the sea slug, but my filefish never showed interest in any inverts.

Zoanthids, acans, hammers, torch and some other lps - he started to peck at and then eat once we ran out of aiptasia. 2x daily feeding didn’t help. He seemed like he was programmed to nibble corals in his free time. It took about 6-8 months before he started eating corals

I couldn’t keep torches for years because of the file fish

 

[formallydehyde]

Can’t speak for the sea slug, but my filefish never showed interest in any inverts.

Zoanthids, acans, hammers, torch and some other lps - he started to peck at and then eat once we ran out of aiptasia. 2x daily feeding didn’t help. He seemed like he was programmed to nibble corals in his free time. It took about 6-8 months before he started eating corals

I couldn’t keep torches for years because of the file fish

Was this a matted/aiptasia eating filefish or was he a radial file?

 

[VintageReefer]

Was this a matted/aiptasia eating filefish or was he a radial file?

Mine was the ora aiptasia eating file fish

 

[areefer01]

My question wasn't about aiptasia control... I just think filefish are cool and want to get a couple small filefish when I upgrade my tank.

I have both Radial and Matted filefish. Both from Biota.

• Arrive small - plan accordingly. Flow may be an issue. I placed both in my refugium to grow out a bit before placing into my display.
• Matted filefish will be the larger of the two. Radial is maybe 2 inches, 2 1/2 at best
• Radial will trick you into thinking it is eating coral but actually they bite down on soft corals to sleep. Mine sleeps in a bed of GSP. I've also seen it clamp onto a corky sea finger. I've read that Radials are symbiotic or have a relationship with Xenia in that they sleep in there. I think it was an article I read but mine chills in my GSP. No damage.
• Matted filefish does eat aiptasia. I've experienced this in both display and refugium.
• Both eat prepared food be it pellet (tdo x-small, small, PE mysis, Hakari) and frozen (mysis, brine, LRS reef, fish, and nano).
• My matted hangs closer to the reef wall / structure
• My Radial swims all over the display and more open water for some reason
• Neither are aggressive towards other fish, none of my other fish give them the time of day
• My display is mixed reef, large SPS and LPS colonies, with a few zoa and leathers mixed in. Bubble tip anemones as well.

I do not have soft corals like Xenia as my Zoster and Pyramid butterflies eat them. So I can't comment how they do with those specifically. I've had some in the past and nothing recent. Overall I like the fish. The radial is interesting and fun to zip around. The Matted is a camouflage machine who moves about the reef slow and methodical.