Waldo, the filefish

[iaa12]

I had a major aiptasia issue in my tank - we're talking in the hundreds. They were on the sand, on the rock, between zoas, everywhere, and they multiply like rabbits. I tried injecting them with kalk, these things just laughed at me. I thought my tank was done.

Few weeks ago, found the ugliest fish I've ever seen in my life at my local store - an aiptasia eating filefish. I bought him as a last-ditch effort. He did literally nothing for about two weeks, and then proceeded to absolutely DESTROY all the of aiptasia in the past week. Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head. It's a friggin' miracle, the tank is completely clean, I can't believe it.

My wife and I named him Waldo. We spend time in the evening looking for him in the tank - he camouflages so well even in plain sight because he just hovers there, and especially next to rocks and under pumps. As ugly as he is, he's our new favorite fish. I just hope he remains a good citizen and switches his diet to the frozen meaty food, not the zoas.

Just a filefish appreciation post.

 

[saltysal]

I had a major aiptasia issue in my tank - we're talking in the hundreds. They were on the sand, on the rock, between zoas, everywhere, and they multiply like rabbits. I tried injecting them with kalk, these things just laughed at me. I thought my tank was done.

Few weeks ago, found the ugliest fish I've ever seen in my life at my local store - an aiptasia eating filefish. I bought him as a last-ditch effort. He did literally nothing for about two weeks, and then proceeded to absolutely DESTROY all the of aiptasia in the past week. Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head. It's a friggin' miracle, the tank is completely clean, I can't believe it.

My wife and I named him Waldo. We spend time in the evening looking for him in the tank - he camouflages so well even in plain sight because he just hovers there, and especially next to rocks and under pumps. As ugly as he is, he's our new favorite fish. I just hope he remains a good citizen and switches his diet to the frozen meaty food, not the zoas.

Just a filefish appreciation post.

Good luck with that. Haha. Mine has eaten acans, hammers, frogspawn, rock face anemones and now I also think is going after my BTA. He has always eaten frozen food and gets fed quite a lot. We think he has a lot of character and named him bubba. Unfortunately I am actively trying to catch the clever fellow to put him into our purgatory tank. He is faster than one would think and knows what the net looks like so hides. He won’t come near the fish trap either. I was thinking about putting my Acan in the trap lol