orange spotted file fish question

[rebar]

I just bought one from a brooklyn store, but they didn't tell me he's difficult to keep and mainly eats acropora corals (i have none..that's not what i'm worried about). anybody have experience with this fish? two questions:

- what are the chance we can get him to eat other stuff

- would he be safe in my reef tank (mostly softies). otherwise i can keep in my smaller tank?


thanks

 

[D1J8Z]

3 helpful steps when buying a new fish for your home aquarium
step 1 research
step 2 make sure its eating in the LFS
step 3 buy/leave fish at LFS

 

[rebar]

thanks

i know. it was a spontaneous buy and i wasn't thinking...need to know what i do now

 

[m'akoyPINOY]

take it back to the LFS!

 

[Aquatic Life Direct]

agreed.... take it back to the LFS

I would personally never order a fish like that for my store....

Even if it shows interest in frozen food, it never seems to meet their nutritional needs and will waste away. If you have to get a file fish, i would recommend the redtail file(prevagor melanocephalus) or the fantail file(P.spilosoma) they arent similar in color but still look very nice and they will eat mysis. The fantail is a mroe coral friendly alternative to the orange spotted filefish.

 

[Domboski]

It is extremely difficult to get them to eat anything else other than Acro polyps. If you look at the mouth of your fish it is so specialized the options are extremely limited. There is no time tested method to get them eating anything else. It is a crapshoot. If yours isn't interested in other foods in a day or so after purchasing I would recommend finding him a new home. The only chance you have is finding someone with a large acro tank willing to let the fish eat the corals. This is not a very likely to happen.

Is the stomache already sunken in? Sending you a PM

 

[rebar]

enought said. really dumb move on my part. i'll take him back tomorrow.