Do all types of filefish eat aiptasia?

[posittron]

My lfs has two types of filefish. One looks like the matted file fish except it has a whitish yellowish body with small black spots on it(picture attached) and the other type is the popular matted filefish that they advertise as "aiptasia eating". The matted filefish is more expensive than the other yellow filefish. Which one should I go for?

 

[Opus]

I don't know but the one I had ate the aiptasia and then ate around $500 worth of new zoas I put in the tank.

 

[Mikedawg]

My lfs has two types of filefish. One looks like the matted file fish except it has a whitish yellowish body with small black spots on it(picture attached) and the other type is the popular matted filefish that they advertise as "aiptasia eating". The matted filefish is more expensive than the other yellow filefish. Which one should I go for?

Never seen this species for sale; very nice. I have the "common" matted filefish which has eliminated my aiptasia problem, but I read where there is no guarantee on their food preferences

 

[Dave Garrett]

Wow... he/she is really dressed for the dance....

 

[LukeM1]

Mine will only eat live pods and flat worms. Don’t get me wrong, the flat worms being eating is great. It’s just frustrating that something with the name “Aiptasia eating” in it won’t eat aiptasia lol

 

[AquaLove]

Mine will only eat live pods and flat worms. Don’t get me wrong, the flat worms being eating is great. It’s just frustrating that something with the name “Aiptasia eating” in it won’t eat aiptasia lol

you might be feeding your fish too much, try limiting feed and see if your filefish starts to eat aiptasia. it will also help with any flatworm infestation because they eat rotting food and poop.

 

[davidcalgary29]

No -- only wild-caught matted filefish are known to be reliable aiptasia-eaters. They do not, as noted above, limit their diet to pest anemones. There are really so many lovely species of filefish, and so many better ways of addressing aiptasia problems, that matted filefish really should not be your first pick for a filefish.

I have four different species of filefish. None of mine (and I have a matted filefish) touch aiptasia.