Mimic Filefish

[Gourami Swami]

In a few months i am getting my saltwater tank, and since i Decided to go bigger there is now more I can do. I was thinking of a 30 to 46 gallon tank, and the one fish I would really like to have is the mimic filefish.



Cute arent they? Some of my favorite fish are triggerfish, but they are too large and aggressive to keep in a tank my size, especially with other fish. The filefish are closely related to triggerfish, and one species is also referred to as a trigger.

The mimic doesnt grow beyond 4 inches and is not aggressive, so I can keep him with other fish, but what? I like clowns, and I like the look of surgeonfish and dwarf angels, is there anything small enough to keep in a tank of this relative size with a mimic filefish?

Also, Ive heard they will take frozen foods like mysis shrimp, but will they take other foods like pellets?

And also, this will just be a FOWLR- I dont want to spend so much money on expensive light fixture. Do these fish appreciate lots of live rock for hiding?

Thanks

[flamingo]

You mean this?: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...catid=1724&N=0
If so then it might do well in a 30 gallons and up tank, not too sure on tankmates, filefish are generally peaceful to most fish unless there's an obvious size difference.

It'll mostly take frozen foods like mysis, brine, etc. and freeze fried krill and the like. Supposedly they also sometimes graze on algae.

Make sure you plan on not keeping inverts later on (soft corals, small shrimp, etc.) as thats what it mainly preys upon in the wild. And yes they do appreciate a lot of lr, almost anything does :P.

Btw, you can keep certain soft corals, etc. under regular NO flourescent lighting, just to clear some things up, just throwing it out there since you said you only wanted a fowlr because you didn't want to pay so much for the lighting system. And one more thing, I think that picture is just of a regular Valentini Puffer.

HTH!

[Gourami Swami]

Okay. Good to hear about the corals, what are they?

And I planned on keeping some shrimp and hermit crabs but I would get mid size shrimp and mimic filefish are really small, most grow under 4 inches. I didnt think id have a problem with that. If so Ill get larger shrimp.

And Iwill keep mostly small fish in this tank, I dont think I should get anything above max 5 inches.

[flamingo]

Some corals: certain types of zoas, taro trees, mushrooms and ricordias, polyps (most depending on the type you want to keep), xenia ( personally I keep mine under flourescent bulbs and it's doing great), and more. Most of the time if you have lower lighting you'll need to stick with soft corals, as they usually don't need higher vho or metal halide lighting. Another thign to look at, if you go to places like liveaquaria, check out the corals page, and if it says "filter feeder" that usually means they need or can be, kept under lower lighting.

Gorgonians, sea pens, etc. can also be (and usually should be) kept in lower lighting. They aren't corals, but look and act somewhat similar.

As for larger shrimp, it might work, but depending on the filefishes aggression towards inverts, it may just take small chunks out of it here and there. You could also ask scuba kid on this one, I don't think she's kept mimic filefish, but shes kept and caught a few other types.

And yes, in that size tank, 4 inches or smaller is a great size to stick to.

I hope this helps .

[Gourami Swami]

Can I get some specific names that your sure would do well in low light? I checked Liveaquaria and the only soft coral I saw under low light was a carnation tree coral, which was labled "expert only"

they also said sea pens needed moderate to strong lighting.

[flamingo]

Various tree corals, some leather corals are known to do okay in lower lighting (pc or flourescent), pipe organ coral, most colony polyps, etc. That's all I could find while looking at the few I did. I don't have much time so that's all I could come up with. Most corals listed should be able to do okay under flourescent bulbs, or even power compact (more expensive than flourescent, but the satellite fixtures are cheapish depending on the size you want). If anyone has any input on that feel free to do so.

The only corals I really have are xenia (two types), mushrooms, green star polyps. etc. under flourescent, so those are the only few I truly know of that do okay. Xenia, with some people, don't do okay in lower lighting, but mine keeps splitting and getting bigger.

And btw, for the sea pens, the ones they have listed are like polyps, mine look like a small purple gorgonian, just to clear things up lol.

I'm not an expert on corals or anything, but I hope this is proving useful .

[Gourami Swami]

Veru useful! thanks alot, I thought it would be impossible to have a reef in NO flourescant lights, and I dont have the money for big fancy light fixtures, so this is really cool! Im going to my LFS today anyway to buy a new filter for my pufferfish tank, Ill take a look at some of these corals.

[Fishfirst]

Mushrooms, filter feeding corals, and leathers might do okay as well as the occasional xenia and star polyp... but PC's would open up some interesting specimens. I'd have to disagree about the tree corals, they may survive, but I'd bet they'd more than likely wither away.

[Gourami Swami]

Somehow I have the expresion that power compacts are going to be alot more money than NO fixtures, but im going to my lfs today and I'll see the prices. I cant shake the notion that they are a few hundred dollars

[flamingo]

They have power compacts in thatfishplace, etc. for about 70 bucks..satellite ones that is...

Fishfirst, thanks for posting that. I just said tree corals in general, i've never kept them, but that's what i've been reading.

[Gourami Swami]

Originally Posted by flamingonhot

They have power compacts in thatfishplace, etc. for about 70 bucks..satellite ones that is...

Whoo! 70 bucks is more in my price range than 200. Are "sattelite" ones any good? Ill just have to go deal hunting.

[flamingo]

Yes..they are good :P.

While they aren't as great as the 150 dollar ones, they are still effective, cheap, and all you'll need for right now or permanently if you stick with certain corals.




Walla!