Should I use my 56 zoa colonies as food?

[Zoaelite]

Originally Posted by xtreme

I think it is the matted filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus) you are after not the tassled filefish. I tried one but it wasn't in my tank long enough to tell if it was eating the aptasia. I yanked it out since he was nibbling on my acans. They are generally not considered reef safe so just be aware of that.

Thanks, I will stick to butterflys/ angels then.

[golf nut]

Originally Posted by zoaElite

I tried the light trick last night to no avail, there are far to many to try shelling them all. Any insight as far as fish goes would be greatly appriciated! The tank gets fed really well, and there is a TON of zoas in there so as long as any picking is in moderation I'm fine with it.

It has come down to a tassled file fish, bicolor angel or some species of butterfly.

Have patience!

[Zoaelite]

I'm going to try it again tonight, hopfully I will get some better results.
Levi

[golf nut]

Originally Posted by zoaElite

I'm going to try it again tonight, hopfully I will get some better results.
Levi

Leave the lights off for a few days, they will move, lack of light will not hurt the zoa's

[Delphinus]

Levi, I gave up on manual control of aiptasia and majano long ago. I did a raccoon butterfly for a little while, he massacred the aiptasia but didn't touch majano much .. and unfortunately had developed a taste for LPS before I lost him to my mysterious tank hiccup last September.

I have had now two matted filefish, the first one did eventually develop a taste for aiptasia but it took a while - he never touched anything else in that tank he was in (zoanthids and LPS, including Acan's). However I lost him to jumping.

I'm on my second matted filefish now, he is not touching the Acan's or the zoanthids or the other corals in that tank, although also isn't doing a whole heck of a lot against the aiptasia in that tank.

In my cube tank I have two C. ulietensis butterflies (common names "double-saddled" or "false falcula"), in their tank they have DESTROYED both majano and aiptasia (I got them because they have a reputation for majano control). However after only a month or so they started indiscriminately eating other things - LPS, SPS, gorgonians. About the only thing that they haven't really shown an interest in is clams. They seem to find tentacles irresistable - so anything with polyp extension or feeder tentacles is really what they'll pick at.

If it's just aiptasia you're dealing with, maybe you could consider a copperbanded. I had one for 3 years. This is a tricky recommendation because CBB's currently have an abhorrent track record in captivity and many people are recommending that they be left in the ocean. Mine took a while to develop a taste for aiptasia but once he did, he destroyed any he could find (my favourite trick was dangling a rock in the tank with my hand and letting him de-aiptasia it). He never did develop a taste for majano though. And he did pick at things like blasto and Acans, wasn't too bad at first but after a while I couldn't keep them anymore.

I'm thinking your best bet is the matted filefish (and patience, since they don't always seem to go after the aiptasia at first).

[The Grizz]

Hope you can find something to get rid of the pest's and not touch your zoa's as I would love to buy some frags from some if not all you colonies when you decide to frag.

[Zoaelite]

Originally Posted by The Grizz

Hope you can find something to get rid of the pest's and not touch your zoa's as I would love to buy some frags from some if not all you colonies when you decide to frag.

Ahah , soon soon.

Thanks Tony,
I picked up a 3 inch Copperband from Wais today, so far so good but I'm going to keep a close eye on him. He seems to be picking @ the rocks and hasn't touched any of the coral, didn't go after frozen brine yet but he's brand new so time will tell.

[Delphinus]

Yeah, the first trick will be getting him to accept that what you offer is actually food. There are the occasional CBB's who take to flake or pellet, but they are rare. Mine never did, but at least he loved mysis so it was easy to get him to eat that everyday. Another treat I'd give him was mussel or food clams or oysters, but tangs will love that stuff too so make sure he gets some somehow.

Just basically keep an eye on your acan's. I never pieced it together at the time because I never saw him pick at them, but they stopped flourishing and started receding and there was no other reason for it - now that I think about it, I think it was happening at night when they had their feeders out.

Zoanthids were fine though. Good luck with him! This is one of my favouritest kinds of fish, I have a soft spot for all butterflies but CBB's in particular. Mine learned to recognize me as a provider of food, I could cup my hands around him in perfect trust. It absolutely broke my heart last year when he suddenly displayed a weird lesion above his eye one evening, and he was dead within 4 or 5 hours of my noticing. A few months shy of 3 years I had him.

Anyhow, definitely a beautiful little fish. Good luck!

[The Grizz]

I got a sweet CBB from Blue Water a few weeks ago, he is a pig for every thing from PE Mysis to pellet/flake. Have not seen him go after and corals or caught him munching down on any aiptasia yet. But he is now my favorite fish, he will even feed right out of my hand.

[BCOrchidGuy]

Elegance coral will kill them on contact but they tend to grow large. If you decide to try the elegance coral simply pick it up by the base and touch the tentacles to the pest anemone and it will die a quick death.

Doug