Thank you, to all who voted for my Orange Spotted File fish. And let me not forget the Mods who had to decide between a three-way tie, thank you! Thought you might like an update.
This particular specimen (Can't say it applies to all.) has proven to be quite favorable as a tank mate in spite of his inveterate reputation as a polyp eater. This habit
may be reduced or even overcome in captivity by offering a wide variety of food stuff and frequent feedings. He now eats Nori...
The first piece of Nori I caught him eating was free floating, caused by the Sohal Tang ripping off strips from the veggie clip. Here he is sucking it down his tube like mouth, which is also good for sucking coral polyps, too. He's proven to be a fast learner through visualization. He watched the Tangs eating from the clip and...
soon he was right in there getting his own. He also eats, and seems to relish, flake food...
With 13 fish, it's chaos at feeding time. Everyone is so fast, I've found it impossible to get a focused shot of him eating flake. The above pic is the best I've done so far. He sucked that big piece down in two bites. Notice the bulging belly. He also eats pellet foods but, not on camera, so far. And finally a night shot in his sleep mode...
As Carmie pointed out in my tank thread,
Neat fish! I didn't know that they are a species which "changes into pajamas" to sleep. Cute observation, Carmie. This is his chosen night resting spot.
His diet now consists of, sort of in order of preference,
flake food
frozen brine shrimp (I fortify it with vitamins)
Arctic Pods (Reef Nutrition)
live pods
Nori
Nibbling on rocks (finding what???)
polyps (much less frequently than when introduced)
Would I recommend this fish to everyone??? NO!!! Only under special conditions. NEVER for the beginner. NEVER in a Nano. ONLY if the
LFS shows you it is eating something (besides polyps). ONLY in a large tank, 55 or bigger. ONLY in an established tank, he eats pods. ONLY by an experienced reefer. ONLY if you are of the belief that your fish are special and you feed them multiple times a day a variety of foods and as much as they want to eat. I allow my fish to stuff themselves. I'm fortunate that I'm retired and can spend the necessary time. They reward me with big fat healthy bodies that wiggle at the front glass asking, "Are you going to feed us again?"
So, the little fish that shouldn't be kept in captivity according to the current literature,
"Orangespotted Filefish Oxymonocanthus longirostris a beauty, but almost immpossible to keep without it's natural diet of live stony coral polyps." (Reef Aquarium Fishes, Scott W. Michael, Author), may not be accurate
or this one may be the exception.
Thanks again, everyone. I'm truly honored.
Dick