Tassled Filefish, not for everyone
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Why not?
It IS big. Not as big as grouper or sweet lips, but still too big for many of us, living in small urban spaces.
Is it worth it? Definitely yes, if you can afford it - without constant strain, for years.
My initial thoughts were:
- The fish will grow only to the size of the tank, had heard such things.
- It grows 12" in the ocean, in the tank is should be max 2/3 of this.
- in an year or two I could buy a big tank, it should be within $200 - I had seen middle-sized for $60. I can afford this.
Yea, I wish.
In five months this filefish has grown out of 20g tank (for comfortable living with other fish), and, as I found later, the tanks above 90g have a significant jump in price - the thicker glass is used, way out of my price range. Unless the sale at Big Al's - but it never happens, when you need it.
On sale, once an year, you can find the 210g tank for a price of 90g. Wait for this, if the fish is not already bought. But missing to buy this fish, you may never see it again - in 2 years I had seen them only once, when I bought mine. And even then - they were sold out within hours.
By the way, longer 210g tank is preferable to the high 210g, for this fish. It bursts ahead in seconds, and 90g is only 5 body lengths long.
More than an year later at Big Al's there was a very good sale on a 210g tanks, around $200, but to replace the established tank with another big tank, with no free floor space even for temporary arrangements, and the troubles with disposing of the 90g tank... Was vetoed.
And remember about the amount of salt required for a water changes, 20-30% weekly (for amount of waste produced), even with an oversized skimmer.
This fish is really expensive in a long-term keeping.
In all meanings: money, space, time.
Pure spending:
- the tank: $180 +tax is absolute minimum, $50 delivery (2006),
- make this tank drilled (I'm not responsible, if it cracks) for plumbing, buy drilled, or use use the overflow box.
- stand (DIY cost depends, and you have to have a place with power tools to work and paint, away from the tank. I haven't.)
- salt mix, several buckets ($300) will last for less than year. During end of the year sale - at half price, is a good chance to stock up,
- sump with baffles, to keep the water level constant for a skimmer, or its rubbermaid equivalent (container with holes on the side at desirable for skimmer water level) inside the sump.
- return pump (Eheim or Ocean Runner, unless you have other preferences),
- really efficient skimmer $250+, my ASM G-3, 200g rated, doesn't handle bioload well so far,
- highly desirable modifications for a skimmer, like gate valve (only this was $50), water well and shallow long Calfo's overflow,
- power heads or closed loop plumbing with a pump, to keep particulates in suspension. By the way, this is a fish with low flow preferences, unless taking a massage shower in front of 600 gph soft flow powerhead.
- live rock: min 1 Lb/gal, $7/lb, around $630 for 90g tank (which is too small) and $1400 for 200g tank. Reef bones, $2/Lb can arrive in a boulder size and weight, like mine. Otherwise, they are good.
- reverse osmosis unit, replacement cartridges, place to connect it to the plumbing,
- light, 220 Watt+ per 90g, $200 or more,
- heaters, total 500 Watt,
- electric bill to pay, 500W + 220W + 100W pumps
- power back-up $200, lasts for one day. More - gas power generator, hundreds of dollars, loud and smelly, again - place for storage, it's big. (don't have one)
- clean up crew, $100,
- cleaning and reaching tools with long handles, and magnetic glass cleaner, $100,
- if some coral frags, add $200.
- test kits and additives (Ca, Mg, Alk in my case), $150, as usual,
- as well as activated carbon and phosphate remover, iron based are preferable. A lot of them.
Space:
Place for a tank:
- with sturdy floor (the last resort - the basement with an even concrete slab floor),
- out of any traffic area - the fish is shy and will hide every time,
- without low ceiling: you need space to be able to bend above the big tank, reaching to the bottom. Don't ask me, how do I know,
- The sump with a really big skimmer (necessity in this case) takes less floor space, if placed under the main tank, if the ceiling's height allows.
Place for a water preparation:
- physically space for two trashcans or plastic barrels (30% of the tank size), heaters and powerheads for each,
- away from the sight and out of the way (mine is not, and I curse it every time),
- in the heated room (not near furnace with the air vent is always open in the winter),
- place for the empty buckets with 3/4"D tubing (only this takes a lot of space!), or Python water change system (have one, but rarely using it).
- storage space for buckets of salt mix,
- analog of the umbrella stand - a high narrow plastic container with mesh dish inside - for wet tubes and long handled tools,
- storage space for a terrycloth towels, for the hands and for floor covering during water changes.
- small closet or any enclosure of this size for storage of supplies and unused items.
- a shelf in a cool dry place, even in the summer heat, for the test kits.
Place to observe:
- tank is better to be in the living room: you will miss a lot, seeing tank only for maintenance,
- but not a sleeping area and away from neighbors' wall, too loud,
- place for an armchair - out of the way. Mine is not, what am I doing each time, trying to go around it with a bucket, full of water? Damn all of this every time I go around it. Plumbing and waterpumps are another way to go, instead of buckets, if there is place for barrels near the wall.
Time to serve: supply, feed and clean.
Not my idea of a good (or even tolerable) life, but we are responsible for those, whom we had adopted.
On the bright side:
Just imagine (can you hear a singing sirens?) the evening, spent near the moonlit aquarium, mmm... The friendly lively comic fish, eating from your hands and looking in your eyes...
Did I say, that that fish is worth it, if you can afford it, without constant strain?
Next page: Growth rate and the tank size