[james_r_edwards34]

After reading Lee's post about Naso Elegans eating like a pig, I thought I had better ask about my Orange File Fish. He is peaceful but he is eating way too much. He is a little more than 7" long. What should I be feeding him. I am using mysis shrimp, and raw large shrimp. I have not been able to find any info on his eating habits. I have tried non meaty items and he does not seem to be interested.

[leebca]

Unfortunately, the Orange Filefish could be any of a number of species of Filefishes. It's the problem when using a common name. One (Alutera schoepfii is mostly a cooler water fish, so I don't know if you mean this one. Another is called a Spotted Orange Filefish (Oxymonacanthus longirostris) that is more often found in the ornamental trade. The latter fish is a coral eater and doesn't do well in captive life.

Most Filefishes are carnivores, usually shy, and lean towards being pod eaters when young. The problem with a mysis diet, as outlined in other posts, is that unless it is truly a marine mysis, it isn't a good-enough food for the marine fish to thrive on. They can live on marine mysis, but not thrive on it.

Best choice would be to provide whole organisms -- not just shrimp tails, but whole shrimp. Try krill, ocean plankton, etc. suitable in size for the size of the fish you have. Frozen is to be preferred.