Zebra Barred Dartfish and Tilefish

[Snow_Phoenix]

Has anyone on here owned a Zebra barred dartfish and/or Yellow Tilefish? 

 

Any tips/advice based on personal experience?

 

I currently have a zebra dartfish pair and a small yellow tilefish juvi (<2" long) in my 20G. All three fish are so far quite healthy and actively feeding on pellets - the dartfish pair was at the store for +3 months and the tilefish was a new arrival few days ago from a mixed shipment from Hawaii/Indo-Pacific. They're quite active and I literally have 3 lids overlapping one another on my tank so that they can't jump out.

 

I went into the store with the intention of getting  a pair of Occys, but the ones there were not for sale (just boarded by another customer) so I walked out with these three after walking up and down the row of display tanks for over half an hour and thinking hard on which fish to pick. I've owned dartfish before (scissortails and gudgeons), but they're usually very skittish and hide whenever someone walks near the tank. This...is different. My zebras are not shy at all and constantly in the upper water column, chasing their reflections on the glass and patrolling the tank. My tilefish spends time between the upper and lower parts of the water column and enjoys pecking the siphon on my Nass snails whenever they pop out of the sand. It's only been four hours but all three fish seem to have mini batteries shoved into their bodies or something. 

 

Based on whatever research I'm reading and all the accounts of other people who have owned these fish, I have 3 opposites to whatever everyone are saying (scared, shy, terrified of hands/people, not visible all the time etc.). I initially thought of going after a fourth fish - a small Hi-Fin/pistol combo, (my previous Hi-Fin is MIA, presumably perished), but now I'm rethinking it. With the amount of activity I currently have, introducing any new fish might be difficult - impossible even.

 

Also, will the tilefish mind smaller inverts like anemone shrimp? He's very curious over my snails and hermits, and hovers above them on occasion, but otherwise leaves them alone. I'm just wondering, because I'd like to get either a porcelain nem crab or spotted nem shrimp to pair up with my mini maxi carpet nem in a few weeks time. I don't want either invert to get eaten or too stressed by the tilefish, if possible. 

[1.0reef]

They might be active because you don’t have any boisterous tank mates, which is great. I’m sure the tilefish likes having the fart fish as company too. Make sure they get multiple feedings and have a sandbed or a container with fine sand so the tilefish can burrow. The dartfish can be kept in there long term, as an adult the tilefish will need more space. 

Heres a good article on long term care for tilefish, not sure if there’s any info on if they’re compatible with small inverts. 

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/9/fish

 

[Snow_Phoenix]

1 hour ago, 1.0reef said:

They might be active because you don’t have any boisterous tank mates, which is great. I’m sure the tilefish likes having the fart fish as company too. Make sure they get multiple feedings and have a sandbed or a container with fine sand so the tilefish can burrow. The dartfish can be kept in there long term, as an adult the tilefish will need more space. 

Heres a good article on long term care for tilefish, not sure if there’s any info on if they’re compatible with small inverts. 

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/9/fish

 

Hi 1.0, thank you very much for the advice and the link! I'm not getting any other fish for this tank - I might be able to get away with a small goby like a hi-fin/yasha or blenny like a TSB but I prefer maintaining the balance I have now. 

 

I do have a 2" sandbed with fine sand for the fish to burrow in. Is this enough, or do I still need a separate cup of sand? 

 

I also did read that the tile fish can max. out at 6". (Gives me the perfect excuse to get a larger tank for him as he grows). I'll look into the link and other sites. I couldn't find many past threads here on NR over people keeping tilefish - especially the yellow variant. Most folk keep either the skunk or purple tile.