Flashing Tilefish

Flashing Tilefish

Flashing Tilefish are highly social and form monogamous pairs. Having a pair or group of tilefish can help them adjust to aquarium life and prepared food much more easily. Some hobbyists report that Flashing Tilefish use color changes to communicate with one another.

Flashing Tilefish are very shy and may hide constantly when added to a new aquarium until they become familiar and comfortable with their new home. Once a Flashing Tilefish adjusts to captive life, it will not change color anymore. If your Flashing Tilefish changes color, try to discover any stressors or aggressive tank mates that may be bothering it and remove them. Flashing Tilefish are also very sensitive to changes in water quality. A healthy Flashing Tilefish may hide part of the day, but should be active and swim often, especially during feeding times. The fast metabolism and high activity of these fish requires them to be fed at least twice daily.

Flashing Tilefish need a lot of swimming room and require an uncrowded aquarium of at least 55 gallons (ideally 100+ gallons) with a deep sand bed for the fish to dive into when startled. Most captive tilefish die from starvation, stress, poor handling, or jump from the aquarium. All but the most well covered aquariums can be a risk. Even a well adjusted tilefish may actively search for an escape, jumping out of the aquarium to its death.