LiveAquaria proves mad skills with Oxymonacanthus halli

Three Oxymonacanthus halli, the Red Sea Harlequin Filefish, conditioned and delivered by LiveAquaria.com — Three of six total Oxymonacanthus halli, the Red Sea Harlequin Filefish, conditioned and delivered by LiveAquaria.com

We’re sorry to sound like shrieking young fangirls when singing the praises of “LiveAquaria” Diver’s Den, but time and again Kevin Kohen, Steve Krogh, and the rest of the team behind the Drs. Foster & Smith live aquatics division, prove that they may be the standout, singular company to deal with when seeking the rarest, or the most difficult, marine aquarium fish on the market. But if you’re still a skeptic, read on and check out the video that will blow your mind.

Case in point, consider the four Oxymonacanthus halli, the Red Sea Harlequin Filefish, shipped in the dead of winter this week. To say they were professionally packaged is an understatement, but the fact that these fish, known SPS-coralfeeders in the wild, were eating anything within hours of acclimation, is testament to the skill behind getting the most “expert-only” fish from point A to point B in tip-top shape.

A box of goodies, ready for investigation.

Darked out bags, triple bagged, floating for temperature equalization.

The next step - going into drip acclimation. — The next step – going into drip acclimation.

Freshly acclimated pair of Red Sea Harlequin Filefish - Oxymonacanthus longirostris. — Freshly acclimated pair of Red Sea Harlequin Filefish – Oxymonacanthus halli.

While I had to figure it out for myself when tackling the breeding of Oxymonacanthus longirostris (the far more common Harlequin Filefish), you could argue that this is almost cheating. The hard work, that of getting these fish conditioned to life in captivity, was already done!

These fish didn’t just magically start feeding, no sir. Having been on hand in Rhinelander since early December, Steve Krogh spent weeks paying special attention to these fish, ensuring they were weaned onto aquarium fare and in prime shipping condition. When sent this week, I was told they were feeding on Nutramar Ova and CYCLOP-EEZE®. However, imagine my delight to find that 24 hours out of the bag, they are already consuming Spectrum Thera A and Spectrum Grow in the smallest pellet size (0.5 mm).

While I already had one pair of Oxymonacanthus halli on hand, purchased in late in 2012, with 6 fish now in the house, it’s safe to say “Game On” as I race to tackle the captive-breeding of the only other Oxymonacanthus filefish besides O. longirostris!

This is not the first time that Reef Builders staff have gushed about the level of professionalism that LiveAquaria provides; see Ross’s I <3 LiveAquaria.

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Matt Pedersen

Matt Pedersen is an interactive software developer and part-time fly fishing guide originally from Chicago, IL and current living in Duluth, MN, USA. Additionally, Matt has experience as a professional orchid breeder and certified fly rod builder. Matt has been a marine aquarist for 23 years, and an aquarist for 28+. After spending time on every side of the aquarium industry (retail, commercial and private maintenance & installation, wholesale, hatchery), he currently considers himself a "professional hobbyist". Most recently, Matt has currently spawned 22 species of marine fish, successfully raising 8 of them to date including one worldwide first (the Harlequin Filefish, Oxymonacanthus longirostris), as well as attempted another 6 invertebrate species to date. Most all of this was accomplished with less than 100 gallons of total working capacity, and all in closed culture. In 2010, Matt Pedersen was selected as the breeder of choice to work with the now famous "PNG Lightning Maroon Clownfish" from the SEASMART program, and chronicles the efforts to propagate this one-of-a-kind fish online at The Lightning Project. Matt Pedersen is credited with starting MOFIB (Marine Ornamental Fish & Invertebrate Breeder's Association) and writing for multiple publications including Coral, Koralle, Practical Fish Keeping, Reef Hobbyist Magazine and Reef Builders. Matt has spoken at numerous aquarium clubs and events from coast to coast. He currently sits on the MBI (Marine Breeding Initiative) Council, a project dedicated to bringing the concept of a unified Marine Breeder's Award Program to hobbyist organizations across the country and around the globe. In 2009, Matt was awarded "Aquarist of the Year" honors by both IMAC West and MASNA in recognition of his accomplishments and contributions to the marine aquarium hobby. Last updated October, 2010.