Adding Another Butterfly

[greenmonkey51]

I just added my semilavartus butterfly to my 125. He's the fourth butterfly I've gotten and so far I've had great luck with them. I want to get another buttefly but I don't really know what to get. So far I have a kleins, facula, pearlscale, and semilavartus. I would like a smaller butterfly since the facula and semi get pretty big. Right now I'm looking for a burgess but I've had no luck lately. Anyone got any suggestions.

 

[LauraCline]

I bet that is a nice looking tank. How about a yellow longnose, copperband, raccoon, or a collare? All attractive and s/b easy to find

 

[greenmonkey51]

Longnose get good sized, copperbands are just to difficult from what I've seen, and a racoon would cause havoc. Collare is what I'm leaning towards now. I may have a line on a good priced tinker, but its probably a pipe dream. I'm really having trouble just finding a lot of butterflies. No one seems to be bringing them in.

 

[Jerry W]

Look at the blackback. A nice looking and sturdy fish. I've had mine for 6 years and it is a very nice species. Gets along well with everything else, not pushy and will stay in the 4-5 inch range. Fairly regular in the hobby too.
I've thought a few times about an all bf tank. I currently have a masked bannerfish (heniochus monoceros, and the blackback, along with a couple angels and some dither fish. Would love to have a tinkers or declevis but need to really weigh the cost for either. Post some pics of your system if you can. I'd like to see it.

 

[greenmonkey51]

My main concern with a black back is that it has a similar coloration to my falcula. I've been using Scott Michaels book as a guide. I will do some more research on Blackbacks.

 

[chefssaltyballs]

is it possible to house a black back, pearlscale, and semilavartus with a smaller naso tang, koran angel, coral beauty, a bartlett anthias and a foxface. ??? all these non-butterflies are very passive fish
thanks
CFSb

 

[joy solomon]

I've had a raflessi or latticed butterfly for about 5 years. Beautiful fish and gets along fine with everyone else. Mine is about 5 inches after five years.

 

[chefssaltyballs]

speaking in terms of comparison, in terms of sickness and health, are butterflies more, less or same as likely to get sick as other types of fish? are the diseases /medications the same as others ? do you quarantine butters and pretreat them beforeputting them into your tank ? if so with what? (furian,greenx ?) ie ich, popeye etc etc... i have tangs. foxfaces, chromies, etc, I am really considering a tank predominantly stocked with butterflies a total of 5-6 med-lg fish and 3-4 small fish and a few softies?? all my friend have reef tanks with the usual powder blue, naso, wrasss, clowns etc... I want to have somethin a little more exotic and am willing to trade not being able to house sps to have a different more attractive fish..
CFSB

 

[greenmonkey51]

It all depends on the source. I have 2 really good sources for my fish. I don't qt at all, but thats going to change since I've gotten more fish now. Don't expect to keep any corals with them. All my butterflies pick at stuff all day. They decimated a good sized aptaisia population in days. The keys to success with butterflies are getting small-med(2"-4") fish. Completely ignoring any coralivores. Avoid the more aggressive butterflies like racoons and threadfin, and have lots of mysis. I've been able to get almost all my butterflies to eat other things, but mysis was always the first thing offered.

 

[chefssaltyballs]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12246927#post12246927 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by greenmonkey51
It all depends on the source. I have 2 really good sources for my fish. I don't qt at all, but thats going to change since I've gotten more fish now. Don't expect to keep any corals with them. All my butterflies pick at stuff all day. They decimated a good sized aptaisia population in days. The keys to success with butterflies are getting small-med(2"-4") fish. Completely ignoring any coralivores. Avoid the more aggressive butterflies like racoons and threadfin, and have lots of mysis. I've been able to get almost all my butterflies to eat other things, but mysis was always the first thing offered.

greenmonkey
I like fish that dont get to big and i know some butterflies get huge
can you tell me of 4-5 ,very different in colors, hardy mild tempered butterflies to ad to a tank with a
koran/emperator angel, 3-4"
coral beauty, 2-3"
cleaner shrimp, 2-3"
a bartlett anthias, 2-3"
a naso tang,3-4"
a sohal tang (sohal is optional) 5"
a foxface 5"
I really like : the pakistani ,the Auriga with green tail, the peariscale orange/red fin, the black back, and the Heniochus

what soft corals can you keep with your butterflies? I know hard corals are out of the question but alot of people mention soft corals as being ok as its not a part of the diet of the butterfly??
thanks
CFSB

 

[Monstrigity]

If you like fish that don't get to big the butterflies are the least of your concern. Both angels get close to 16'', naso gets 18"+, as does the sohoal. Also, unless they are in a huge system chances are good that someday the Sohoal and Emperor will start killing your other livestock and will probably start with the butterflies. As adults both are very agressive. Some Butterflies can get dinner plate size but not like the fish listed above.

 

[chefssaltyballs]

never seen a tang get that big in a home tank...perhaps i should have said a koran angel not emperator, they are totally passive. the sohal is a dream fish. my buddy has a 10-11+ " naso tang he is by far the largest of all fish in the tank by at least 6"
and he's by far the most passive.... I had planned to get rid of my 6" yellow tang and get all non-butterfly fish below 4" and all butterflies above 4-6"
CFSB