Anyone with experience? Chaetodon malepterus or black tail Austriacus

[Dmorty217]

Anyone ever had one with any success? Since loosing all my fish to secondary infections caused by CP I will be starting over needless to say so that means a clean slate for the 625g when I finally get that going when we move. Just wanting to hear what experiences you have if any are out there? My new tank will be a angel/butterfly heaven and well the rarer the better to a point

 

[pktech]

No experience, but I love you're throwing the gauntlet down
Wish you lived closer - I'd definitely help.

 

[SDguy]

If you're gonna go there, why not start cheaper, and try the Meyer's that NYA has?

 

[Dmorty217]

If you're gonna go there, why not start cheaper, and try the Meyer's that NYA has?

I was looking at the Meyers that Michael has but I want one that's close to 2" and that hasn't been sitting somewhere for a week. You can get them from closer to 50-60$ if you buy a transship box from the supplier,but that's a lot of fish that have to be bought or a few but you have to pay 300$ for the box shipping and ReOx in LA. I was looking at the Weibeli too but QM doesn't even show them as a fish they can get. Matt buys the Lavartus from DD and really gets the wheels turning needless to say. Rob, I wish you lived closer to me too. We could do some real damage with some transship boxes!

 

[Dmorty217]

I also looked at getting a couple Lavartus from QM then I checked the price and decided against it. Michael sells them for 150$ cheaper than QM does. Peter your the resident butterfly guy, have you ever know anyone who has tried them? I know you tried a Lavartus but vowed to never try them again because of the work involved and we have talked about it before. They are such beautiful fish, it's hard not to give one a go even though the chances of success is slim

 

[SDguy]

I'm not sure there are any secrets to this. Finding a young, fat, healthy individual to start with. Finding something, ANYTHING it will eat, even just the tiniest amount, and then spending the rest of its life feeding it to them, throughout the day, every day

 

[pktech]

I'm not sure there are any secrets to this. Finding a young, fat, healthy individual to start with. Finding something, ANYTHING it will eat, even just the tiniest amount, and then spending the rest of its life feeding it to them, throughout the day, every day

Soooo it's like having many, many more kids who'll never leave the roost? :worried2::fun5::hmm2::lol:

 

[Dmorty217]

I'm not sure there are any secrets to this. Finding a young, fat, healthy individual to start with. Finding something, ANYTHING it will eat, even just the tiniest amount, and then spending the rest of its life feeding it to them, throughout the day, every day

Haha, thank you for the words of wisdom! I'm not sure that I will actually get one to try(although I want to) it's a catch 22. Once they are already at the store, it's almost a sure death sentence. Not saying it would be any different if I had it, but I feel like the fish would have a fighting chance at least? I'm going to talk to Michael about the Meyers and see what he has to say about the Malepterus he had 2 wks ago and see if whoever bought it was able to keep it alive or not? I'm sure the Meyers is eating clams on the half shell, but anything I have read about people keeping the corallivore butterfly's that they feed a shrimp paste with some other additives to it. ( I think you put the link in the thread Matt started about the Lavartus

 

[Dmorty217]

Too bad I don't live closer to the Red Sea! Although it's probably best I don't.

 

[Dmorty217]

Bump. I refuse to believe that no one has given one of these a try

 

[SDguy]

For the same price, I would think people would go for the, IMO, much prettier austriacus...

 

[pktech]

Bump. I refuse to believe that no one has given one of these a try

maybe you could find some research papers on Google? I found a few on the Lavartus that I found interesting. Maybe Bob Fenner could shed some light or put you in touch with someone who's tried?

 

[Winwood]

For the same price, I would think people would go for the, IMO, much prettier austriacus...

Just a difference of opinion here, but I believe melapterus is the most striking of any butterfly I've seen. They are both gorgeous though.

 

[Dmorty217]

I think most all the Corallivores are beautiful. Both the ones i am asking about would be ok in my tank, especially if its eating!