Butterflies any reef safe??

Re: Butterflies any reef safe??

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6932966#post6932966 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jtasmul1
Are the any butterfly that are considered reef safe?

The three that I have had in the past were reef safe were the mitradus, tinkers, declivis, all deep water, they are pricey though but never touched a thing in my tank in the past.

Scott
 
you could alos try a copperband, but there kind of hard to keep or you could try the big long nose butterfly. according to the marine fish book its "an excellent canidate for a reef tank" or something like that. Not sure on the latin name but I know its species name then la something not flav something (lol) I suck with the scientific names .
 
You could probably get away with a Stripey(Microcanthus sp.) Not a true butterfly, but an algae grazer with an awesome shape & pattern.

joe
 
HI

Kleiniis are used as Aiptasia eaters in Germany, but they also eat Zoos and LPS. Rather a hit and miss.
The long nose Butterfly (Forcipiger flavissimus or Forcipiger longirostris) are both SPS eaters, some more, some less. I would not risk it in an SPS tank.
You can try the (rare) Prognathodes or Coradion species, they seem to be reef safe, but nobody will give you any guarantee with any butterfly

Best wishes

Jens
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6934435#post6934435 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hawkfish21
You could try a Klein's. They are hit & miss though.

Klein's are one of the most bullet proof butterfly's that you can get. They'll eat just about anything in the tank. So I wouldn't trust them with any corals but if you want a Butterfly fish for a FO or Fowlr tank they're definitly the one to get.
 
I've had a Klein for a little more than a month now. I bought him to help control Aiptasia. Seems to be a hardy fish, but is not taking care of the Aiptasia problem (haven't seen him pick at any yet). I have LPS and SPS and haven't noticed him picking at them. He does find small pieces of food in cracks in the rock, which makes it look like he may be picking at corals, but I see the food he "kicks" up into the water column. He eats well and whatever is fed to the tank...krill, brine, mysis, formula 1 and 2, etc.
 
No, butterfly will ever be considered reef safe, like for instance a mandarin.

----you must determine what the definition for "reef safe" is

--this is subjective and if you mean 100% guarranteed wont pick at polyps then your answer is NO

--If you keep some like a CBB fed very, and i mean very well fed, you may meet success and never see them pick or bite polyps, but it is pot luck generally and must be well fed otherwise or have other things to pick at like lots of live rock with a butt load of pods and what not
 
Try the pyramid butterfly, they are supposed to be "reef safe" according to research I have done on them. However, I have not actually owned one because they can be hard to get. My lfs has been trying to get one for about 3 months and just now got one in. Because of this, they are a bit more pricey.
 
I have a pyramid butterfly and it has never picked at anything. I have a copperband, too, but it is still in quarantine learning to eat frozen food. It did eat the aiptasia that I put in the q-tank. I don't have any feather dusters in my tank, so that won't be a problem.

I have read that the Forcipiger longirostris is fairly reef safe, but have never owned one. They are almost impossible to find. My LFS complains that even when they try to order one, the wholesalers send F. flavissimus instead. Because of their specialized snout, they can be a challenge to feed. I have an idea for a live brine shrimp feeder constructed along the lines of a hummingbird feeder if I ever find one of these fish.

My next butterfly will be a Chaetodon miliaris, the lemon butterfly. They are probably a little more risky, although they are plankton eaters in the wild. I am waiting until my corals are grown out more, since they will then be able to withstand the occasional nip better than now.

One key to keeping butterflies, both for the sake of the tank and the fish, is to feed them often. If they are hungry, they are more likely to sample the corals. I feed mine three times a day and am planning to add an automated feeder to provide a mid-day meal. These are small feedings, since I don't want to fuel algae growth in my tank.

You may have to choose which you want more, that open brain coral or the butterfly. I am willing to lose a coral here and there so that I can keep these fascinating fish.
 
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