butterflies in reefs
- Thread starter LemonLemon
- Start date
Peter and Lemon,
Please keep us updated as this contains alot of good, first hand information.
I once had to remove a long nosed butterfly from a 40 gallon reef with mostly soft corals, some fleshy corals and polyps. I did it a night after the lights were out for about an hour. I first determined where the butterfly bedded down for the night. Then after lights out I used flashlight to flush it out. They are stunned and essentialy blind at first and he swam right out and into my net. I didn't even need a trap.
Please keep us updated as this contains alot of good, first hand information.
I once had to remove a long nosed butterfly from a 40 gallon reef with mostly soft corals, some fleshy corals and polyps. I did it a night after the lights were out for about an hour. I first determined where the butterfly bedded down for the night. Then after lights out I used flashlight to flush it out. They are stunned and essentialy blind at first and he swam right out and into my net. I didn't even need a trap.
What did it eat that required you to remove it?
houser
Premium Member
Very nice.
I'm only on dwarf angels in mine now but happy. I would like to take a calculated risk someday and do what you're doing though - it really is beautiful.
How long did you wait between fish additions?
How long is your quarantine and what if anything did you do to prep them for prepared foods (like Peter's notes?)
Any specific corals that the specific fish hit more often than others?
I'm only on dwarf angels in mine now but happy. I would like to take a calculated risk someday and do what you're doing though - it really is beautiful.
How long did you wait between fish additions?
How long is your quarantine and what if anything did you do to prep them for prepared foods (like Peter's notes?)
Any specific corals that the specific fish hit more often than others?
LemonLemon
New member
iwishihadgills - yes you are right. most butterflies only nip at the slime and polyps at the SPS but no no actual harm. I've seen my declivis nip the long tentacles off my milliepora, but that's just the tentacles. not the actual polyp. the removal of polyps from the calcium lacuna is very difficult and only obligate corallivorous butterflies can do so. like the ornate butterflies and other species. I THINK! i'm not an expert in butterflies.
thanks everyone, i do have a build thread but i don't update there anymore. the dimensions are 3.5 ft X 3.5 ft X 2ft. it's a "cube"
peter - so sad to hear about the streamer! it will grow back though. and quite quickly i would think. so far so good?
the semeion i has is feeding too little. it's an extremely finicky feeder and if it does not make it, i'll not get another one anymore. and perhaps go for something simpler.
aquaph8 - apart from the butterflies, i have a spawning pair of flame angels (V aggressive). a juv koran angel, various fairy wrasses and a pair of spawning anthias, and the rest are various gobies and dottybacks that hide in my rockwork too well to be considered as "fish list" hehe.
the flame pair is super aggressive to new comers. so i separate them first and release them at night. chasing do happen but only for the first 1 or 2 days. i ensure my fishes are well conditioned and feeding before i introduce them to my tank. except the semeion which refuses to eat in qt. so after qt i popped it in my tank and it's foraging on the liverocks and etc but it won't sustain it for long
thanks everyone, i do have a build thread but i don't update there anymore. the dimensions are 3.5 ft X 3.5 ft X 2ft. it's a "cube"
peter - so sad to hear about the streamer! it will grow back though. and quite quickly i would think. so far so good?
the semeion i has is feeding too little. it's an extremely finicky feeder and if it does not make it, i'll not get another one anymore. and perhaps go for something simpler.
aquaph8 - apart from the butterflies, i have a spawning pair of flame angels (V aggressive). a juv koran angel, various fairy wrasses and a pair of spawning anthias, and the rest are various gobies and dottybacks that hide in my rockwork too well to be considered as "fish list" hehe.
the flame pair is super aggressive to new comers. so i separate them first and release them at night. chasing do happen but only for the first 1 or 2 days. i ensure my fishes are well conditioned and feeding before i introduce them to my tank. except the semeion which refuses to eat in qt. so after qt i popped it in my tank and it's foraging on the liverocks and etc but it won't sustain it for long
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LemonLemon
New member
my milliepora still show very good polyp extension despite the nipping by the butterflies. as mentioned earlier, you can clearly see there's no damage done to the SPS. these millies get nipped on everyday by the semeion and the mitratus.
the stags have reduced polyp extension but that's ok. they don't usually extend their polyps for me in the day even without nipping anyway. they do so at night.
and this is my favourite piece in the whole tank. an orange frogspawn that i've had for months! but i've noticed that my angels and butterflies do not give two hoots for euphyllia corals.
so just some pics of my corals and how they're doing in the butterfly dominated tank. i wish i could show you a nicer full tank shot but my camera really does not react well with the 12k bulbs
the stags have reduced polyp extension but that's ok. they don't usually extend their polyps for me in the day even without nipping anyway. they do so at night.
and this is my favourite piece in the whole tank. an orange frogspawn that i've had for months! but i've noticed that my angels and butterflies do not give two hoots for euphyllia corals.
so just some pics of my corals and how they're doing in the butterfly dominated tank. i wish i could show you a nicer full tank shot but my camera really does not react well with the 12k bulbs
and this is my favourite piece in the whole tank. an orange frogspawn that i've had for months! but i've noticed that my angels and butterflies do not give two hoots for euphyllia corals.
Stunning FS! I've only ever seen one other orange one.
Peter,
This was in about 1997ish so it's been so long I kinda forget. I definitely remember it nipping/eating the tentacles on Zoanthids and nipping at a prized neon green Trachyphylia. It may have been bothering some other things as well such as actinodiscus mushrooms( which is fine with me) and a Plexaurella gorgonian, which I still have. I just remember that it was destructive enough that I had to remove it. I suspect they would be a much better gamble in an SPS dominated tank.
This was in about 1997ish so it's been so long I kinda forget. I definitely remember it nipping/eating the tentacles on Zoanthids and nipping at a prized neon green Trachyphylia. It may have been bothering some other things as well such as actinodiscus mushrooms( which is fine with me) and a Plexaurella gorgonian, which I still have. I just remember that it was destructive enough that I had to remove it. I suspect they would be a much better gamble in an SPS dominated tank.
The major players are a pair of genicanthus melanospilos, a powder blue tang, and a tomini tang. The rest are all small fish, like anthais and wrasses, and a pair of percs.
jonnybravo22
New member
SD what's the one anthias on the right and what are the ones on the left?
The one on the right is a lyretail, the two on the left are dispars, with a female flame wrasse below them.
jonnybravo22
New member
thanks!
LemonLemon
New member
longnose feeding on corals are not entirely impossible, but certainly very rare. i've seen pyramid butterflies eating brain corals. so everything is possible!
on another note, the semeion is feeding on mysis already!
on another note, the semeion is feeding on mysis already!
djkms
Fish Freak
Great thread! Years ago I would have said you guys are nuts for putting butterflies in a reef! Maybe we should get a master list of the butterflies you have in your reef along with some info if you guys are willing to help.
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Difficulty:
Housed with: (sps, lps, clams, shrimp, etc)
Unsafe with: (sps, lps, clams, shrimp, etc)
Diet: (what you feed it)
Aggression: (towards other fish, other fish towards it)
Notes:
Picture: (Submit a picture of your butterfly!)
If you guys fill in the info I will try to keep a master list going to help others out who might be interested in keeping butterflies in a reef setting.
Thanks!
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
Difficulty:
Housed with: (sps, lps, clams, shrimp, etc)
Unsafe with: (sps, lps, clams, shrimp, etc)
Diet: (what you feed it)
Aggression: (towards other fish, other fish towards it)
Notes:
Picture: (Submit a picture of your butterfly!)
If you guys fill in the info I will try to keep a master list going to help others out who might be interested in keeping butterflies in a reef setting.
Thanks!
LemonLemon
New member
Scientific Name: Chaetodon (Roaps) mitratus [subgenus roaps)
Common Name: Mitratus butterflyfish/Indian butterflyfish
Difficulty: Easy
Housed with: SPS, LPS, clams, shrimp, soft corals
Unsafe with: -
Diet: Mysis, blended seafood, pellets, flakes
Aggression: generally peaceful, may get aggressive. it's only 2 inch so it's too small to exert any overt aggression
Notes: Loves pecking on SPS, but does not apparent polyp or tissue damange. most probably eating the slime. additional note : this is a potentially harmful species toward LPS corals. they are however, considered one of the safer butterflies and are about as safe as a dwarf angel. but do take caution
Picture:
Common Name: Mitratus butterflyfish/Indian butterflyfish
Difficulty: Easy
Housed with: SPS, LPS, clams, shrimp, soft corals
Unsafe with: -
Diet: Mysis, blended seafood, pellets, flakes
Aggression: generally peaceful, may get aggressive. it's only 2 inch so it's too small to exert any overt aggression
Notes: Loves pecking on SPS, but does not apparent polyp or tissue damange. most probably eating the slime. additional note : this is a potentially harmful species toward LPS corals. they are however, considered one of the safer butterflies and are about as safe as a dwarf angel. but do take caution
Picture:
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