butterflies in reefs

[SDguy]

Why do you guys say skip live black worms? Do you think they aren't healthy or what's your reason for not feeding them?

They are fine for an occasional treat, or for a fish that won't eat anything else. But, IMO, when acclimating a new fish that is willing to eat marine based meats already, you are setting yourself up for a little extra trouble/work by offering live food that it may prefer, and become accustomed to.

I had to supplement my collare's diet with live blackworms for over a year before he ate frozen foods with enough regularity to keep him fat. It's not fun, so if you can avoid it, you should.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

I had to supplement my collare's diet with live blackworms for over a year before he ate frozen foods with enough regularity to keep him fat. It's not fun, so if you can avoid it, you should.

Who wouldn't like to have a container full of squirming live worms in the refrigerator staring them in the face each time you open the door?

This is a great point, though. Live blackworms are an excellent food for butterflies, but they are enough of a hassle that it is better if you can feed them when you want to rather than everyday. I have to feed them everyday for my cbb (and my yln, before last week's storm got it) as it doesn't eat other foods nearly as well.

 

[Big E]

Why do you guys say skip live black worms? Do you think they aren't healthy or what's your reason for not feeding them?

Because they aren't needed.......I've never fed them to my fish & I don't have the patience to maintain the worms . I want to keep fish & corals, not worms. There are marine worms in my tank for the BF to eat. I can hear mine snapping up bristle worms early in the morning when the lights are still out all the time. He will scan the rocks & get worms there too.

 

[h0bite]

I am looking for a Declivis btf....and I wanna know if there's any chance for im to nip on Gorgonians(photosynthetic).
Thanks
David

 

[salty321]

Just thought I'd chip in with a few pics of my butterflies..

Click on this one to see a short video...



Chris

 

[skraj011]

spectacular!!

Just thought I'd chip in with a few pics of my butterflies..

Click on this one to see a short video...



Chris

 

[Rapide]

Oh man... I do love butterflies, but I've already stocked my tank with tangs
I'm still going to get a Chelmon rostratus or marginalis, and at the moment I have a Forcipiger longirostris.
Funny thing with the longirostris really... My LFS ordered a F.flavissimus and they sent the wrong species! The stocklist didn't even contain longirostris. Well, I noticed something strange in that fish and started to gather information, and the fish really was the longirostris! I reserved it at that moment and now it lives in my reef

 

[stuifbol]

Very nice looking Xantocephalus:thumbsup:.....to bad I lost mine to Oodinium infection few weeks ago:deadhorse1:
Is yours also agressive towards the other butterflies???(mine was,and specially during feeding time)

Just thought I'd chip in with a few pics of my butterflies..

Click on this one to see a short video...



Chris

 

[richfavinger]

I have a CBB and LNB on the way from Divers Den. They should arrive by (or before) 10:30AM tomorrow. I plan a typical drip acclimation over 2 hours?... Would it be advisable to use a drop of Prime in the shipping back as soon as I open it to detox?

Reading about the acclimation troubles just worries me a little.

 

[jjk_reef00]

I've never had any problems acclimating any B/F, I usually do a 10-15 min by simply placing cups of water into the bag until it is full.

 

[skraj011]

I have a CBB and LNB on the way from Divers Den. They should arrive by (or before) 10:30AM tomorrow. I plan a typical drip acclimation over 2 hours?... Would it be advisable to use a drop of Prime in the shipping back as soon as I open it to detox?

Reading about the acclimation troubles just worries me a little.

I think 2 hours is overkill for these types of fish. It's probably more important to get them out of the shipping water asap.

 

[inktomi]

It never hurts to do a lengthy acclimation, in theory - but keep in mind that you're adding more stress to an already stressful situation. I do as jjk_reef and add half cups of water every 10 minutes or so, after floating the bag for 15 minutes for temperature.

I remove some water, add some water.. wait.. repeat. It's always worked.

My Burgess butterflyfish is an amazingly interesting addition to my 150g reef! Very interesting behaviors to watch.

 

[Rapide]

I'm going to have to give in and get me some...
You guys have such a lovely tanks. As I already have mentioned I have just one butterfly, the Forcipiger longirostris at the moment and I really REALLY want to add more butterfies...
I was thinking 2x Hemitaurichthys polylepis and 2x Hemitaurichthys zoster. I know that they live in groups in the wild, but would four fishes of the same genus do the trick? And from what I have been reading these two DO co-exist in the wild and even hybrinate!

Is this a bad idea?

What else? I'm all out of ideas! I do want to still keep my corals, so... :hmm2:
Maybe some Heniochus?

 

[richfavinger]

Just an update on my butterflies:
Both fish arrived yesterday 7/13 at around 9:30AM via FedEx
Acclimated well and are both swimming actively around the tank. They are both a little larger then I had really expected; honestly would not have minded them just a little smaller... LOL Oh well...

Both are actively exploring the rocks and picking. The Kole seems to startle them now and then and chase them off some. But other times he doesn't seem to care. So I hope thats as far as that goes.
---
Well my Long-Nose Butterfly ate like a little pig as soon as the Mysis Shrimp hit the water like a little sniper. The Copper-Banded, not so much (to be expected)... Have to keep an eye on them, but all looks well for now.

I purchased a Long-Nose AND Copper-Banded Butterfly from Divers Den (LiveAquaria)
Both fish are around 4"-4.5"

 

[jjk_reef00]

Looks great. I've also had liveaquaria (LA not divers den) send me BF's that were larger than I thought I would receive in the past. Usually to my advantage

 

[Dazed1]

I remember reading, but am not sure, how are the CBB's with clams? Clams = meals for them right?

 

[jjk_reef00]

For those that use Nitrofuracin Green Powder, do you always dose or just when you see bacterial infection?
And have you noticed any loss of apetite after dosing?

 

[SDguy]

For those that use Nitrofuracin Green Powder, do you always dose or just when you see bacterial infection?
And have you noticed any loss of apetite after dosing?

I only used it when I saw milky fins, red patches, sores, or other physical trauma. I never noticed a decrease in appetite that I could directly attribute to the NGP.

 

[tcmfish]

I remember reading, but am not sure, how are the CBB's with clams? Clams = meals for them right?

I just tried a CBB and it was fine with coral, but yes went for my clams. Just my experience though, I think others have been fine.

 

[richfavinger]

My LNB and CBB both seem to be eating. I tried some frozen brine shrimp and squid (I think it's squid) from an old multi-pack. They sucked in the food, seems to spit it out, but then suck it in again... I guess you can call that eating. lol

Both are very skittish when I place my hand in the tank though. I need to glue some corals. That could be fun.