Butterflies in the Reef

[condair]

This has likley been covered but I missed it if it has.
Sorry

Are there any BF the can live in a reef tank and NOT eat all my clams, SPS and LPS? I dont meant the copperband, i want some of the sweet looking BF's. Any tried and true BF's that will work?
My tank is 240 gallons and has been in operation for 2 years.

Sean

 

[steveo32]

Some one said that the extra longnose butterfly might work. It's not Forcipiger flavissimus but the Forcipiger L something. But they look the same. That's the one I'm goign to try soon

 

[tryffin]

<a href="http://www.meerwasser-lexikon.de/eng/8/441/Hemitaurichthys/polylepis.htm">Pyramid butterflies</a> are supposed to be reef-safe, but they're not overly flashy. Also the <a href="http://www.meerwasser-lexikon.de/eng/8/439/Prognathodes/aculeatus.htm">Carribean long-nose butterfly</a>, but I've never seen one for sale at any LFS. Of course the CBB and the longnose steveo mentioned, too.

I wish more of the butterflies were reef-safe, sometimes I think of setting up a FOWLR tank just to keep them ... they're smart and have wonderful personalities.

 

[Torno]

dont meant the copperband, i want some of the sweet looking BF's

Um excuse me but Copperbands are sweet. THE sweetest IMO.

 

[anydarnthing]

I have heard the deep-water butterflies are reef safe since they live at depths where corals are scarce, but they are expensive. Mitratus, Burgess, Tinker's, and some others are supposed to be reef safe, but they depend on the fish, I have a Auriga and Saddleback butterfly in a mushroom tank with no problems so far, there are only mushrooms in the tank though.

 

[condair]

Thanks for the info folks. I didnt mean to say Copperbands were not nice. I like them, I just wanted something different. I also didnt mean to say "meant". I guess getting in a hury, thats what I get.

Sean

 

[tryffin]

<a href="http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/butterflyfish/">marinecenter</a> has some of the rarer ones... listing several as being fairly reef-safe.

 

[triggerfish1976]

I have a Mitratus and I would say they are as about as safe as an angelfish. Mine has picked at an open brain, zoo's, and acros. It has acctually eaten a serious amount of zoos so I would not recommend this type of B'Fly if you really like that type of coral.

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[critterlover]

I purchased a Yellow Pyramid Butterfly from Marine Center. Very healthty and active. It swims all over the tank and eagerly eats frozen foods (haven't tried flake yet)....but, as yet has shown no interest at all in any of the corals. It LOVES to swim right in the water current from my Tunze. I agree it's not flashy, but it's certainly not ugly.

D.