Butterfly Garden

[greenmonkey51]

I've decided the main premise of my 125g is going to be butterflies. All thats in there right now is a finespot fairy wrasse and a couple percs. I'm hopefully gonna get a pearlscale on Thursday if it comes in. Are there any butterfly you like that have good survival records. I'm avoiding raccoons, threadfins, and copperbands. Right now I plan on 4 butterflies but if I have some success I may increase that. Here the few species I'm looking at.

Pearlscale
Double Saddle
Lemon
Burgess

 

[eskymick]

I find the Golden Butterfly (Semilarvatus) to be very hardy and very beautiful. They are a bit expensive, however.

 

[greenmonkey51]

They're nice but get a little to big. I'd really want to lay off expensive butterflies since they have a bad rep already.

 

[axia55]

Try a Klien's - Cheap and bulletproof!

 

[greenmonkey51]

My LFS has one now thats eating and all good, but its ugly. Can they color up, when they get into a good tank setup.

 

[Jerry W]

The kleins can actually be a nice looking fish with the blue coloration on the head. Not the flashiest but a hardy fish. I've had a blackback for the past 6 years and it's a very hardy species with nice markings.
Along with the pearlscale, I'd consider the blackback, kleins and possibly the burgess (rather expensive though), or the falcula. Any reason you're shying away from the raccoon?

 

[greenmonkey51]

From everything I've heard they're aggressive and I'd like to avoid any unnecessary aggression. I may take another look at the klein's they have. From the couple pics I have they look ok, its just the specimen they have isn't very nice. I guess I could take a chance on it coloring up in my tank. I was considering a blackback but I thought it may look a little to similar to the double saddle. The burgess is gonna be my show fish of the butterflies since everything I've seen says they're hardy.

 

[WuHT]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11724146#post11724146 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by greenmonkey51
From everything I've heard they're aggressive and I'd like to avoid any unnecessary aggression. I may take another look at the klein's they have. From the couple pics I have they look ok, its just the specimen they have isn't very nice. I guess I could take a chance on it coloring up in my tank. I was considering a blackback but I thought it may look a little to similar to the double saddle. The burgess is gonna be my show fish of the butterflies since everything I've seen says they're hardy.

thought you were going to lay off "Expensive" butterflyfish
Surprised you haven't mentioned the bannerfish, auriga or racoon butterflyfish. Those are supposed to be tough ... relatively for butterflyfish, and dont' look as drab as klein's butterflyfish.

 

[greenmonkey51]

From what I've researched racoons and auriga are some of the more agressive butterflies. Bannerfish get a little to big for this tank. I'm setting a cap at 100$ for my more expensive fish. I love the coloration of burgess though.

 

[flameangel88]

You can get Semilarvatus for $100 when they're on sale.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11724937#post11724937 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by greenmonkey51
From what I've researched racoons and auriga are some of the more agressive butterflies. Bannerfish get a little to big for this tank. I'm setting a cap at 100$ for my more expensive fish. I love the coloration of burgess though.

 

[beez]

I'd consider the Pyramid BF also....I've kept 2 quite successfully. Good luck

 

[axia55]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11723493#post11723493 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by greenmonkey51
My LFS has one now thats eating and all good, but its ugly. Can they color up, when they get into a good tank setup.

It should color up somewhat. Mine was pretty nice looking when I bought it, but since being in my tank the subtle blue has really started to show. They aren't the flashiest, but for their price and hardiness they are tough to beat.

 

[greenmonkey51]

I'll have to give it a better look when I'm there. My pearlscale is coming in so that one is set in stone.

 

[greenmonkey51]

Well the pearlscale didn't come in, but I did get a better look at the Kleins and it looked better than the last time I was there. He eats like a pig also. He's acclimating right now. Hopefully the pearlscale will come in tomorrow.

 

[jda]

The semis are hard to beat. Sure, they cost a little bit more, but they are hardy and beautiful. You could try and fail with several butterfies and realize that you should have just gotten a semi or two from the beginning.

I had a saddleback once that was really cool. Did great for 8-9 months and then disappeared. It grew quite a bit too.

 

[greenmonkey51]

I don't really like the size of semi's. I got my pearlscale today. It looks pretty good. I got it straight from the wholesaler bag. There's a little aggression between it and the kleins, but nothing really. I'm wondering though if I should turn off my koralias. I have 2 4's on a 125g. All my fish seem to have trouble swimming around them except my fairy wrasse.

 

[welsher7]

I would leave the koralias on the fish will get used them.

 

[greenmonkey51]

I have them on opposite ends and they're just shooting straight. Would it be better to have them smash against the front glass.

 

[flameangel88]

opposite end is fine with one next to the front glass and the other one next to the back glass so you would get kind of a circular flow.

 

[greenmonkey51]

Update on the garden. Both butterflies are eating good and theres very little aggression. They've started to eat nori off a clip and they inhale mysis. I need to get a frozen order in so I can get them some different things. I also found a burgess online that I ordered. With any luck this tank should be looking pretty good soon.