Chaetodon rainfordi

[LobsterOfJustice]

Anyone have this fish and have experiences to share? LFS has one that I have observed eating, I also happen to work there and can get it at cost . I know it would eat some corals, what corals would it eat?

 

[AuroraDrvr]

It'll pretty much eat any coral it can get it's mouth on.

However... An eating Rainfordi? JUMP ON IT! I passed on one a while back, and still kick myself. Would love to have another shot at one.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Pretty much what I'm thinking. Right now I only have a reef tank but I feel like for an eating rainfordi at wholesale cost I have to get it. Dunno where I'm gonna put it...

Wouldn't care if it ate some corals, but not open season on everything.

 

[Big E]

I would be all over it too if it's eating.

Dunno where I'm gonna put it...

I wouldn't buy it if you have aggressive fish in your display. That would be enough to stop it from eating. This is the kind of fish you dedicate a system to & choose tankmates carefully.

Coral is not known as part of their diet, but I'm sure it's possible they would pick some.

 

[OneArmedBandit]

I decided a few months ago that I wanted my 150 display to be a Butterfly tank so I went FOWLR. If I personally found a Rainfordi that was eating I would start a FOWLR to keep it in if I wanted to keep my reef. It is a fish that is so treasured on my fish list I would take big steps to house it. Good luck with your decision. -Steve

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

In the reef I currently have a multicolor, small juvie majestic, and declivis (plus other small filler fish like anthias, gobies, etc). The multicolor was a jerk to the majestic, but mostly ignored the butterfly. The rainfordi would be larger than both angels and about the same size as the declivis. Not sure how the declivis would react to a butterfly added after him. Eventually I also plan on one or two more large angels, and a sailfin tang.

Or I could set up another small tank, likely a 30 breeder or a 37. The breeder is currently empty, the 37 is set up as a local tank now so I would have to change that over.

Mainly I just want it to go to someone who apprecieates it, if thats me so be it , but I dont want it to end up in some ho-hum tank with someone who doesnt know what it is.

 

[SDguy]

I'll be the wet blanket.

Plenty of people have found that "one" specimen of C. ________ (fill in species of coral eating butterfly here) that "eats" and yet how many people do you see with ANY of these fish in their tanks for any length of time? Maybe there is a secret underground society of coral eating butterly keepers that never post pics (as was actually once suggested to me ), but I'm not buying it...

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I'll be the wet blanket.

Plenty of people have found that "one" specimen of C. ________ (fill in species of coral eating butterfly here) that "eats" and yet how many people do you see with ANY of these fish in their tanks for any length of time? Maybe there is a secret underground society of coral eating butterly keepers that never post pics (as was actually once suggested to me ), but I'm not buying it...

Agreed 8 billion %. Getting a obligate consumer to eat something abnormal is a step, but does it mean success? IMO, absolutely not. It is a step towrds success, but doesnt mean it inclusively. Without getting too grandiose, nature has "created" these fish to eat certain things for a reason. It isnt something that can be undone by mild (or even extreme) efforts without a tradeoff. JMO.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Thanks for the info guys. Thats why I asked. I dont know a whole lot about these fish, and there seems to be confusion (on this thread and other online sources) as to wether it is an obligate corallivore or not. The only thing I knew about them is that you dont see them around often.

 

[Big E]

Peter,

Everything I've ever read & heard about Rainfords is they are not corallivores. Nevertheless they are delicate & very tough to keep & I know of no one that has successfully kept one. Like you said I've heard the same boasts about certain BF's but never any proof.

Lobster,
If you plan on other large Angels & a Tang I wouldn't get the Rainford.

 

[SDguy]

Hmmm, I'm not sure about the coral polyp eating part.... I thought they were, and this mouth shape SOOOO reminds me of larvatus, baronessa, etc....
http://www.deepseaimages.com/dsilibrary/showphoto.php?photo=18108&cat=all&limit=all'

Although I will admit, I'd be slightly interested to see if one could keep one of these, since they have probably been tried a LOT less than the ornates and redfins, due to their origin.

 

[SDguy]

One thing I'd also like to add. Healthy adjusted butterflyfish eat an AMAZING amount of food. I think we sometimes forget this, since most of us don't really keep them. The ones I have in my FOWLR eat just as much as my angels... pellets by the spoonful. Finding a difficult fish that sorta kinda pecks at food is a LONG way from success IMO, unfortunately

 

[AuroraDrvr]

I wasn't trying to say the Rainfordi is an obligate corallivore. Rather, they will eat corals, given the chance. Just like 99% of all other butterflies.

 

[OneArmedBandit]

One thing I'd also like to add. Healthy adjusted butterflyfish eat an AMAZING amount of food. I think we sometimes forget this, since most of us don't really keep them. The ones I have in my FOWLR eat just as much as my angels... pellets by the spoonful. Finding a difficult fish that sorta kinda pecks at food is a LONG way from success IMO, unfortunately

Spot on, Butterflies require at least 3 feedings per day (5-7 small feedings are even better). No matter what Butterfly you're looking at you should make sure it eats aggressively at the LFS and it doesn't just eat sporadically.

Butterflies are a fairly difficult fish to keep long term, they require pristine water conditions and many feedings per day. Most hobyists can't devote enough time and effort to keep them thriving long term. Keeping them (even in a FOWLR) is almost like keeping an SPS reef as far as I'm concerned... -Steve

 

[SDguy]

I think I may need to eat crow on this one I've seen these in a few tanks at this point (along with other difficult, yet not impossible species) like flavirostris. I recently picked up one, since they've been coming in with all the other Aussie fish lately. He eats most any frozen food, just like any other butterfly. Hopefully time will show that he lives just like any other commonly kept butterfly assuming they come in, in great shape, and eat.

 

[Big E]

Good luck Peter............I've always considered them to be "delicate' but not problem eaters.

Over time I think we're going to learn a lot more about which BF's are impossible to keep & which strictly should be left alone.

Quality collection & transit methods will give us a chance to evaluate if certain BF's can be kept when they come in healthy to start.

 

[SDguy]

LADD has one listed in their sneak peek today.

They also sold an aureofasciatus recently. I'd like to know how it's doing...

 

[geaux xman]

Rahul has a Rainfords. his looks amazing.

 

[SDguy]

He's sucking down surprisingly large pieces of food, and holding weight very well. At this point I'd say my marginals is more delicate than this guy. I'm very interested to see how things turn out long term.

 

[SDguy]

Here he is in the DT