Chaetodon xanthocephalus and Apolemichthys trimaculatus

S

salty321

New member
I've got the option to purchase these two fish...

Chaetodon xanthocephalus, Yellow Head Butterflyfish

Apolemichthys trimaculatus, Three spot angel

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From the searching I've done, I'm happy to risk them with my corals. I've already got a zoster, copperband and long nosed happily residing in my tank.

Anybody got any 'care' tips for them or other advice?

Thanks!

Chris
 
I can't help much in the way of tips other than making sure to buy healthy specimens. I'll be tagging along as I am interested in a trimac also.
 
Well, my flagfin (three spot) was a coral eater, but he was so beautiful I almost didn't care.

Hope you have better luck.
 
Flagfin will definitely go after coral; even more so when it's older. RE the Butterfly: be wary if it is much smaller than your others. I'd keep it fat and deal with any parasites in QT, then drop in a clear "holding cell" into your main tank before releasing it to see how the others take to it. When you finally release it into the tank, do it after all the lights are off...less stressful.
 
Finally got the fish home at the weekend. I'd setup a separate tank, plumbed into the main system, so I can focus on their dietry habits, tho it probably won't mean anything long term.

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Both are pigs with brine and mysis. I'm trying to get them to take more krill, but it seems a little too big for them at the moment. The angel happily wolfs forn ocean nutrition pellets too.

Chris
 
Very nice fish. I love the flagfin too, just a great species when you can get a nice plump one that is feeding well. Nice get!
 
Nice pics, way to go against the grain! People are definitely jumping on the butterfly bandwagon. And for all you nay sayers, just another example of healthy corals and supposed nippers. Keep the corals healthy and the fish will leave them alone.
 
The xanthocephalus is the most risky, nowhere is it listed as anything other than _not_ reef safe! It does peck at my duncans from time to time and at the odd sps but has never done any damage that you can see.

The shape and way it's mouth/jaws are positioned at an upward angle appears to affect what corals, or at least the part of the coral that it can peck at. Predominantly this means the underside of an sps and getting a purchase on any encrusting lps is not easy for it without swimming at very odd angles. Which is probably why the duncans are of interest since they have 'wiggly' tentacles at all angles which are very tempting, but one nip and they retract and the fish can no longer get at them so it moves off and the coral comes back out shortly afterwards.

I think having a lot of larger colonies helps with the corals being more resiliant and spreading any pecking around more rather than it ever just picking on one small colony.

It is a pretty peaceful fish, the only tankmate it may occasioanlly chase is the copperband, a fellow chaetodon so no suprise there.

Diet wise, it takes anything I put in. Generally this consists of frozen mysis, brine, krill and Ocean Nutrition pellets.

Chris
 
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