Copperband butterfly question

[pufferpoison]

ok my LFS has one of these guys for $9.99 special, he's got ich, which doesn't bother me because i've never lost a fish to ich and have a good QT tank setup with PVC pipe, bare bottom and an 18W Turbo Twist UV sterilizer on a 10G. My question is are these guys reef safe? My wife loves the color but i don't want it eating my zoas or shrimp?

 

[pufferpoison]

oops, MOds can you move this to General Dis. please.

Sorry guys.

 

[jessiesgrrl]

They are supposed to eat aiptasia, which is cool... I have a friend who has tried to keep them in her reef tank, but they seem a bit fragile to me in general...
Laurie

 

[twon8]

the only thing mine ate were aiptasia, pods, mysis and fanworms. they are a bit fragile, and they have a hard time finding food in the water column, so you have to be diligent in your feeding.

 

[shilo_1]

They can be very difficult to get to eat frozen food initially.....usually end up starving to death.

 

[bobafett]

They wont harm your zoos but they can pic at other corals such as feather dusters and LPS. I had one once that ate two of my acan colonies. Its hit or miss. The one I have now hasn't touched any of my corals but will only eat frozen mysis and blood worms. It wont touch anything else.

As far as survivability, some do great and some just die. I have had a few over the years. They do a great job of eliminating aiptasia but if you can't get them to eat frozen foods they will certainly die. Have the lfs feed it frozen foods in front of you. If it doesn't eat don't buy it.