Do butterfly's eat macro algae?

[jarrod13]

I have a 220 gallon macro algae tank, mostly calupera. I would like to add some butterfly's but I don't want them to destroy my algae. I am mostly interested in the raccoon, falcula, auriga, and saddleback.

I also have a Condylactis anemone that is hosting a large pair of fire clowns, do you think the clowns could protect the anemone from the butterflys?

Thank you in advance for your responses

 

[jarrod13]

Where are my manners?! Here's a pic of the tank, looks kind of crappy I know, still has a long way to go. This is my "maintenance free" tank (if there is one)

 

[jarrod13]

Double post

 

[Recty]

My only experience with a butterfly and macro algae was a tank very similar to yours, but smaller, and a copperband butterfly. It never touched the algae.

 

[Moort82]

Who's the bad boy bottom left?

and i don't have any personal experience but the lfs near me has one in with their seahorses in a planted tank and it has never touched anything. Again that was a copperband but they did have the caulerpa prolifera like you have in with a couple of teardrop butterflies, a four spot, some heniochus and collare and there were no signs of it being nibbled. So although it says they are omnivores i think the diet is heavily weighted to the carnivore/corallivore side.

 

[jarrod13]

Thanks for the replies, unfortunately I'm not really interested in a copperband, does anyone have expierence with the ones I listed?

That's my orange toadfish, and you are correct, he is the bad boy of the tank. Here's a better pic of him

 

[jarrod13]

Anybody?

 

[Yurivd]

My chaetodon daedalma (wrought iron butterfly ) eats more nori than my achillies and black tang do

 

[jarrod13]

Wish I could afford one of those!

Nobody has any experience with the ones I'm interested in?

 

[SDguy]

I've personally never seen any of the more commonly kept butterflies touch caulerpa.

 

[jarrod13]

I've also got a little bit of halymenia, would they touch that?

 

[SDguy]

Even less likely, IMO. Many tangs won't even eat that.

 

[AuroraDrvr]

Even less likely, IMO. Many tangs won't even eat that.

Halymenia, not Halimeda.
Tangs love Halymenia spp. of algae.


I'd say you're likely fine with all the Caulerpas. It's 50-50 with the Halymenia.

 

[SDguy]

:lol: Sorry, my bad...tired eyes last night.

 

[dviper150]

The auriga I used to have would eat nori all the time. I now have a longnose butterfly and that too eats nori.

 

[tcmfish]

Nori is different that live algae IME. Fish seem to recognize an easy meal soon, and lots of times don't care if its what they eat in the wild. I have seen triggers destroy nori sheets, and they aren't herbivores. Also if all the tankmates are getting a meal, most fish don't like to sit on the sidelines and wait. It is kind of like saying, I've seen my tangs eat tons of mysis shrimp so they will eat my cleaner shrimp