Forcipiger Flavissimus

[aquaph8]

So I was at the LFS today and saw one of these beautiful butterfly fish. Ive always wanted one but was too scared to pull the trigger. My QT tank is down at the moment so I left it there and decided to do a little more research and save my purchase or not purchase for another day. Im looking for any experience with this fish and would like to know what part of my livestock is at risk with the inclusion of one. I have lots of Zoanthids and palys that im worried about but may part with them to other reefers to pursue my love for butterflies. Thanks for any info.

 

[jimroth]

So I was at the LFS today and saw one of these beautiful butterfly fish. Ive always wanted one but was too scared to pull the trigger. My QT tank is down at the moment so I left it there and decided to do a little more research and save my purchase or not purchase for another day. Im looking for any experience with this fish and would like to know what part of my livestock is at risk with the inclusion of one. I have lots of Zoanthids and palys that im worried about but may part with them to other reefers to pursue my love for butterflies. Thanks for any info.

No shortage of yellow longnose butterflyfish in the hobby, so a great idea to wait until your q-tank is working again. It's one of the tougher butterflies, and not a bad choice for a first butterflyfish.

It will have no interest in your zoanthids or palys, but will eat any featherdusters you have in the liverock.

I have had a few over the years and enjoyed them very much.

 

[aquaph8]

Thanks for your experience Jim. Yeah ive been through it all over the years and im not about to let one impulse buy spoil what ive accomplished thus far. How are they with inverts?

 

[LemonLemon]

completely reef safe with corals except tube worms and maybe the tube feet of starfish.

i've kept numerous specimens over the years and all have been model citizens. accept frozen food readily but will have trouble eating dry food due to their tiny mouths.

 

[chimmike]

so they avoid zoas, LPS and SPS?

Wife loves butterflyfish but I'm afraid it'll munch away on the SPS frags I intend on purchasing.

 

[LemonLemon]

definitely safe with SPS.

there are some butterflies suitable for the reef tanks, and long nosed butterflies are just one of them, ranking very high up in terms of reef safeness.

 

[chimmike]

Okay....Good to know.

What else would be reef safe, i.e. not eat my skunk cleaner shrimp or SPS/LPS?

 

[aquaph8]

Lemon, I really appreciate your experience on this subject
Thanks for your post.

 

[snorvich]

Do they eat aiptasia?

 

[chimmike]

bump, I'd like Lemon to answer as he's a darn good info source!

 

[LemonLemon]

oh please guys! this information can be gotten any where else. and many people here have posted this before. so i don't take credit for helping out haha.

anyway reef safe butterflies in my opinion.

all members of chelmon.
all members of forcipiger
all members of hemitaurichthys
all members of prognathodes

this 4 genus of butterflies hold some of the safest you can possibly find. with forcipiger and hemitaurichthys being the safest. chelmon is next in line followed by prognathodes.

however as with all exceptions in nature, they may take your corals. nothing is 100% in nature and i dont dare tell you how safe they are in percentage. especially the pyramids and forcipigier. many sources state they are 100% reef safe and i've kept many and none have even shown the slighted interest in my corals.

however, i've seen pyramids eating brain corals, copperbands eating scolymias. so who am i to put a number beside the fish eh? haha.

 

[LemonLemon]

Do they eat aiptasia?

not as well as chelmon butterflies and definitely no where close to raccoons.

but i did have one specimen eat aiptasia. that's the only one i have that did, and the only one i heard that did.

hope that was some help.

 

[chimmike]

Thanks Lemon. After I posted I did some searches but only came up with Pyramid as being the most confidently reef safe. I'll do some research on the species you listed.

 

[LemonLemon]

Thanks Lemon. After I posted I did some searches but only came up with Pyramid as being the most confidently reef safe. I'll do some research on the species you listed.

pyramids are planktivores unlike other butterflies. they feed in the water column. so by theory they are 100% reef safe.

longnose and copperbands are benthic invertebrate feeders that pick out tiny worms and crustaceans from rocks. their mouths are not suited for picking at corals.

these will be your best bet.

 

[chimmike]

I love copperbands but I'm concerned about the feeding.

I guess the best I can do is superstock with pods, let a major amphipod population build too.

 

[LemonLemon]

you could try chelmon marginalis.

much easier than copperbands and many times more beautiful.

i've had the chance of keeping one for many months before it just died mysteriously one day in my tank.

it only came to my country once though. i see liveaquaria offering them very regularly and i wish i could buy them but they don't ship outside of the US.

 

[chimmike]

I'll have to keep an eye out for the Margined butterfly.

 

[SDguy]

much easier than copperbands

Is this true? I was under the impression they are the same. I have heard muelleri are hardier than both.

 

[aquaph8]

Australian chelmons are supposed to be hardier. I believe its due to collection practices. I'm just repeating what I read though. I have no experience to speak from.

 

[LemonLemon]

i've kept one marginalis before.

it ate straight out from the shipping bag! the other one at the LFS too.