Hawaiian biotope: butterfly choices

[ntropics]

So if you had a 200 gallon Hawaiian biotope going, and could add one more butterfly fish AND you had in the tank one cyphastrea, one leptastrea, one green mushroom and two ricordea, which of the following butterflies would you add to get the least damage to your limited corals? We are basing this on the corals only for now. (The tank already contains C. kleinii, miliaris, and soon to add Forcipiger flavissimus. In addition to frozen foods nightly with nori, I also feed four times daily with an automatic feeder with a tiny pinch of formula one flakes.) Been through the "Butterflies in reefs" thread and no answer!

Chaetodon ephippeum,
Chaetodon unimaculatus
Chaetodon auriga
(I can't afford Chaetodon tinkeri!)

Or would you just say "To heck with the corals! I love butterfly fish!"

Thanks as always.
Bruce

 

[Myles]

Can you obtain Hawaiin fish-I though collecting their had been banned.
Myles

 

[ntropics]

Not banned, they are just not renewing licenses. But these fish are currently available. Also, they are not endemic to Hawaii.

 

[Myles]

My Pyramids are relatively safe. They are certainly not endemic to Hawaii and I do not know whether or not you can find them that far east. I have 3 in my mixed reef with Cyphastrea which they never touch. They will poke frequently at corals that interest them but have caused absolutely no damage in the 2 years or so that I have had them.

 

[ntropics]

Thanks Myles. But right now I am wondering which of the three in the original list would eat any of the few corals that I have. Not a particular fan of pyramid butterfly, though it is nice in groups. The fish that I am putting into this system are not necessarily endemic to Hawaii, simply the types that one sees when on a trip snorkeling there. I've skipped raccoons (since they generally eat all coral) and the obligate coral eaters as well.

 

[mike61289]

All 3 of them will nip at your corals. None of them would be safe in your aquarium.

 

[saf1]

I've looked at several fish, including butterflies, to try and replicate an Hawaiian biotype I'd typically see while diving. Sadly, most butterflies or other fish I selected are not very reef friendly. So now figured I'd just ignore the Hawaiian side of it for now since it is a bit risky. I think more so with a young tank that isn't very mature. Once the corals are established chances are higher that I'd be willing to try - that way they might be able to out grow, recover, the fish bad behavior.

Keep looking though maybe you will find something. The three you listed a quick search all returned "not reef friendly". Your mileage may vary of course...

 

[ntropics]

Thanks Mike.

I was thinking that if I could just keep my Ricordea and mushrooms, I would be happy. I've never been very successful with SPS and LPS in the long run anyway. It is interesting that in my past tank, I used to feed three times daily. The C. miliaris (lemon Butterfly) never nipped at anything. Then someone advised that I should only feed once per day, and I blindly followed. Within a month, all of my mushrooms and soon everything else, were gone.

I think that my current regimen of feeding five times per day (four of them automatic) is key in keeping my miliaris, as well as my kleinii butterflies away from the few coral that I have. That, and the fact that they are not as voracious coral eaters as the others.

I think of the three that I am interested in, ephippium is probably the least likely to eat corals in general, and the other two very likely to eat. But again, I am wondering, if the mushrooms are more likely or less likely to be ignored than the cyphastrea or leptastrea.



Bruce