How to pair butterflies?
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LukFox
Active member
Not easy and unpredictable... I have a little experience with the closely related Chaetodon xanthocephalus, or yellowhead butterfly.
I bought 2 yellowheads that seemed to get along, and I had them together in quarantine for months and they seemed like buds. Once I introduced them to the main tank, all was well for a while. Then the smaller yellowhead took a liking to my dusky butterfly, and started only swimming with my dusky...
Then this smaller yellowhead started destroying the larger yellowhead, and the larger one wouldn't even fight back. It was stuck in the top corner or it would be attacked. I had to rehome it, as nothing would stop the smaller one's attacks. The smaller one never got aggressive with the dusky, though, and they swam together as if they were a pair instead. Pretty interesting.
Basically what I learned was even if it looks like it's working, and it could be working out for months, they can still turn on each other.
I bought 2 yellowheads that seemed to get along, and I had them together in quarantine for months and they seemed like buds. Once I introduced them to the main tank, all was well for a while. Then the smaller yellowhead took a liking to my dusky butterfly, and started only swimming with my dusky...
Then this smaller yellowhead started destroying the larger yellowhead, and the larger one wouldn't even fight back. It was stuck in the top corner or it would be attacked. I had to rehome it, as nothing would stop the smaller one's attacks. The smaller one never got aggressive with the dusky, though, and they swam together as if they were a pair instead. Pretty interesting.
Basically what I learned was even if it looks like it's working, and it could be working out for months, they can still turn on each other.
My experience is the same as Alexa's... specifically with saddlebacks.
I've read the best way to pair butterflies is to buy several (like 5) and let them sort it out, and remove the remaining 3. But IMO you won't know if they truly paired until they get older, and either one kills the other.... or doesn't
I personally don't have the space or the time for something like that, so I just keep singles 
I've read the best way to pair butterflies is to buy several (like 5) and let them sort it out, and remove the remaining 3. But IMO you won't know if they truly paired until they get older, and either one kills the other.... or doesn't
I personally don't have the space or the time for something like that, so I just keep singles 
Dmorty217
Saltwater Addict
:fish1:
Big E
Premium Member
They are hard to pair because as Peter mentioned you don't know what you have till they mature. They are either male or female.......they don't change sexes like some other fish species to accommodate dominance.
It's a numbers game because of this and even then, if you buy two and luck out male/female, it doesn't mean they will decide to get along. They want to pick their mates & they stick with each other for life.
I've always done it the multiple fish way 4-6. I mainly worked with BF's that are found in groups. That way you don't necessarily have to remove the others, but still one pair will become dominant.
If you buy juvies it's going to be more difficult.
Buying a 3-4" specimens would be the best bet.
They only other sure way is to buy a pair that were caught in the ocean as a pair. They are usually adults and large, so a lot of times collectors aren't going to go after them, plus they are pricey.
Each BF species is different also.............some live in pairs and some are solitary and then pair up to breed & others form groups.
There's a lot of unknowns about BF's because they generally aren't reef safe, so a lot of people don't keep them. We seldom learn anything new unless by first hand experience.
It's a numbers game because of this and even then, if you buy two and luck out male/female, it doesn't mean they will decide to get along. They want to pick their mates & they stick with each other for life.
I've always done it the multiple fish way 4-6. I mainly worked with BF's that are found in groups. That way you don't necessarily have to remove the others, but still one pair will become dominant.
If you buy juvies it's going to be more difficult.
Buying a 3-4" specimens would be the best bet.
They only other sure way is to buy a pair that were caught in the ocean as a pair. They are usually adults and large, so a lot of times collectors aren't going to go after them, plus they are pricey.
Each BF species is different also.............some live in pairs and some are solitary and then pair up to breed & others form groups.
There's a lot of unknowns about BF's because they generally aren't reef safe, so a lot of people don't keep them. We seldom learn anything new unless by first hand experience.
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If you search this forum you'll find a thread where I paired yellow longnoses. You'll also read my continuous indecision as to whether or not they were a true pair. Looking back... and after having a collected pair of tinkeri. .. I think maybe they were a pair after all. Also, after seeing how with true NON-pairs one will absolutely destroy the other, maybe they were a pair.
ccampbell57
Premium Member
I have paired tinkers and declivis with very little issues. My last pairs lived in the 500 quite well. The issue came from my single wrought iron bugging the male declivis.
Here is my thoughts on this. QT them separately and get them healthy and fat. Once they are eating everything and healthy put them together in QT. They will fight and pick an order. If they are not healthy the strong will survive and the weak will perish.
I always say it is worth a try. Get a couple and try it out. If it doesn't work, make sure that you have a backup plan
Here is my thoughts on this. QT them separately and get them healthy and fat. Once they are eating everything and healthy put them together in QT. They will fight and pick an order. If they are not healthy the strong will survive and the weak will perish.
I always say it is worth a try. Get a couple and try it out. If it doesn't work, make sure that you have a backup plan
I respectfully disagree on two points here. 1. IMO there shouldn't be fighting for dominance, since the fish don't change sex. What would the logic/theory be here? 2. And I suppose this depends on tank size and such, but my one very healthy and established saddleback murdered my other very healthy and established saddleback in 2 days. By the time I caught him he was so worn out and injured, that he dies the third day in QT. So IMO/E it isn't really a health issue.
All that said, I had two declivis in the same tank without issue. Maybe it's a roaops thing
ccampbell57
Premium Member
I respectfully disagree on two points here. 1. IMO there shouldn't be fighting for dominance, since the fish don't change sex. What would the logic/theory be here? 2. And I suppose this depends on tank size and such, but my one very healthy and established saddleback murdered my other very healthy and established saddleback in 2 days. By the time I caught him he was so worn out and injured, that he dies the third day in QT. So IMO/E it isn't really a health issue.
All that said, I had two declivis in the same tank without issue. Maybe it's a roaops thing
The theory came from 3 sets of butterflies. The first being my wrought irons. I had 3 in the tank together and 2 paired together and the 3rd was a nutball towards the others. I separated and the pair have been together ever since. I would assume that the third was an Alpha female.
My declivis were different colors where the one was a brilliant color with very bright yellows and dark black back. The other had much more yellow and very little black. The more yellow one was very aggressive with the more colorful one took a lot of time to settle together, especially once the wrought iron was in the tank with them. Seemed like the wrought iron and declivis hung together more.
They never mated, so i am pretty sure that they were either both male or both female, but again could be wrong as the bright colored one was never bothered by wrought iron, only the declivis.
When i paired the Tinkeri, they were together from the very beginning. The small one was just over 2 inches and the larger one was 4". There was chasing in the beginning and nipping, but continued to eat and thrive and eventually lived together quite well in the large tank.
I believe the largest factor in pairing is size of tank and space for them to "get away". Ability to hide and protect themselves is a huge factor IMO.
Saddlebacks are very large butterflies and are probably more dominant. Never owned one larger than 1" so not sure how they would handle pairing, but have seen them together in very large (500g+ aquariums)
Sorry, I wasn't clear in my reply. I meant, what would the theory be as to why a true pair would need to establish dominance with each other, if the sexes are pre-determined. I wasn't questioning your experiences...
All that said, I guess my point here, and your descriptions actually supports this, is that there's really no way to tell you have a pair, like you'd see in the wild.
All that said, I guess my point here, and your descriptions actually supports this, is that there's really no way to tell you have a pair, like you'd see in the wild.
ccampbell57
Premium Member
No issues, my assumption about dominance is similar to how females pick males in general...no woman wants a male that cant take care of them, so i would assume that some level of dominance/fighting would occur to figure that out (survival of the fittest)
you are correct, a "true pair" is only determined if you see them spawning...otherwise you just have a couple of fish that "tolerate" each other
That's basically what I was left with, with the yellow longnoses. However, one behavior I did notice with them, was one following the other as they picked at rocks, and the second would pick in the area where the first was picking. I've seen this with pairs in the wild... not so much with just 2 fish tolerating each other. I wonder if that could be a clue?
ccampbell57
Premium Member
This is a great sign IMO. I call it following the leader. If they are in the same area and one is following the other picking at the same rocks, you are in the right area.
Every pair of Ornate BF i have seen in hawaii do something very similar
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