Least offensive Butterfly/Angel fish
- Thread starter rm
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Kahuna Tuna
Active member
Almost all of the butterflys are coral nippers, you can count the number of relatively reef safe BF's on your fingers. Angels are another story and many species are relatively reef safe, a lot depends on tank size and the types of corals you plan on keeping.
bfs
bfs
Well Kahuna, you are right. The only reef safe butterflies I know of is heniochus desprhutes, yellow pyramid bf, and the longer longnose bf (longstrongsis spelling is wrong).
The heniochus desphreutes comes in with the regular black and white heniochus or bannerfish. They are really two different species!
The yellow pyramid is an awesome bf. I got one in my tank right now. They are very hardy and will chow down on flakes, and pretty much any other premade foods. The only thing is that they are really hard to come by and costs around $60 each.
The longer longnose butterfly is a really awesome fish. Just breath taking. They are very less likely to eat any polyps with such a specialized mouth. Only thing is that they are also hard to come by and are very picky eaters.
Well that is three reef safe butterflies, any others?
bfs
Well Kahuna, you are right. The only reef safe butterflies I know of is heniochus desprhutes, yellow pyramid bf, and the longer longnose bf (longstrongsis spelling is wrong).
The heniochus desphreutes comes in with the regular black and white heniochus or bannerfish. They are really two different species!
The yellow pyramid is an awesome bf. I got one in my tank right now. They are very hardy and will chow down on flakes, and pretty much any other premade foods. The only thing is that they are really hard to come by and costs around $60 each.
The longer longnose butterfly is a really awesome fish. Just breath taking. They are very less likely to eat any polyps with such a specialized mouth. Only thing is that they are also hard to come by and are very picky eaters.
Well that is three reef safe butterflies, any others?
Thanks for the replies.
Palani, I will look into the pyramid butterfly, sounds like it is the easiest to keep.
Kahuna, is there a book or other reference that might help me with the angel selection. You mention that many are reef safe depending on corals. I don't have many corals yet (colt, blue ricordia). I'm willing to take some risk to get either of these species in my tank. The tank is 120gallons with 175lbs of liverock.
Palani, I will look into the pyramid butterfly, sounds like it is the easiest to keep.
Kahuna, is there a book or other reference that might help me with the angel selection. You mention that many are reef safe depending on corals. I don't have many corals yet (colt, blue ricordia). I'm willing to take some risk to get either of these species in my tank. The tank is 120gallons with 175lbs of liverock.
steveo32
New member
rm there 's a book that should bbe at your lfs. It's called Marine Fish theres a pic of an Imperotor angel on the front and its by Ronald L. Shimek. He also has one for marine invertabrates. I have them both I could look something if you'd like or can't get your hands on a book. Also not to use as a defined reference I like to use Live Aquria's site, they give a little bulrb on the fish care level and where there found tank size stuff like.
moonpod
Premium Member
Bannerfish (heiniochus etc..) are safer than b'flies.
Of the true b'flies the ones mentioned above: Pyramid, longnose and copperbanded and the false copperbands are the best bet. Next tier is the "deepwater" bflies who are putative planktinovores but I will tell you first hand that my Tinkers kicked booty on a heliofungia and an open brain (they've left other stuff alone).
Angels are rather hit and miss. The safest are probably the propagated (and pricey) pygmies b/c they have no idea what a coral is. I've had relatively good luck with regals, goldflakes, conspics, imperatas and chrysurus. An Asfur I had was a coral eating machine.
Of the true b'flies the ones mentioned above: Pyramid, longnose and copperbanded and the false copperbands are the best bet. Next tier is the "deepwater" bflies who are putative planktinovores but I will tell you first hand that my Tinkers kicked booty on a heliofungia and an open brain (they've left other stuff alone).
Angels are rather hit and miss. The safest are probably the propagated (and pricey) pygmies b/c they have no idea what a coral is. I've had relatively good luck with regals, goldflakes, conspics, imperatas and chrysurus. An Asfur I had was a coral eating machine.
The lemon butterfly (c. miliaris) and Klein's butterfly (c.kleinii) are supposed to be semi-reef-safe (read "with caution"). They may take a liking to a prize coral or clam, though, so it depends on which you value more. I'll know better in a few months, since I am going to try a lemon in my SPS tank. Pyramids are cool. I have one now. They run more like $40 in my area. I would add a longnose (Forcipiger longirostris), but they don't show up in the stores that I frequent.
Kahuna Tuna
Active member
The best book out there on this subject is Scott Michael's "Reef Fishes Vol. 3, Angelfish and Butterflyfish".
