Mitratus Butterflyfish-How do you like them?

[flying53brian]

I just got this from the Divers Den,

How are yours within your reef tank and are they well behaved or are they picking at your corals? I have two tanks and will probably acclimate him in my smaller tank with just liverock and no corals but then move him to my reef tank later.

What are yours feeding on?

Here is a pick of mine I will be receiving on Thursday.

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[roktsintst]

Beautiful! I have wanted a Mitratus. I saw him on there and didn't think he would last long?

Sorry, but i dont have any expierience i just wanted to comment on what a great lookin fish that is!

Keep us posted on his condition!

 

[snorvich]

In my opinion not reef safe for LPS, but very hearty.

 

[flying53brian]

roktsintst:

On a side note you firefighters are remarkable and much appreciated, thank you.

Yeah I figured I better buy him before he was swept up. Lucky me!

snorvich:

I can deal with him picking on my soft corals if I put him in the reef tank, I probably have more soft corals than I really wanted in my mainly dominated SPS tank.

Thanks guys

 

[snorvich]

I don't see him eating soft corals, but LPS such as blastos or acanths are fair game.

 

[flying53brian]

Ooh,

I do have some nice Blasto's I would hate for him to eat, but no Acans!

 

[roktsintst]

Thank you Very Much Brian...

Good Luck, and be sure to post some pictures when you get him.

 

[Ian]

If you're keeping sps, you should be fine. Mine tasted around for a couple days but now is a model citizen...

Beautiful fish, IMO...

 

[flying53brian]

I will definitely post pics as soon as in the tank. I think that I am going to put him in the "fish only Live Rock" tank to start.

Nice looking fish Ian, how long have you had yours?

 

[Matt_Wandell]

I don't have a picture of mine, but I got it from the DD as well. Ate virtually anything right off the bat and has grown from 1" to 2" since January.

It pecks at zoanthids and Trachyphyllia, but leaves Duncanopsammia and Tubastrea alone.

 

[jc16]

i just got one but he didn't make it after a week of punishment from my achilles and goldflake. I had him in my mix reef picked at my millies a bit didn't notice him picking at my lps. Mined only ate mysis though. but good luck

 

[flying53brian]

Here are a few pics I took for now, just added him to the smaller tank for now.

 

[Ian]

Very nice

 

[Matt_Wandell]

I have a feeling my Mitratus b'fly is picking at newly settled Tubastrea polyps. He doesn't pick at the adult polyps or colonies but I can see little babies in the tank that are never open and tiny. There are settled polyps in the overflow box, sump, and other areas that he can't access which are growing and open all the time.

I think he's going to take a 2-3 month vacation from the tank to let them grow a bit, and see if he can behave once they get bigger.

 

[Iwishihadgills]

My favorite butterfly hands down! Twice as beautiful as a tinkeri imo

 

[tcmfish]

Probably my favorite butterfly nice fish.

 

[Fissues]

Favorite butterfly. Love it.

 

[Dmorty217]

One of the coolest butterflies around without a doubt

 

[kmbyrnes]

Finally scored my Pyramid. This is on my short list.

 

[jmicky41]

Back in 2002 or 2003 I bought the smallest one I had ever seen from Old Town Aquarium. It was about the size of a nickel. For several years it ate everything except pellets. Then after about 4 years it started eating pellets too. Grew quickly to about an inch and a half, then slowed down. Now, 12 or 14 years later it is around 2.5". I have never seen a "big" one.

It doesn't like new additions that are about the same size as it. But after a few days it leaves them alone. It has never been around corals in my care, just live rock.