Non-polyp eating butterfly fish or dwarf angelfish?

Y

YasK

New member
I've been wondering if there is a non-polyp eating butterfly fish or dwarf angelfish. Do you know any? I think they are beautiful and would like to get one if they don't harm SPS.

I had been keeping two crown fish and some LPS, and recently started keeping tiny stony corals as I found I could successfully reduce my NO3 and PO4 to minimal level with the addition of powerful skimmer and bio-pellet reactor. And now I wish I could add a colorful butterfly fish or dwarf angelfish if possible.
 
Another genus of angelfish that are considered reef safe is genicanthus. A few that are commonly seen are the: Watanabei, Lamark's, Black Spot and Bellus.

Here's some information:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-02/hcs3/index.php

As mentioned the dwarf angelfish(centropyge) are a real crap shoot. I have had a few over the last few years, and every one acquired a taste for something in my tank, i.e. polyps, clam, etc. Here are a couple articles:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-02/hcs3/index.php
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/jf/index.php
 
Downbeach, I had been considering a Cherub in my mixed reef tank, and the second article seems a little more positive toward the pygmy angels. Do you have any experience with them vs the dwarf? Thanks!

Brian
 
Thank you so much for your help!!! I'm really excited to know there are some nice fish that could be fed with corals!

I'm in Japan and had been searching info with my mother language, but couldn't find much useful info. Pyramid looks really nice! I like it! Genicanthus seems to be an interesting choice, too.

Just for your info, one of my friends in Japan told me that potter's pigmy angelfish is a rare dwarf angelfish that doesn't harm SPS. I think it is a very beautiful fish, too.
 
There is no figuring on dwarf angels. Some are fine, some are not and some are fine for a while and then are not one day. Have a plan to get them out.

The Genicanthus are the only safe bet.
 
I'm trying to find Starcki Damsel. Similar in shape to a dwarf angel, but no taste for coral. I've also read they are not aggressive as a typical damsel. Worth checking out, IMO.
 
Cherub (centropyge Argi) is the most safe angelfish in my experience...this fish never nip any coral in my
tanks.
 
Personally I say go to your lfs or petco and if they have a dwarf already hanging out in a reef tank grab it and try. One of my local stores always had a coral beauty hanging out in their frag tank that I may end up picking if he's still there when I'm all set up.
 
I have had three potters in three different mixed reefs and all three did very well with coral. Not a single one touched NPS, LPS, or softies. I never actually witnessed any of the three I owned nipping at SPS but did notice that polyp extension was not as great as it should have been, and in one tank after I removed a potters for treatment my SPS polyp extension improved. So, they are not entirely reef safe, but in my experience they are very much doable in an SPS reef as long as you're willing to sacrifice some PE.
 
Thank you so much for a lot of info. I'm very much interested in multibar angelfish although they seems to be difficult fish. Maybe I should go with easier one.
 
I've found someone in this forum said caribbean longsnout butterfly is not a polyp eater. And I'm very much interested in it, too.
 
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