Of the Butterflies, which are the easiest to keep?

[WienerDog]

I am looking at the Heniochus, but I hear they are pretty tough to keep. Are some more hardy than others?

 

[SDguy]

Most henis are easy...but they get kind of large...and will actually grow that large in a home tank.

Most of the Chaetodon species that are easy are so because they'll eat just about anything, including most corals. Is this for a reef?

 

[WienerDog]

Most henis are easy...but they get kind of large...and will actually grow that large in a home tank.

Most of the Chaetodon species that are easy are so because they'll eat just about anything, including most corals. Is this for a reef?

No, a 90 fowlr. The heni may be too large.

 

[SDguy]

I have a heni in my 110g FOWLR and he's HUGE. Not sure what I'm going to do with him if he keeps growing.

Well, since it's a FOWLR, check out WWM's breakdown of easier butterflies. It's somewhat old, but still pretty accurate:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/Goodchaetodon.htm

 

[LemonLemon]

roaps butterflies and the yellow long-nosed are some of the easiest butterflies to keep.

roaps complex includes burgess, tinkeri, declivis, flavocoronatus (almost unobtainable) and mitratus butterflies.

 

[AuroraDrvr]

C. meyeri, C. lavartus, C. ornatissimus, C. reticulatus

...

Kidding of course. The ones the other two posted above me are all great for an aquarium. Which Heniochus are you thinking of? Just a standard, likely H. acuminatus Heni?

For a 90, I'd really consider a pair of Tahitian or Klein's.

 

[LemonLemon]

just to sidetrack abit.

aurora, what's the green shrimp in your avatar?? it's really beautiful.

 

[ghstrider]

I have a Mitratus and hes a beast. He ate hours after acclmation and eats anything u dump in. Also, one of the coolest looking BFs IMO. If you got the cash LA DD gets them regularly for 380 w free shipping and full guarantee.

 

[Recty]

I had two semilarvatus butterflies, the pretty yellow ones from the Red Sea, they were amazingly easy and ate anything I fed.

 

[dizzy3256]

Get a tinkeri. Very pricey, but very very hardy. They eat anything.i have kept butterflies for over 15 years and the tinkeri has beat every single one of them by far. I have had my tinkeri for close to 12 years now.

 

[SDguy]

It's the deep pockets crowd, I guess

In addition to the Kleins and Tahitian already mentioned, threadfin, ulietensis, pearlscale, blackback, and racoon are all very hardy (relative to butterflies), very common, and inexpensive.

I would recommend you setup a small QT if you plan to get into butterflies.