Pairing butterfly fish

Update: Both YLN were doing well as of the 18th. However, some time after I left for vacation, the larger one either got an infection or injured his mouth in some way. They are in meds right now:
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First an update. After a few days in nitrofuracin, the large butterfly began eating, and sloughed off, for lack of a better term, a bunch of "stuff" off his nose. Did a water change last night. Both are eating aggressively again.

One observation. If they don't get fed enough, there is a little bit of aggression during feeding. It seems hunger trumps the bonds of matrimony :lol:
 
Great fish Umm fish? and SD guy. Thanks for posting your experience.

I figured I would post my experience with Yellow Pyramid Butterfllyfish. About 1 1/2 (or longer) years ago I purchased three from LA. They were close to 4" and thick and healthy. I had threm quarantined in a 30 gal cube. Since the tank was so small I added lots of flow and they seemed happy. They got along well, never bickered at all. I fed them about 8 times a day which they need in my opinion.

Roughly 6 weeks later they started acting funny. Long story short I lost two to flukes. By the time I learned what it was it was too late for those two but I was able to save one. After treatment and more quarantine time he went into a temporary 75 gal display. BTW Live Aquaria gave me full credit even though it was a month after the guarantee, amazing company.

I purchased two more YP and put them into quarantine. They arrived in horrible condition (not from LA.) They were emaciated and had clear signs of flukes. I promptly treated them. I also let the vendor know of their condition but explained that I would do everything to nurse them back to health. I kept them in quarantine for roughly 2 1/2 months. They became plump and healthy. They also grew from 3" to about 3.5".

Al three of the butterflies were added to a 280 gallon tank. They immediately swam together also without any signs of aggression ever.

Fast forward 1 1/2 years later I moved but took my babies along with me. Long story short I had them several months at the new place and lost them between two seperate occasions that were stupid mistakes on my part. They were all over 4" : (

Now I have 3 new 3" YPs in a 75 gal quarantine. The smallest one chases the other two several times a day, not extremely aggressively but enough. I sectioned him with eggcrate. The other two get along with occasional chasing. This puzzles me since the other five never showed anything like this. I'm sure they will be fine in the 357 gal since they're pretty much fine now but it makes me miss my other beauties more. They were pals.

So I'm wondering if my previous fish were all females or maybe one male and the rest females. I am considering adding two more to my current mix. Maybe 5 would spread out the aggression or keep it in check. I know several RC members here have groups of these fish. I think I'll hunt them down and ask about theirs.

Anyway that's my experience with Yellow Pyramid Butterflies. Hopefully someone finds it useful.
 
Great info! Thanks for sharing. I wonder if heniochus, pyramid, zoster etc butterflies have different dynamics as compared to chaetodon species that are almost always found in bonded pairs, exclusively?
 
One observation. If they don't get fed enough, there is a little bit of aggression during feeding. It seems hunger trumps the bonds of matrimony
Click to expand...

I find that it's the same with the plebius.

Thanks, Chihuahua! I'm sorry to hear about your flukes and other issues. Good luck with the new ones. :(
 
The YLN are out of meds as of Sunday. Both look perfect, and eat like total pigs. I'm hoping to get them onto flakes and/or pellets now (GL, I know....)

Regarding the aggression during feeding, it seems to be getting worse. I am assuming this is a function of them being so hungry by the time I get home from work (I leave my house at 6am so they don't get fed in the mornings). The larger one actually slashed at the smaller one with its dorsal spines. Again, this in only during feeding time though. My previous experiences with this fish when they don't get along with each other is that they will flare even at the sight of each other. These two are fine when not eating.

Thoughts on my theory? :)
 
How often are you feeding them now? Hmm. And they aren't on pellets yet. Any possibility of putting some live rock in with them once they are off meds so they have something to pick at during the day? Just something to take the edge off so they don't kill each other until they get home? How many hiding spots do they have? Maybe some PVC fittings or something so they can get out of sight of each other while they are eating?

What helped me with the plebius was a sponge filter in the tank. Pellets and other foods would get stuck in the sponge and would give the fish something to pick at between feedings. Since they like to pick food out of crevices it made it somewhat familiar to them. Maybe something along those lines?
 
Well, they first get fed around 4pm, and then several times again until about 8. You could call it one long extended feeding of tiny portions, I guess :)

I have not even tried pellets of flake yet, since I didn't want to introduce uneaten food during meds. Does anyone know if YLN will eat pellets/flake, or are they like copperbands?

I have put a little LR rubble in the tank. I was nervous about putting hiding places like large PVC, thinking that with "territiories" the aggression would escalate? I can give it a go, though. And the sponge filter trick is a nice idea. I can try that too. Thanks!
 
I would add some PVC so they can get out of sight. I think it would ease aggression not escalate it. As for feedings why not drop in a couple clams before work, so that one can't just guard the clam or food that is being fed from the other. Maybe place them on opposite sides of the tank, but continue the other feedings in the afternoon/evening too.
 
It's a small QT tank (20g) so I'm concerned about leaving food in there, and water quality. I will get some large PVC in there to see it that helps or hurts. While I understand that this will ease immediate aggression, I don't want it to backfire (ie them getting used to not seeing each other, so getting more aggressive when they then do see each other).
 
I will be attempting this with a Yellow Pyramid BF and possibly the Horned Heniochus or Tahitian BF(love the striking colors in person which look alot like the Chaetodon reticulatus which are coralvors)
 
SDguy said:
Well, they first get fed around 4pm, and then several times again until about 8. You could call it one long extended feeding of tiny portions, I guess :)

I have not even tried pellets of flake yet, since I didn't want to introduce uneaten food during meds. Does anyone know if YLN will eat pellets/flake, or are they like copperbands?

I have put a little LR rubble in the tank. I was nervous about putting hiding places like large PVC, thinking that with "territiories" the aggression would escalate? I can give it a go, though. And the sponge filter trick is a nice idea. I can try that too. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Good luck with pairing your Longnose Butterflyfish. I kept my last one for 7 or 8 years but sadly lost him earlier this year while away on an extended work assignment.

In my experience Longnose BF's will eat flake food and just about any aquarium fare eventually but it often takes them a while to figure it out. Um Fish's idea is great because the presentation allows a more natural feeding opportunity. In a community tank they're usually too slow to get flake food before the majority of it gets snapped up by more aggressive feeders. Mine also eventually learned to hunt for spectrum pellets in the sand but it took a while.

I've found them to eat much more readily and be far more willing to try different foods than a Copperband.

My current YLN eats everything that comes near the tank. The tangs have even inspired him to peck at the nori clip occassionally!! He's currently teaching my Copperband to eat from my butterfly feeder.
 

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Thanks very much for the info!! Yours looks great. I'll grab some shots of mine when I get home from work today. The aggression during feeding has lessened considerably since I a. feed in two spots on opposite sides of the tank and b. feed more :)
 
I'm so bummed. I just lost a copperband that was eating _everything_ (well, except for aiptasia, but it was fat and lovely). It managed to find a way to jump. Grr. The spazzy Kole tang I had in with it must have spooked it (it was only the CB, kole, and a Banggai in a 120).

Doesn't everything eat nori? It seems rare to me to find fish that won't eat it. Heck, even my coral gobies swim across the tank to pick at it. The cleaner wrasses shove the tangs aside to chow it down.
 
My YLN's are scheduled to go into the display tank this weekend. So far, so good. Other than the varying levels of aggression during feeding (which is directly proportional to how hungry they are, IMO) they still get along well. We will see what happens in a larger tank...
 
It's been a rough week. The Thursday before the weekend that they were scheduled to go into the DT, I came home to find the large YLN with a huge, red, swollen anus, as stated in my last post. So back in went the Nitrofuracin. Thankfully, it did clear after a few days! So, they are scheduled to be out of meds this weekend, and hopefully into the DT in a week or two. Otherwise, they are doing great. Still eat like pigs; still the occasional chase during feeding time, but otherwise they totally get along
 
Update: The YLN BF were added to the DT tonight. They follow each other around (so cute!), and definitely no fighting between the two. The established blackback BF is being a bit of a jerk, but nothing bad enough to keep the YLN from eating like pigs, as if they've been in the DT the whole time! So, so far, so good :)
 
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