Pairing Chaetodon semilarvatus.

[ntropics]

I have noticed these for sale at DD but only one at a time. I am interested in getting a pair for my 200g. Does anyone know how difficult it would be to get them to get along if one is introduced at an earlier time than the other, say weeks or months? Thanks.

Bruce

 

[skiprr]

I have purchased numerous ones over the years. Very hardy fish once you get them eating. The only problem I come across all the time is after a while, they start going after each other and one ultimately looses out.

 

[Jacob D]

I had two that were collected separately and slightly different sizes. I kept them in QT for about 8-10 weeks, most of that time I had to divide the tank due to aggression. Finally I decided to transfer the more passive fish into my tank first for a week, then brought the aggressive fish over. I wouldn't say they became a true pair but the aggression between them was much less (the passive fish became the aggressor in the display tank) and they often swam together. Unfortunately I lost them at a time when we had a family emergency and I was unable to attend to my tank as needed. Somewhere on one of these threads I posted a pic of them together.

On a side note I have also noticed the same thing with DD posting them one at a time, but they always seem to have at least a couple when they start posting them. One of these days I'd like to try and get a couple of them again, even though they were a little rough on my gorgs.

 

[rholguin]

At one I bought two individuals put them in a 20g long for about 4 to 5 wks. Put them in my display and they did great. I got rid off them cause they were tearing up my acros. Beautiful fish though.

 

[SDguy]

Here's what little info I was able to collect about pairing butterflies:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1638647

On a side note, I did recently pick up an issue of CORAL magazine with several articles about butterflies, hoping for some answers to this. While the editor was kind enough to tell me in his opening commentary that unless I'm keeping butterflies in pairs, I'm doing it wrong, the magazine doesn't bother telling me how to achieve this

 

[AuroraDrvr]

the magazine doesn't bother telling me how to achieve this

That's because there is no method, aside from the "throw them together and pray method" to pair butterflies. You simply have to put them together and monitor. If you get the short straw, you'll have two butterflies that hate each other.

 

[SDguy]

Ya, like I said, they left that part out

 

[ntropics]

Thanks all. And while we're at it, they seem to be eaters of LPS. I have just two favia, and two closed brain. Do you think these will be eaten? I run a FOWLRAWCTFDE (fish only with live rock and whatever coral the fish don't eat: saw tat somewhere else!)

Bruce

 

[Jacob D]

There ya go, it was Peter's thread I was thinking of. For some reason my photo doesn't show up there any more, but these were the two I had. They're beautiful but I'm not sure if I'll try them again in my reef... I dunno hard decision. I wouldn't trust them around any corals, LPS I would say definitely not (just a guess).

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/30740619@N08/3733714966/" title="2009-07_1843 600x480 by Dinardi Family, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2591/3733714966_9ac6e82a27_o.jpg" width="600" height="480" alt="2009-07_1843 600x480" style="border:4px solid #000;"/></a>