Pakistani Butterflyfish

[reefman8471]

I am contemplating setting up a FOWLR tank in the near future. One of the fish I would really like to have is a Pakistani Butterflyfish (Chaetodon collare) or a pair. I know what the books say I was wanting to know about any experiences people have had keeping them.

James

 

[rafael13]

I had one and was doing great, eating every thing, flakes, pellets
nice guy, didn't bother anybody, beautifull colors, he died when I added a fish that had ich ( I didnt notice till it was too late)
HTH

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[urbor]

i have a pair of these guys and i really like them but it is going on the sixth week that i have had them and still they just let all the food float right by them.

they really **** me off

i wouldnt recommend them from the pair that i own

heres a pic they are about 4"

 

[flameangel88]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12164408#post12164408 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by urbor
i have a pair of these guys and i really like them but it is going on the sixth week that i have had them and still they just let all the food float right by them.

they really **** me off

i wouldnt recommend them from the pair that i own

heres a pic they are about 4"

Try getting some live mussels and live clams at the supermarket to entice them to eat and then once they start eating then soak frozen food with vitamin and garlic. Just a thought here. My pair of semilarvatus butterflies loves the live stuff. Good luck with your pair.

btw--my pair even eats nori.

 

[JHemdal]

urbor,

I think something else is going on with your fish - I've never had a C. collare (pakastani) butterfly not eat for me. They are prone to coming in with Neobenedinia flukes, but that doesn't keep them from eating (unless it goes untreated). If you give one a 5 minute FW dip you can easily see the Neobenedinia drop off (they look like scales in the bottom of the dip container).

flameangel88's advice is sound - definately try the live mussels, opened and offered on the half-shell. Hold the garlic at first though - no need to introduce another variable right away.


JHemdal

 

[flameangel88]

Didn't think about the flukes...the last time I'd multicolored angels and for 4 weeks it was eating and it was too late that it showed signs (head shaking etc). It was in a reef tank with only a pajama cardinal that was already been in there for 6 months and no other fish.

 

[urbor]

how many freshwater dips do they need? Is 1 going to cure this flukes??

what are flukes? inside of them or on the skin??

i have tried the mussels, zoecon, garlic, nori, selcon, mysis, brine, etc i have about anything you could think of

sometimes they look intrested but they never eat anything

 

[flameangel88]

I'll let folks with more experience answer your question but in the meantime this thread has very good info:

Mysterious fish deaths are more common now (Flukes)

 

[flameangel88]

Something is definately wrong with your butterflies if live mussels can't entice them to eat. My two are gets along fine till the first couple of times when I fed live mussels or clams they almost killed each other to defend their feeding territory since I've to put 2 pcs in opposite ends to separate them.

This is what I've heard about FW to see if you have flukes:
FW dip about 3-4 minutes with RO water and match temperature and PH of your tank parameters.
If your fish do have flukes you can treat it with Prazipro and personally have used it couple of times without having ill effect to inverts in the tank. Treat it in a hospital tank is the best way to go!

 

[Big E]

Semis are much easier to get eating than Pakastanis. The adults Pakastanis are tougher because they are more set into eating coral polyps. The younger ones adapt easier.

I used live adult brine to get mine eating when I had them. I heard California black worms work well on some butterflies as starter food.

Try to present the food attached to rocks. It's more natural for them to pick at food off the rocks instead of it floating thorugh the water column. Present the clams this way if you aren't already..........take the half shell & put some slices through the meat & set whole shell on or around the rocks.