Pyramid butterfly vs. one spot foxface

[dendrite]

I introduced a pyramid butterfly to a 180 gallon reef display tank with a resident heretofore peaceful one spot rabbit fish. While the other inhabitants peacefully accepted the newcomer, the rabbit fish continues to harass and attack the butterfly for now over two weeks. The butterfly continues to eat and looks healthy but is restrictd to an easily defended corner. I think the color similarity leads the rabbit fish to aggressively defend against what is perceived as a new con specific. Any suggestions on how to short circuit this behavior. I'm thinking a mirror to distract the rabbit fish, but am open to any suggestions. I would hate to lose the fish or remove one or the other.

 

[jmm]

My magnificent foxface constantly harassed any and all of my butterflyfish. He never seemed to hurt any of them and they just stayed out of his way, but I eventually moved him to another tank because of my stress, not the butterflyfishes' stress.

 

[dendrite]

yes, stress all around. The other fish , previously harmonious , are now starting to bicker also. Seems like a total restructuring of the pecking order .

 

[ca1ore]

Mirror works surprisingly well ....

BTW, Pyramid Butterfly is one of may favorite fish. Not only is it pretty but it eats all sorts of pest inverts. My trio ate all the pest xenia in my tank, then the blue clove polyps and then all of the majanos/aptaisa. They leave zooanthids alone.

 

[dendrite]

That's what I was hoping for. I've had a copper banded butterfly in the tank for four years and not an aptasia to be found but areas of Xenia popping up. The Cbb won't touch them, and yes, they are a beautiful species.

 

[fishsuse29]

OT but will the pyramid butterfly eat Kenya tree? That stuff grows like the plague in my tank

 

[ca1ore]

OT but will the pyramid butterfly eat Kenya tree? That stuff grows like the plague in my tank

Probably not.