Redfin Butterflyfish

[fishfreak2009]

So who here has attempted to keep one of these guys, Chaetodon lunulatus)? I acquired a small individual ~1inch long today. I added him along with a couple of other smaller butterflyfish today into my 380 gallon as the first fish (quarantining them in this tank and then once they are well established, this will be the display).

So far he is eating some live brine shrimp, some frozen mysid, and is picking at clam on the half shell and nls that's been softened and mushed into an acro skeleton. I have a frag tank running to grow out pocillopora damicornis frags for him, as well as some acros in the hopes he likes those as well in case he stops eating frozen. I added a small copperband, a small punctatofasciatus, and a small utiliensis butterfly at the same time, all of whom are eating well, in the hopes that they will help better train him onto frozen.

 

[tc2007]

What are you tank dimensions. Off topic

 

[fishfreak2009]

What are you tank dimensions. Off topic

96" long x 48" wide x 19" tall.

 

[caribfan]

Very difficult fish to keep. I had an Arabian for about three months that are prepared foods relatively well, but it perished from what I believe was bad gut health. I'd like to see some videos of the fish eating live brine.

Assuming you realize this is an obligate corallivore.

 

[fishfreak2009]

Very difficult fish to keep. I had an Arabian for about three months that are prepared foods relatively well, but it perished from what I believe was bad gut health. I'd like to see some videos of the fish eating live brine.

Assuming you realize this is an obligate corallivore.

I do realize this. I am actually building a frag tank just to raise pocillopora damicornis and some acros just as a backup in case this guy goes off feed. Right now it's mainly picking the occasional live brine and frozen mysid off the bottom, so I'm hoping that'll turn into better grazing. I am going to pick up a fresh clam tomorrow and some live blackworms this Friday when my LFS gets them in stock. Im also going to mash a variety of foods into a couple coral skeletons and freeze the food onto it, making a "natural" grazing station of sorts. It worked well for my old Moorish idol and regal angel.

Edit for pictures!

 

[caribfan]

Amazing size, would over to see a video, thanks so much for the pictures.

Your plan is a good one, I had success with packing food into clam shells as well.

 

[fishfreak2009]

Amazing size, would over to see a video, thanks so much for the pictures.

Your plan is a good one, I had success with packing food into clam shells as well.

The size was perfect IMO. The copperband butterfly and ulietensis butterfly I picked up are about the same size. If they are still at the store, I'm going to pick up a regal angel and a saddleback butterfly that were the same size

 

[fishfreak2009]

Well, I came home today and the redfin was dead on the bottom of the tank completely covered in bruises. The internal organs all look hemmoraged as well. It had picked at live rock and various foods put into the tank, as well as some acros I put in for extra feedings, and never really lost any weight. I'm wondering if it goes to collection methods, possibly cyanide?

I actually picked up a raccoon butterfly from the same store as well (never bought fish there before these guys, couldn't pass up the great price of $15 per butterfly on my first visit there) and now I'm regretting it. The raccoon will not eat anything at all and is steadily losing weight, the punctatofasciatus will not touch any food, and the copperband will only eat tubeworms. The ulietensis eats acros greedily, and also takes frozen mysid off the bottom of the tank. None of them ate at the store, but had shown interest, and since they had only been there 2 days I wasn't very worried. Big mistake on my part.

The good news is I never picked up the regal angel at that store. I went to my normal LFS and found an even smaller beautiful little guy who had been there 2 weeks and is eating like a champ. Eats everything I throw in the tank including flake.

 

[pinnatus]

Sad.

 

[suta4242]

I think these fish are hard on many fronts. Yours was small, which is beneficial in terms of learning to adapt. But theres also a very limited time frame before the fish becomes emaciated if it's not eating all day long.

May not have turned out any different if it was a pretty fresh hand caught fish either. At the very least I think they need access to coral slime. Maybe it acts like a probiotic in their long intestinal tracts. Who knows...

 

[fishfreak2009]

I think these fish are hard on many fronts. Yours was small, which is beneficial in terms of learning to adapt. But theres also a very limited time frame before the fish becomes emaciated if it's not eating all day long.

May not have turned out any different if it was a pretty fresh hand caught fish either. At the very least I think they need access to coral slime. Maybe it acts like a probiotic in their long intestinal tracts. Who knows...

He definitely wasn't skinny, and he had access to coral slime. I had a coral propagation tank of nothing but Acropora hyacinthus and Pocillopora damicornis, as those are the two species of coral this species was documented as feeding on in the wild.