Reef & non-reef safe Banner fish

[dsmooth]

My LFS has Heniochus Banner Fish but does not know if they have the reef safe or non reef safe type. From what I have been reading they are basically undistinguished from one another. My question is how do people with reef tanks that have Banner fish in them identity which one to buy. Is it by luck and if the fish start nipping at the corals you get rid of it an try again, thx

 

[mr.maroonsalty]

This should be moved to the reef fish forum. The reef friendly Henioches vr can be distinguished; I believe it has something to do with the last bar. These fish get big fast, and not very well suited for the typical medium size 120-180 gallon tanks.

 

[dunc101]

If I remember correctly on the reef safe banner fish, one of the white stripe comes to a point in the bottom most part of the fin. On non reef safe fish, the white portion while encompass the entire bottom part of that fin. I'll see if I can find an example b/c what I just typed probably makes no sense lol.

 

[dunc101]

OK, here is a better description that I took from another thread which is basically what I was referring to above.
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the schooling bannerfish's rear black bar ends right at the tip of the anal fin, the longfin bannerfish's ends right above the anal fin and usually has a rounder breast.very common.
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Check this thread too:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1626751

The other way you can tell the difference is the mouth is a little different.
See the article below...
http://www.reefs.org/forums/topic118395.html

 

[mr.maroonsalty]

If I were to want reef safe banner fish, I would look to a good retailer who knows its suppliers and get from them fish that come from places where reef safe Heniochus are plentiful.