Room for butterfly fish?

[DrBoxedWine]

Hey everyone,<br />
<br />
I have a 6' 155g Bow front mixed reef. Upgraded from a 75g back in January, everything has been going pretty well with it. Here is my current stock list:<br />
<br />
Current fish:<br />
Kole tang <br />
Yellow tang <br />
Flamehawk <br />
Firefish<br />
Bicolor blenny <br />
Melanurus wrasse <br />
Christmas Wrasse<br />
1 chromis <br />
2 Picasso clowns <br />
<br />
Everyone is getting along well, with the Yellow Tang as the undisputed tank boss.<br />
<br />
I posted a while back as out adding a Blue Throat Trigger and thanks to some great feedback I decided it wouldn't be a good add to my tank, mostly for space and bioload reasons.

I'm thinking of a butterfly fish now... So assuming I got one of the reef safe and easier to keep butterflies, would this work out? Is a 155g bow front big enough?

How is their bioload? Are they really active fish and fast growers?
<br />
Looking to hear thoughts from anyone if you guys have them.<br />
<br />
Thanks in advance!

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[Dkuhlmann]

IF and that's a BIG IF, you had gotten a butterfly fish from the onset of your tank you would be ok. However, you have so many aggressive and semi-aggressive fish I wouldn't risk the gentle and passive butterflies in there. There are a some that might work and would be a good addition the one that stands out to me most is the Racoon Butterfly fish. They are also 100% guaranteed aiptasia eaters (or so I've been told) I would use an acclimation box if you do decide to get one. There are a few others that might work.

We have a few guy's that are butterfly fish experts in the http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=139 forum, you might want to ask this question in that forum. Or maybe have a mod move this one. Just click the red triangle with the ! in it and ask in the popup window.

 

[Cliving1]

I think you could get away with one but I wouldnt add anything after. What size are the tangs? Butterflies are open swimmers lots of personality. You already have a yellow tang, but the longnose butterfly is hardy and an easier butterfly (both similar in shape and color idk if thats smart). There are many different colors to choose from and some are reef safe and others are not.

 

[CarrieB]

There are a some that might work and would be a good addition the one that stands out to me most is the Racoon Butterfly fish. They are also 100% guaranteed aiptasia eaters (or so I've been told) I would use an acclimation box if you do decide to get one. There are a few others that might work.

Liveaquaria says raccoon butterflies are not reef safe- will eat inverts and corals?


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[heathlindner25]

The pyramid butterflies the only one I would ever try

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Liveaquaria says raccoon butterflies are not reef safe- will eat inverts and corals?


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I honestly don't think there is any reef safe butterfly. Sure every once in a while you get lucky with an individual fish,but for the most part they're not reef safe.

 

[heathlindner25]

I honestly don't think there is any reef safe butterfly. Sure every once in a while you get lucky with an individual fish,but for the most part they're not reef safe.

Pyramid butterfly fish