Something "different"??

[jden092901]

Hey all, I have a 120 gallon reef and would like to get a fish that is "different". I thought about a longnose butterfly fish, I have read many articles about this fish and each one says something different, so they all contradict each other. Would this fish be ok with my clam/coral/inverts? I also LOVE angel fish, however, is there a reef/coral/invert safe angel? I would love something that looks "different" (such as a longnose butterfly/copperbanded).

Thank you so much,

Joshua

 

[PolandSpring]

most angel fish are reef safe "With Caution" ..i have a coral beauty angel fish which is doing just fine in my tank and i know many people who have flame angel fish that are reef safe

 

[AD87]

What about a school of fish? like 10-20 firefish?

 

[Aquarist007]

Re: Something "different"??

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15102798#post15102798 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jden092901
Hey all, I have a 120 gallon reef and would like to get a fish that is "different". I thought about a longnose butterfly fish, I have read many articles about this fish and each one says something different, so they all contradict each other. Would this fish be ok with my clam/coral/inverts? I also LOVE angel fish, however, is there a reef/coral/invert safe angel? I would love something that looks "different" (such as a longnose butterfly/copperbanded).

Thank you so much,

Joshua

the two butterfly fish you mentioned are 50/50 with being reef safe.
For long term survival of these two you need to find a source of live black worms to feed them.

 

[WaterKeeper]

Butterfly fish do well in the reef aquarium as they love to eat corals.

That said, the two you mention Longnose, Forcipiger flavissimus and Copperbanded, Chelmon rostratus are fairly good choices. Their long snouts and small mouths means they do not do a great deal of damage to most corals but may fray delicate LPS. If you can tolerate a little wear and tear on some coral specimens then they are fine in most tanks.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15103363#post15103363 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
Butterfly fish do well in the reef aquarium as they love to eat corals.

That said, the two you mention Longnose, Forcipiger flavissimus and Copperbanded, Chelmon rostratus are fairly good choices. Their long snouts and small mouths means they do not do a great deal of damage to most corals but may fray delicate LPS. If you can tolerate a little wear and tear on some coral specimens then they are fine in most tanks.

very true of course WK but in the case of the copperbanded you have to feed it something other then your corals and this is where some problems can happen because they are finicky eaters.
After the third attempt at feeding a cbb mysis for over a year and a half I also lost this fish due to internal something. PaulB explained at that time that the only way to be successful with these fish is to feed them live black worms.

 

[Paul B]

WaterKeeper is actually correct. I hate it when he is right.
Those two fish are 50/50 or I think more 25/75 with the 25% not eating your corals. They may pick but I don't think they do much harm. In a tank of sps they may though. They eat worms, any kind of worms, tube worms included. If you follow these guys in the South Pacific like I have done, you will see them picking "things" out of between the corals and especially in holes in rocks. They must have really good vision because some of the stuff they pull out of the rock is tiny.
They should have worms. Not blood worms which are beetle larvae but real worms such as blackworms. They will live on other things like clams but in the sea, a longnosed butterfly has no real access to a clam knife so they don't eat many clams (although I do, but I have a clam knife)
Both of those fish are not the easiest fish to keep for many years anyway so you should try to provide them with what they are supposed to eat.
Ignore my friend Clementine, she is a friend of my wife who just wouldn't leave her alone on those dives. Cute though, she has eyes like Waterkeeper

 

[WaterKeeper]

:lol: Leave it to Paul to post crooked pictures.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15109654#post15109654 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
:lol: Leave it to Paul to post crooked pictures.

croocked pictures--now you tell me---I have been trying to straighten out my lap top all day:lol:

 

[WaterKeeper]

Beats me how he did it. Must know some html that I don't.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15110138#post15110138 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WaterKeeper
Beats me how he did it. Must know some html that I don't.

I think he has learned how to use a scanner---could use a few lessons but he is at least on the right track.:lol:

 

[Paul B]

Leave it to Paul to post crooked pictures

Those pictures are not crooked, put your wallet in your other pocket.

It will even you out :dance:

 

[returnofsid]

My wallet's too thin to make much of a difference, now I have a kink in my neck. Wait, my neck has always been kinky!!

jden092901, if you're wanting something different, why not a Pyramid Butterfly? They're much more reef safe than most of the other Butterfly, though I don't know about putting any in a 120. Another option would be a Schooling Bannerfish (Heniochus diphreutes), though finding the right particular species has become a chore to me. Of all the Heniochus, this one seems to be very reef safe, though most LFS supply lists only list "asst. Heniochus." That's why it's tough to get the right one. Most of the Heniochus aren't as reef safe.

 

[Paul B]

You want something different? Put a few of these guys in there, they are 3 bucks and you have to step on them to kill them.
You won't find many in reefs.

 

[ladybug5234]

Cute and bright! What kind of fish is that? Is it reef safe (or is that why you wont find many in reefs)?

 

[Paul B]

They are Bumblebee gobies and they are sold in brackish water but obviousely they can live in full salt water. They cost about $3.00 and are common in the freshwater section of LFSs.
They are reef safe but are picky eaters. I hatch brine shrimp everyday and also feed live blackworms which they love. They eat a little mysis also but it is not their favorite.

 

[Superstretch18]

Bumblebee gobies. They're really more of a brackishwater fish, but they can definitely do well in full strength salt.

That's actually a really good idea...

 

[WaterKeeper]

Bummble bees, Scats and Batfish juvi's are all brackish but routinely travel into full seawater. They do well but Batfish are usually too tall to fit in most reef tanks and also hard to feed.

 

[Paul B]

Hey Water, come on out to Long Island for some boating.
You can collect some flounders and teach them to agitate your DSB

Actually we have some nice big (about 7") mantis shrimp that love to dig, they're tasty too.

Of course you have to dive in the middle of the night for them, but hey, no problem for me. :smokin:

 

[WaterKeeper]

I don't suppose they still sell the really big lobsters at Montauk for a buck a pound anymore.