Sunburst Butterfly
- Thread starter las
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Alberta-newb
New member
Are we talking about Chaetodon kleini?
If so, I don't have one myself but I understand kleinis are one of the easiest to keep in terms of feeding. I see them quite often at a LFS and they devour flake, pellets and mysis.
If this is a different species, sorry! I saw some ornate butterflys today at a store, they sell them cheap since they die so quickly. I'm always tempted but have learned restraint. If I can't see it at least sample food, I walk away. I had a pair of obligate coralivores (C. baronessa) that were feeding very well on a frozen angel diet. Sadly I lost them to velvet from another fish in QT.
Francis
If so, I don't have one myself but I understand kleinis are one of the easiest to keep in terms of feeding. I see them quite often at a LFS and they devour flake, pellets and mysis.
If this is a different species, sorry! I saw some ornate butterflys today at a store, they sell them cheap since they die so quickly. I'm always tempted but have learned restraint. If I can't see it at least sample food, I walk away. I had a pair of obligate coralivores (C. baronessa) that were feeding very well on a frozen angel diet. Sadly I lost them to velvet from another fish in QT.
Francis
Last edited:
Alberta-newb
New member
I just put one of these in QT Tuesday, has not touched any prepared foods. Tried pellets, cyclop-eeze, pe mysis, frozen brine, freeze dried krill, live clam. He shows interest and picks at some live rocks I have in there.
I ordered some live brine, hoping that can fatten him up a bit to ween him on to something else. Otherwise...
I ordered some live brine, hoping that can fatten him up a bit to ween him on to something else. Otherwise...
jjk_reef00
New member
Did you get him from LA, DD, or another supplier?
DD has/had a sunburst recently that was eating. I ordered a dusky and a rainfordi from DD and LA respectively just before christmas. The Dusky came in eating, just as advertised from DD. The rainfordi took some work, but he eats most of the foods I offer readily, more so than the dusky does now.
My advice is to have a lot of clam on the half shell available, that is both of these fishes preferred food. They also eat the LRS foods pretty well. Both of mine went through a period where they weren't eating much of anything that was free floating and someone on RC recommended finely chopped uncooked table shrimp - this is also a good thing to have on hand. I like the wild caught ones if you can find them.
I've not kept a Sunburst, but it's one I would definitely try. I'm not convinced that the corallivores necessarily need the protein provided by the corals they eat in the wild, so much as they just need a ton of food through out the day.
Quarantine would be a definite must, and I might even try adding another fish that you know will eat a clam, so it kind of teaches the sunburst what to do. Conversely, sometimes a fish like this is better without any feeding pressure too, so you'll just have to feel that strategy out. Maybe start him of in quarantine by himself and if he's not eating anything after a couple days, add one of your current fish that would be compatible and that you know would go after the clams.
Let us know how it goes, good luck!
My advice is to have a lot of clam on the half shell available, that is both of these fishes preferred food. They also eat the LRS foods pretty well. Both of mine went through a period where they weren't eating much of anything that was free floating and someone on RC recommended finely chopped uncooked table shrimp - this is also a good thing to have on hand. I like the wild caught ones if you can find them.
I've not kept a Sunburst, but it's one I would definitely try. I'm not convinced that the corallivores necessarily need the protein provided by the corals they eat in the wild, so much as they just need a ton of food through out the day.
Quarantine would be a definite must, and I might even try adding another fish that you know will eat a clam, so it kind of teaches the sunburst what to do. Conversely, sometimes a fish like this is better without any feeding pressure too, so you'll just have to feel that strategy out. Maybe start him of in quarantine by himself and if he's not eating anything after a couple days, add one of your current fish that would be compatible and that you know would go after the clams.
Let us know how it goes, good luck!
The sunburst on DD now eats, I've seen a videoHope someone grabs it!!
Let me tell you I am tempted. It's such a cool size too. I've been eyeing that coradion as well, just don't have the away space right now. If they are still there in a month they just might become mine.
DjScRiBbLe
In Memoriam
Get nutramar ova.
jjk_reef00
New member
Great news!
Feeding well
Feeding well
The sunburst butterfly has been in the community tank for about 6mo now and is competing for food just fine.
Just wanted to share a success story for picky eaters. He will eat brine, plankton and mysis out of the water column now.
I purchased him February 2014, he lived by himself for about a year eating live clams.
cheers.
Feeding well
The sunburst butterfly has been in the community tank for about 6mo now and is competing for food just fine.
Just wanted to share a success story for picky eaters. He will eat brine, plankton and mysis out of the water column now.
I purchased him February 2014, he lived by himself for about a year eating live clams.
cheers.
Shawn O
Active member
Pretty fish, look good swimming in pairs.
An absolutely beautiful fish, a shame they don't do well in captivity. Then again, they would probably would be endangered in the wild if they were easy to keep in captivity. I'd get one in a heart beat if they were easy fish.
An absolutely beautiful fish, a shame they don't do well in captivity. Then again, they would probably would be endangered in the wild if they were easy to keep in captivity. I'd get one in a heart beat if they were easy fish.
