unsafe butterfly and corals

[Felixc]

The Golden, Racoon, and Pakistani are known as part time coral consumers, of the three types of corals, sps, lps, zoa, which do you think will temp them the most. My tank is 90% sps and I am thinking of add a pair of these butterfy. It wouldn't bother me too much if it eats the lps and zoa, but my concern is the sps. I will tolerate the occassional nipping as long as it dosen't destroy the entire colony. Anyone have experience these fish with corals? Please share.

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

I have never kept any of these in a reef but I did pass on a racoon I really wanted after hearing way too many stories about this fish being quite destructive in a reef. From what I have read the golden might be your best bet but they do get rather large. My one good personal experience is with a auriga BF and it left everything alone except LPS.

 

[2dawghouse]

Pretty much anything with polyps, I wouldnt take that chance.

 

[kelvin88]

seems risky to me

 

[snorvich]

the most reef safe butterfly is the pyramid. With every butterfly however, there is a risk.

 

[Felixc]

Even with the risks, does anyone have these butterflies in their reef. Please share your experience.

 

[jda]

I had a pair of Semilevartus that left my roses and SPS alone. They did pick on the LPS. I don't have any zoos. One jumped and the other died 6 months later. I would NEVER recommend that anybody try them - I probably just got lucky. I got them eating in a 75G fuge before I put them in the tank.

My copperbands never ate any coral.

 

[Felixc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12342238#post12342238 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jda
I had a pair of Semilevartus that left my roses and SPS alone. They did pick on the LPS. I don't have any zoos.

Just picking or did they actually ate and killed the LPS? Did they do this to all your LPS or just some? Did you have a hard time getting them to eat at first? Thx.

 

[jda]

They would have ended up dying. I put them in my fuge.

 

[rachenbrazil]

Racoon is destructive... tried to put some mushrooms (giant green) and some montipora trimings in my fowlr ... well they lasted for 2 days only... racoon ate it with passion and fever...so don't bother trying... will be hard to remove him later for sure...
Better chance with piramid , and with the uber expensive tinker ...

 

[Felixc]

Noted thank you, Anyone else with these 3 butterflies.

 

[glassbox-design]

They will eat your SPS.

This little Collare was only 2in, and did some considerable damage. Unfortunately she did not make it. She didnt care much for zoas, but constantly picked at sps polyps. Beautiful fish.

 

[snorvich]

C. collare is one of the tougher butterfly fish to try. But there are gorgeous, especially in shoals on the reef. Raffles from Indonesia might work if you want to try a pretty one.

 

[glassbox-design]

I've actually had good experience with larger specimens in FOWLR. This little one just wasn't ready to leave and didn't ship well

Raffles are pretty, never even thought about trying one...thanks for the heads up Snorvich.