Butterfly with inverts?

[blazeyreef]

everywere I read it say's not to mix buterfly's with inverts, yet I see so many people keeping them in reefs? I would love a buterfly for my (coming soon) 75 fowlr, but I do want to have inverts such as cleaner shrimp, hermits, snails, emerald crabs and maybe a few low light corals. im just curious as I see a lot in reefs now day's.

 

[Ziggy953]

I guess that depends on the butterfly...most will nip corals I'm not sure about the shrimp/crabs. They may also nip at clams.

 

[lando]

Most butterfly fish will nip at corals and mobile inverts. There are not many butterflies that are considered reef safe (copperband or long nose). However, they are also some of the more difficult butterflies to keep.

 

[melosu58]

I agree that butterflyfish are not reef safe. You have to remember that they will not always nip on corals on day one but can at any time after that. My keyhole angel and flame took 4 yrs but when they finally decided to eat corals they did. Just because someone has a non reef safe fish in the tank does not always mean he beat the odds.

 

[tangster]

alot of people have had good luck(because it is against nature) with a copper banded butterfly fish--esp if they are bought young and small. If they grow up well fed then they can be kept with corals.
Tangster

 

[melosu58]

alot of people have had good luck(because it is against nature) with a copper banded butterfly fish[/quote]

I have to disagree with this. It is not uncommon for butterfly fish to nip at corals. Here is some info that will verify that. I`m not saying you cant get one that wont nip but as I posted earlier it wont always happen at first but they are prone to nip at corals. LA says " Caution should be exercised if housing these fish in a reef aquarium. They may pick on invertebrates, especially anemones and feather dusters. " Saltwaterfish.com says "The Copperband has an elongated mouth which it uses to pick at coral heads, including nuisance Aiptasia." Reef hotspot says "This fish requires large amounts of live rock for grazing. Most butterflyfish are known to nip at sessile invertebrates including coral and tridacnid clams. This species is known to eat aiptasia in the home aquarium."

 

[tankanator]

I had a raccoon butterflyfish and it ate all my corals they were mushroom corals. I have to say that all though the longnose and copperband butterflyfish are considered reef safe I would air on the side of caution.

 

[Ziggy953]

I believe the longnose adn copperband are considered "with caution" fish. Like Melosu said, they may or may not nip right away but they certainly have the disposition to do so at some point in time.

 

[demodiki]

I have had a CBB for two weeks in the main and he decimated my aiptasia. Absolutely no sign of any now. Eats mysis like a hog and hasn't touched the coral yet.

 

[melosu58]

and hasn't touched the coral yet.

That is good news but 2 weeks is not too long. As I said earlier my two angels were good for 4 yrs but all of a sudden 8O