nippin butterflies

[mandarin man]

will butterflies nip at all corals or only a certain few like mushroom and zoos, etc.? if only a certain few... what few?

 

[Ziggy953]

Depends on the type of butterfly you are looking at....

 

[melosu58]

IME they are not reef safe. They love to nip at polyps and fleshy corals. As with all fish your milage will vary. I know most online places say the are not reef safe. JME

 

[Ziggy953]

Most of the time the long nose species are considered reef safe with caution. The other butterflies will surely feed on stony coral polyps and can nip at LPS as well.

I have a copper banded butterfly in my reef and he is a model citizen. He will even eat out of my hand.

 

[melosu58]

How long have you had him Allen?

 

[Ziggy953]

about 6 months I guess...There is always a chance that any fish that is "with caution" reef safe to turn on corals. So far so good on my end.

 

[roka64]

Good for you Allen, mine lasted a little over 6 months, but I couldn't get him to eat prepared food. What do you feed him?

 

[Ziggy953]

Mine eats mysis. Started eating the day I put him in the tank. He will actually eat right out of my hand.

 

[Ziggy953]

Oh...btw I just went back and checked, I got the CBB in May. So I have had him for about 8 months.

 

[roka64]

Congrats! Mine seemd to have an aiptasia/feather duster only diet.

 

[Tank2379]

Would the Copper Band do ok in a 55?

 

[Innovator]

You can semi-trick difficult feeders into eating prepared by smearing a food medley onto a dead coral skeleton (preferably of Genus they are used to feeding on). Eventually they will recognize the smell and food to where it can be fed without the skeleton. This is a much longer process in weaning, but has been accomplished. As with anything else, feeding a variety of foods and especially in quarantine is best in getting butterflys used to prepared. Oh yes, and depending on the butterfly it may feed on a mixture of algae, mobile invertebrates, and coral polyps or just dine or coral polyps. Most corralivores seem to consume the flesh of sps types.

Copperband would be fine in a 55g

 

[roka64]

I had one in my 55. I just had trouble getting mine to eat. Make sure your LFS feeds while you are there (I bought mine online). You have corals, so they may not be a good fit for your tank, they will much anemones and feather dusters.

 

[Ziggy953]

Before you buy the CBB make your LFS feed the fish and see if it eats. If they are feeding it mysis and it is eating then make sure to get the exact same thing they are feeding it. That could help you out along the way. I got very lucky with mine. He is a pig and follows me thinking I'm going to feed him every time I walk to the tank.

 

[Tank2379]

HHHMMMMMM, Yeah that won't work.

 

[Ziggy953]

What wont work?

 

[melosu58]

HHHMMMMMM, Yeah that won't work.