Are Heniochus butterflies reef safe?

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Saw that Blue Zoo's most recent shipment brought in some Heniochus acuminatus. I run an 80 gal reef that I plan to keep mostly softies, lps and montipora. Will these butterfies attack coral like the Chaetodons? If they do, what kind of coral do they usually go after? I'm not afraid of anything eating this thing but I'd rather not get something that'll peck my hammers and duncans.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Saw that Blue Zoo's most recent shipment brought in some Heniochus acuminatus. I run an 80 gal reef that I plan to keep mostly softies, lps and montipora. Will these butterfies attack coral like the Chaetodons? If they do, what kind of coral do they usually go after? I'm not afraid of anything eating this thing but I'd rather not get something that'll peck my hammers and duncans.

Last one I had took about 7 minutes to start devouring my zoa coral.
Pyramid butterflies are reef safe 100%

 

[Alpha_and_Gec]

Last one I had took about 7 minutes to start devouring my zoa coral.
Pyramid butterflies are reef safe 100%

dang, sticking to no butterflies or angels then. They're unsightly anyways.

 

[nereefpat]

One species in the Heniouchus genus is reef safe, but we never see it. H. diphruites

 

[vetteguy53081]

One species in the Heniouchus genus is reef safe, but we never see it. H. diphruites

Agree and its been 3 years or more since ive seen any

 

[Bruttall]

Agree and its been 3 years or more since ive seen any

Think I just picked up 3 of them in Omaha 2 days ago. Not 100% they are H. diphuites but they look like the pictures I googled, and so far mine have left my softies alone, they are hunting pods and brine it looks like to me.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Think I just picked up 3 of them in Omaha 2 days ago. Not 100% they are H. diphuites but they look like the pictures I googled, and so far mine have left my softies alone, they are hunting pods and brine it looks like to me.

This One particular version as mentioned are indeed reef safe while others take as little as 4 hours to start munching.

 

[Bruttall]

This One particular version as mentioned are indeed reef safe while others take as little as 4 hours to start munching.

honestly, I got lucky, I was shopping for anything that might eat Aptisia and not look like a floating turd. Though the filefish I put in the sump is finally chowing on the stuff there, he'll go into DT in a few more weeks.