Butterfly’s are nice

[Subsea]

Two weeks ago, due to toxins from dead Sea Apple, all fish died overnight. Hippo Tang, raised from 1” diameter jumped out of tank.

Because I wanted ornamental seaweeds in my 30 yr mature tank, I turned the page on Tangs in my 75G display and opted for Butterfly’s.

Yesterday, I added two Butterfly’s, one Drawf Angel, one Orchid Dottyback and four Clowns. Three months ago, I added my first Butterfly, a CBB, to 120G tank to help with Aptasia infestation. He initially was a little skitterish and is very finicky with food which works for me, as he eats Aptasia.

As I drank morning coffee, I appreciate the harmony of the Butterfly’s.

 

[exnisstech]

Sorry for your losses but glad to see your enjoying the new additions.
How large was your sea apple? Asking because I have a small one living in the sump of my 330 which houses most of my tangs some 9-10 yo amd I would hate to lose them.

 

[kevgib67]

Two weeks ago, due to toxins from dead Sea Apple, all fish died overnight. Hippo Tang, raised from 1” diameter jumped out of tank.

Because I wanted ornamental seaweeds in my 30 yr mature tank, I turned the page on Tangs in my 75G display and opted for Butterfly’s.

Yesterday, I added two Butterfly’s, one Drawf Angel, one Orchid Dottyback and four Clowns. Three months ago, I added my first Butterfly, a CBB, to 120G tank to help with Aptasia infestation. He initially was a little skitterish and is very finicky with food which works for me, as he eats Aptasia.

As I drank morning coffee, I appreciate the harmony of the Butterfly’s.

Beautiful! I got a CBB from Dr. Reef about 6 weeks ago, I contacted them to see what they were feeding it in quarantine and matched it exactly. It came in perfectly healthy but for the life of me I couldn’t get it to eat. It passed about 10 days later. I might give it another shot sometime down the road, it was beautiful.

 

[exnisstech]

Beautiful! I got a CBB from Dr. Reef about 6 weeks ago, I contacted them to see what they were feeding it in quarantine and matched it exactly. It came in perfectly healthy but for the life of me I couldn’t get it to eat. It passed about 10 days later. I might give it another shot sometime down the road, it was beautiful.

That sucks to hear. I have limited experience but I try to caution people to be aware that just because a CBB is feeding at the store doesn't mean it won't stop eating when added to a DT. Did you add it to your DT right away? That seems to be one thing that some CBBs adapt to with no problems and others seem to refuse to eat. My new one has been in about 3-4 weeks now. It already sees me as the food giver and hurrys to the front of the tank when it sees me. I only have a single clown and a springeri damsel as tank mates. They are peaceful and I think having them helps the CBB learn to feed from the water column.
If you decide to try again I'd be willing to try and condition it to tank life for you since your not far away. I don't run any copper tho so that's a risk .

My current one in observation.

 

[MarcoReef]

CBBs are incredible fish — elegant, curious, and full of personality. Sharing mine here… and I post more reef clips on my channel for anyone who loves these fish

 

[kevgib67]

That sucks to hear. I have limited experience but I try to caution people to be aware that just because a CBB is feeding at the store doesn't mean it won't stop eating when added to a DT. Did you add it to your DT right away? That seems to be one thing that some CBBs adapt to with no problems and others seem to refuse to eat. My new one has been in about 3-4 weeks now. It already sees me as the food giver and hurrys to the front of the tank when it sees me. I only have a single clown and a springeri damsel as tank mates. They are peaceful and I think having them helps the CBB learn to feed from the water column.
If you decide to try again I'd be willing to try and condition it to tank life for you since your not far away. I don't run any copper tho so that's a risk .

My current one in observation.

Yes, I added it right away. I would feed the other side of the tank drawing all the other fish over and then spot feed it while it was alone and it would just swim through the cloud of food ignoring all of it every time. Thank you for the offer, I might just take you up on it. It will probably be awhile though.

 

[Subsea]

So now, I have a False Moorish Idol & a Pearscale butterfly fish that are peaceful tank mates with personality.

 

[christinna77]

I much prefer butterflies over tangs, I just don't like their aggressive nature. I replaced my jerk YT with a longnose butterfly and he's such a character. He's also very very peaceful. I may never be able to keep acans anymore, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make lol. I love that fish.

 

[Subsea]

I much prefer butterflies over tangs, I just don't like their aggressive nature. I replaced my jerk YT with a longnose butterfly and he's such a character. He's also very very peaceful. I may never be able to keep acans anymore, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make lol. I love that fish.

I tolerated Tangs because of the bold colors of Yellow & Blue Tangs. However, I wanted ornamental seaweeds in the display. With too many Aptasia and soft corals everywhere, the Butterfly’s are a perfect choice. I like peaceful community tanks. With two small school of dither fish (Pajama Cardinals & Clowns), the Butterfly’s stand out nicely.

 

[TylerHaworth]

Butterflies are a group of fish I've always admired from a distance, CBB's are such a useful and beautiful fish.

Just wish I had enough confidence in myself to get one eating.

 

[Subsea]

Butterflies are a group of fish I've always admired from a distance, CBB's are such a useful and beautiful fish.

Just wish I had enough confidence in myself to get one eating.

Never had a Butterfly before. In the last 3 months, I have introduced three Butterflies into two systems.

Yes, I got CBB for a purpose: Aptasia infestation. In 55 years of reefing, I have never dealt with a more finicky fish. That was a 120G display.

The two Butterflies that I added this week to 30 yr mature 75G tank. Both immediately starting grazing on live rock and the Fake Moorish Idol starting nipping at Aptasia.

 

[MarcoReef]

Not sure you watched the short I posted? Copperbands need plenty of microfauna to perform well. If you focus on that, providing a healthy zooplankton environment, the fish will strive alone. This also because the food we “put” in the tank may not contain all the nutrients this fish needs. So rather than focusing on trying to make it eat, focus on ensuring your tank has plenty of live food inside the rock. If you watch the short you can see the cbb picking zooplankton. They do that all day long…small “meals” throughout the day. Occasionally I also put live mussel or I buy they fresh and freeze. Mussels and clams are typically irresistible for these fish, but cannot be seen as only source of food. And of course if you have aiptasia that is also on the menu…

Most reefers fail as they focus on the wrong approach . But once you understand what the fish needs, it will strive. My one lived years…

 

[Subsea]

Not sure you watched the short I posted? Copperbands need plenty of microfauna to perform well. If you focus on that, providing a healthy zooplankton environment, the fish will strive alone. This also because the food we “put” in the tank may not contain all the nutrients this fish needs. So rather than focusing on trying to make it eat, focus on ensuring your tank has plenty of live food inside the rock. If you watch the short you can see the cbb picking zooplankton. They do that all day long…small “meals” throughout the day. Occasionally I also put live mussel or I buy they fresh and freeze. Mussels and clams are typically irresistible for these fish, but cannot be seen as only source of food. And of course if you have aiptasia that is also on the menu…

Most reefers fail as they focus on the wrong approach . But once you understand what the fish needs, it will strive. My one lived years…

Yes, I watched your video.

In addition to much diver collected live rock, I have plentiful soft corals polyps of GSP & Xenia. My biggest nutrient export is fragging a selling softies attached to designer live rock.

Nutrient recycling into a beautiful fish works for me.

 

[Paul B]

I'm not sure why so many people have problems with Copperbands. I have been keeping them since the 70s and rarely have any problems. Of course I see them eating in the store and I feed them things they eat in the sea like live worms and pieces of clam.

They normally live about 10 years for me which is probably a failure as I assume they can live longer but I find 10 years to be OK.

They are large feeders and I would not quarantine one (or any fish)

Mine even lays eggs.

 

[Subsea]

@Paul B
I am waiting for first light to see if any of the Butterflies laid eggs. Do they come in different colors?

 

[Paul B]

Yes, some are yellow and white stripped.

 

[Subsea]

Having never kept Butterflyfish, I continue to be fascinated by the friendly interactions between different species. In researching

“The schooling bannerfish (Heniochus diphreutes), also known as the false moorish idol, is a marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish from the familyChaetodontidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific area.”

The first title “schooling bannerfish” is what caught my eye, because of the behavior that I saw starting with day 1, when Spade was added to the tank along with 4 Ocellarious Clowns. Within an hour he was nibbling on live rock and exploring the tank. Pearl was 1 week in tank and had acclimatized to tank community at the same time as 4 Pajama Cardinals. (Pearlscale Butterflyfish).

I have been so impressed with the community interaction of these Butterflyfish.

 

[Funkateer_1]

Butterflyfish are criminally underrated and my favorite fish in the hobby. Wish more people would give them a shot.

 

[Subsea]

Butterflyfish are criminally underrated and my favorite fish in the hobby. Wish more people would give them a shot.

Gorgeous tank. Gorgeous corals & fish.

Almost every website says not reef safe, eats coral polyps. I say, so what on eating coral polyps. I am good with nutrient recycling.

 

[Subsea]

“The schooling bannerfish (Heniochus diphreutes), also known as the false moorish idol, is a marine ray-finned fish, a butterflyfish from the familyChaetodontidae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific area.”​

​

Ecology​

“As is indicated by its common name, the schooling bannerfish lives in large groups. It feeds on zooplankton in the open water, and juveniles may act as cleaner fish,[2][3][5] and this has also been seen in adults. This oviparous species forms pairs to breed.[6] They have been observed cleaning parasites off the short sunfish (Mola ramsayi) off the Maldives.[7]”

Now that I have observed this new arrival for 3 days, I am amazed at the social interactions of these gorgeous Butterflies. So, to see the two Butterflyfish graze & swim together in the first 2 hours was amazing. Then today, I observed interaction between Pearl & Spade that would have been interpreted by me as foreplay between male & female of the same species, when I saw Spade gentle nip at gill plate of Pearl.

It was then that I recalled this:

“feeds on zooplankton in the open water, and juveniles may act as cleaner fish,[2][3][5] and this has also been seen in adults.”