Got Flies? Let's see some Butterfly fish

[JMM744]

Mine are over a year and some over 3 years. Just investigate the type before buying. Some are coral only eaters and can be very difficult to keep.

 

[av8soulfly]

wow a lot of beautifull fish.

But I have a question for all the butterfly fish lover.

Ive heard they are pretty hard to take car of and they live normally only 6 months in a thank is it true ? any of you have a butterfly for like 2 years or more ?

I find that the factors to success are giving them lots of space to swim. A long tank is better suited for them than a cube for example. My tank is 5 feet long and about a 100 gallons. The décor has lots of hiding holes and ledges for them to hang out under.
Also diet is important. I feed mine 3 or 4 times daily. They eat pellets readily, but their favorite is my own recipe. scallops, shrimp, clam meat, snail meat, noori, and a squirt of selcon additive, all chopped finely and frozen into cubes.
Before I throw down the cash for a fish, it will be eating voraciously in the store with no signs of stress or discoloration or spots of any kind on their bodies or fins.
When I get the new fish home, it gets fresh water dipped for 4 minutes in RODI and a pinch of pH buffer in the dip tank.

 

[Zionas]

Generally the key to successfully keeping BFs is to go to your LFS and choose them in person whenever possible. If a species is a generalized feeder (AKA omnivore) it’s got a better chance of surviving and even thriving. Among them, find the easier ones from the moderate ones and the relatively harder ones.

What would you guys suggest as a ‘first’ butterfly? Would be interested to know your opinions.

I see these ones pop up often:

-Yellow Pyramid (H. Polyepsis)

-Zoster (H. Zoster)

-Longfin Heniochus (H. Acuminatus)

-Schooling Bannerfish (H. Diphreutes)

-Masked Bannerfish (H. Monoceros)

-Singular Bannerfish (H. Singularis)

-Red Sea Bannerfish (H. Intermedius)

-Auriga (C. Auriga)

-Pacific Raccoon (C. Lunula)

-Klein’s (C. Kleini)

-subgenus Roaps of Chaetodon (C. Flavocornis, C. Burgessi, C. Tinkeri, C. Mitratus, C. Declivis)

-Lemon (C. Millaris)

-Gunther’s (maybe?) (C. Guntheri)

-Citrinellus / Speckled (C. Citrinellus)

-Bannerfish (J. Nigrotistis)

-Double Saddle (C. Utilitensis)

-Indian Ocean Vagabond (C. Decassatus)


I heard Chelmon, Chelmonops, Forcipigier, Prognathodes and most other Chaetodon spp. are the trouble species.


Not a butterfly but the Stripey is a relative (M. strigaster) and an easy fish.


Since I’m going mixed reef I’ve already made my mind up on getting the Yellow Pyramid but would still love to know your thoughts.

 

[av8soulfly]

That’s my Hifin, it’s my answer to a copperband. Got it from live aquaria as a pup, size of a half dollar and got it thru qt.
I have a Klein’s and Bannerfish in the same herd. Bannerfish is quickly outgrowing the tank(180) and is already promised to a much bigger tank elsewhere.
I eagerly await the last 3 to be added, a sunset, yellowhead and the black Vagabond. Also in the market for a bigger tank.

I did some digging on the Hifin. Liveaquaria prices them at $170 when they have them in stock. I hope it's doing well and stays well for a very long time! It's a rare beauty! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Zionas]

I’ll add C. Melannotus and C. Ocellicaudus.

 

[av8soulfly]

I think all the ones you listed are on the fairly easy to keep list.

 

[mattzang]

Generally the key to successfully keeping BFs is to go to your LFS and choose them in person whenever possible. If a species is a generalized feeder (AKA omnivore) it’s got a better chance of surviving and even thriving. Among them, find the easier ones from the moderate ones and the relatively harder ones.

What would you guys suggest as a ‘first’ butterfly? Would be interested to know your opinions.

I see these ones pop up often:

-Yellow Pyramid (H. Polyepsis)

-Zoster (H. Zoster)

-Longfin Heniochus (H. Acuminatus)

-Schooling Bannerfish (H. Diphreutes)

-Masked Bannerfish (H. Monoceros)

-Singular Bannerfish (H. Singularis)

-Red Sea Bannerfish (H. Intermedius)

-Auriga (C. Auriga)

-Pacific Raccoon (C. Lunula)

-Klein’s (C. Kleini)

-subgenus Roaps of Chaetodon (C. Flavocornis, C. Burgessi, C. Tinkeri, C. Mitratus, C. Declivis)

-Lemon (C. Millaris)

-Gunther’s (maybe?) (C. Guntheri)

-Citrinellus / Speckled (C. Citrinellus)

-Bannerfish (J. Nigrotistis)

-Double Saddle (C. Utilitensis)

-Indian Ocean Vagabond (C. Decassatus)


I heard Chelmon, Chelmonops, Forcipigier, Prognathodes and most other Chaetodon spp. are the trouble species.


Not a butterfly but the Stripey is a relative (M. strigaster) and an easy fish.


Since I’m going mixed reef I’ve already made my mind up on getting the Yellow Pyramid but would still love to know your thoughts.

read this

and this

 

[JMM744]

My first were the teardrop and the raccoon and saddleback. Both the raccoon and saddleback have since died. Note, the raccoon is gonna get big. I found all 3 hardy and once you get one eating the others USUALLY eat as well. Be ready with some different foods such as black worms, live brine shrimp, white worms and maybe some frozen clams. I also found that the med size was easier to get going simply because they carried more weight and could last longer in qt if not eating right away.
Remember, most are not considered reef safe and so the gamble is yours to make.
Good luck though, they are well worth the risk .

 

[foxngn]

Btw guys, would like to know what type of sea stars goes along with Butterfly? My Butterflies been picking on my brittle star, as well as sandshifting star. Both of the star lost the tip of their "leg".

 

[fishlover1478]

can any go into a 75 gallon?

 

[Angel_Anthias lover]

can any go into a 75 gallon?

Smaller species like the burgess and its relatives, and also prognathodes can.

 

[Zionas]

How long did your Raccoon and Saddleback live before they died? What did they die from?

And how old is your Teardrop?


I’m sure many if not most butterflies can live for 10+ years with good care.

 

[fishlover1478]

thanks

 

[JMM744]

How long did your Raccoon and Saddleback live before they died? What did they die from?

And how old is your Teardrop?


I’m sure many if not most butterflies can live for 10+ years with good care.

So the raccoon was one of the first fish to be qt’ed by me. I think I just didn’t have enough experience with the process and the fish slowly faded.
The saddleback died at Christmas and was a heart breaker. Came home from our trip to find it’s dead against the mp40. It had been dead a few days. No clue why. It was a good size fish that ate great.
The teardrop is probably 2 1/2 to 3 yrs old. When I think about it the Kliens was part of that same generation of butterflies so it’s about 3yrs too.
I expect to keep my butterflies around for years and years. I feed lots of raw frozen seafood to them as well as a few flakes at times.
To be honest I had no little concern when I started to try keeping them as the general opinion was that you just couldn’t keep them long. I am very happy to visit mine every day and enjoy the display !! So far so good.

 

[Zionas]

I wish your BFs a long and healthy life! They can surely live over a decade if they’re taken good care of. Feeding frozen seafood won’t be the easiest for me once I get my Pyramids so they’ll mainly be eating frozen prepared foods as well a small flakes and pellets. Fortunately the Pyramids generally are very hearty eaters. I’ll be doing a pair maybe a trio in my 180.

I suspect your Saddleback may have died of old age or internal organ failure from old age, if it was already a good size when you bought it.

 

[av8soulfly]

Btw guys, would like to know what type of sea stars goes along with Butterfly? My Butterflies been picking on my brittle star, as well as sandshifting star. Both of the star lost the tip of their "leg".

I'm not sure, but I would think that a long nose would not pick on seastars. They lack the mouth structure.

 

[JMM744]

Saddleback was still quite young. One of those mysteries.

 

[Zionas]

:( I have Scott W. Michael’s book and it says sometimes the Saddleback can be a bit of an “iffy” species. Far from the worst, but some way from the better / best.

 

[av8soulfly]

I've had my saddleback for about a year now and it is healthy and eating from my hand. My other flies are growing faster than the saddleback, but it is developing its thread fin on the dorsal. It is plump and plays well with others. :)

 

[pcon]

My butterfly trio