Pearlscale Butterflyfish

[SourAngelfish]

Would you consider this fish to be reefsafe?

 

[dbl]

They are beautiful fish and I've always wanted one, but everything I've read indicates they are not reef safe, so I've never tried one personally. It will be interesting to see if folks have had them successfully in a reef, and if so, what size tank they were in.

 

[nereefpat]

Not safe with lps.

I used to keep one with softies: leathers, Xenia, gsp. I wouldn't trust one with any corals that you cared about. There really are only a couple expensive choices for a reef safe butterfly.

 

[Jesterrace]

Nope, not reef safe. In terms of butterflyfish it generally goes in the following order for reef safe:

1) Black or Yellow Pyramid
2) Copperband
3) Yellow Longnose
4) Semi-Reef Safe Cheatodons (usually depends on the type of the coral you are keeping them with). Some of the ones that might be worth a gamble:
Klein's, Lemon/Milletseed, Atlantic Longnose (very difficult to find and expensive) and Tahitian.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Pearlscale are not reef safe.

^Heniochus diphreutes can be added to the mostly reef safe butterfly list, as can Prognathodes species.

 

[Mortie31]

I’ve kept one in my SPS tank for a few years now with no issues, I only have a few LPS, brain and hammers mainly, also no zoas. I also have a 4 spot butterfly as well as 5 angels. None of which damage my corals. They my pick and get there faces in them, but don’t do any damage.. but my experience differs from all other posters in this thread.

 

[dmsc2fs]

Rise back to life old thread. I have read a number of times they are not reef safe and will eat corals. How about nems?