Butterflyfish

Hey guys jsut needed an opinion. I know many are not reef safe and a few are reef safe with caution ( kind of like many angels), but I would love to add one to my tank. I house no crabs besides hermits, no clams, no anemones. Kind of a mixed bag with corals with some SPS,LPS, softies, and mushrooms. I found an aiptasia in my tank on a large boulder in a very ahrd to reach spot which makes my decision to add a butterfly a little easier.

I am really interested in a copperband since they seem to be the most reef safe. They also seem to be very good at aiptasia control! Would they also eat some of my bristleworms? Fireworms if they ever get in my tank? Other pests? I understand it can be risky, mostly for my mushrooms btu its a risk Id take. Also when it comes to purchasing a lfs got in a small specimen, maybe 2-2.5inches. Do they adapt better if purchases small or wait for a larger species. I know to make sure it eats before purchase, is the biggest issue with these guys not eating and if you egt a specimen that eats they are fairly hardy or are they super sensative no matter what?

Also could get a double saddle butterfly or a pearlscale butterfly which the owner, who is the presidant of the local marine aquarium club, states he puts into his reefs without problems and are so effective at aiptasia control he used to rent them out to customers, but I am a little wary of these choices with corals.

 

I actually just added a Copperband to my DT yesterday. I have no corals yet, but like you said, it seems to be the most reef safe of the Butterflyfish. I noticed he was nipping at some of the rocks last night before lights out and since last week I noticed that I had some Pileolaria I figure that's what he was nipping at. That's a good sign from what I read about those fish.

 

Thanks for sharing your expeirence good luck with him!

Anybody else have any insight? Anyone any experience with the double saddle butterfly?

 

I think the best choice for a reef tank is the copperband butterfly. I have one in my tank for 3 months now. I keep all kinds of corals, including clam, with no problem. As long at you keep it well fed, it won't go for the corals. My copperband butterfly eats live brine shrimp and frozen mysis only. I don't feed neither too often though, but I do have a good amount of pods and live mysis shrimp in my tank that my copperband enjoy hunting for.
I don't know if they will eat bristleworms and fireworms, but mines eat aiptasia (big ones too). I had 4-5 quarter size aiptasia in the back of my tank and the copperband took care of it within a few days of introducing it to my tank. They will also eat feather dusters, fan worms, and coco worms. My copperband butterfly is a little over 3" big. I would recommend you getting the largest one can find, and make sure it eats in the store. Check the fish to make sure it have nice clear eyes, no sucken belly, no damaged fin/tails, ich, etc.
You can check out my copperband butterfly in my zetlight contest thread. There's a picture of it in my reef, as well as a video. Vote for the video if you like
Good luck.

 

The best butterflies cornered tanks are the zoster butterflies. Look for the yellow pyramid and the black zoster butterflies. They are plankton feeders like anthias and will ignore corals.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15 25 1853&pcatid=185


http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15 25 1846&pcatid=1846



I have had the yellow pyramid and have one coming Wednesday from LA. The copperband butterfly is reef safe with caution as they have been widely known to eat clams, corals, zoanthids and anemones. While this is not the norm, it can happen. Good thing is they have been known to eat aptasia as well. I got one last week because of this. So far I've had him in my tank for 72 hours and all my aptasia are still happy. :what:

 

pickup that is a cool looking fish

 

I want him to eat aiptasia so a plankton feeder would not do me much good lol. Thanks for all the input everyone

 

Asamares, they are cool fish. They are out more than my tangs. Pretty easy to get to eat too and they can be piggies.