Would like another butterflyfish.

MuralReef

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#1
So my Klein's Butterfly has continued to be a jerkfish and took out several heads of my huge hammer coral and he is no longer in the DT. I will be getting rid of him hopefully today or tomorrow. That being said I would like another butterfly that is both hardy and not so easily enticed by corals. What suggestions do you guys have?
 

scchase

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#2
Pyramid Butteryfly is your besy choice by far, get 3 even
 

scchase

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#3
Back to a computer so can write more now the Pyramid and Zoster Butterflys are complete planktivores and near 100% reef safe and super hardy. Next best is kind of a tossup, Copperbands are fairly reef safe but delicate, on the other hand the Tinkeri complex of butterflys including Tinkers, Burgess, Declavis, and Mitratis are all nearly 100%, super hardy, but expansive as all get out with the Burgess being the cheapest at around $130ish.
 

scchase

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#5
Sanjay Yoshi has a semi in his reef, though that is an SPS only tank I believe.
 

MuralReef

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#8
Kayvon;n676259 said:
Do copperbands pick on corals?
Not usually, but they tend to be picky eaters and can be fragile. It's almost best to look for one for sale by a member that is already fat and acclimated to captivity instead of trying to get one from a LFS.
 

jda123

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#9
Copperbands will usually get thin and die within a year even if they are eating well for you. The only time that the vast majority have success is if they can hunt pods all day and stay fat - this does not take a huge tank or anything, but pop populations can be fragile and the reef needs to be rock solid.

I had a pair of Semi's once. Never again in a reef - complete terrors that would even try and eat the sticky parts of a carpet 'nem. They are one of my favorite fish, though. They are in the T Rex Restaurant Aquarium in Kansas City, Kansas as free donations.
 

Fitz19d

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#11
Granted Haddonis, either him or my flame angel which was in a "reef" tank have taken to going for some of my big sand based LPS. Need to catch one to experiment with who's the culprit. I feel like under my new schedule (which is when worst of it started) maybe it's the copperband since I'm not able to feed mysis twice a day. I am returning to my old schedule so hopefully that helps.
 

Haddonisreef

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#12
Fitz19d;n676288 said:
Granted Haddonis, either him or my flame angel which was in a "reef" tank have taken to going for some of my big sand based LPS. Need to catch one to experiment with who's the culprit. I feel like under my new schedule (which is when worst of it started) maybe it's the copperband since I'm not able to feed mysis twice a day. I am returning to my old schedule so hopefully that helps.
Sounds like a feeding isue to me!
 

flyfish

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#15
I agree with Haddonis, find one that has been feeding on mysis.If you soak the mysis in garlic it will help and soon enough you can wean them off the garlic.Ive had my copperband for 3 1/2 years and he's always been a good eater in fact he will eat nori right along side my tangs.I will have to post a video sometime of him eating nori off of a veggie clip
 
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