Pearlscale Butterfly - Chaetodon xanthurus

[StephenA]

I was thinking about adding one of these to my reef tank. One of my books say it's a med maintenace fish and the other says difficult. Has anyone ever kept one? Any advise on this fish would be great.

[StephenA]

Pic of Butterfly

[bpk78621]

Two small ones were at Aquatek on Tuesday. They looked healthy.

[R_S_C]

I've been wanting to add some butterflys to my tank as well...but...I've always heard that they were known coral eaters. I know that Gallery of Pets had some Pearlscales come in a week or so ago.

[prof]

Gallery has two small ones today... I think they are very pretty but not much else...

[captexas]

Yeah, there are some pretty butterfly fish out there, but I think they tend to be on the non-reef safe side. I know when I set up my 240 FO tank I will have at least one or two in there.

[Richard]

Pearlscale's are not the hardiest of butterflies IME and I think pretty risky in a reef tank. Your safest bets with Butterflies in a reef are probably...
Yellow Longnose (Forcipiger flavissimus) Very hardy for a butterfly
Copperband
Pyramid Butterfly(Hemitaurichthys polylepsis)
B&W Heniochus (Heniochus diphreutes) don't confuse with similar H. acuminatus
Lemon Butterfly (Chaetodon millaris)

I'm planning on trying a pair of Golden Semilarvatus in my 215. I think they will be fairly reef safe but we'll see.

[GaryP]

I have a Copperband in my 125 SPS reef tank. They have the added benefit of snacking on Aiptasia.

Gary

[StephenA]

I took your recommendations and went with a copperband. He's been in the tank for about a week and is doing great.

[GaryP]

Feed him a black mussel from HEB every couple of days.

Accroding to Larry (Instar), who is our resident copperband expert, the problem with a lot of LFS purchased Butterflies is that they carry parasites. I think he said they are mainly internal worms. Larry buys the young ones, worms them, and lets them grow out. I have one of Larry's.

Gary

[adaminaustin]

Larry buys the young ones, worms them, and lets them grow out.

Larry how do you worm them? I have always wanted a copperband. I just get a little nervous housing a copperband in a reef with calms.

[StephenA]

I just get a little nervous housing a copperband in a reef with calms.


So far mine hasn't messed with the clams.

[RobertG]

I have a large derasa in my tank & my CBB never has nipped him or bothered it in anyway.

[SueT]

I've had my copperband for almost 4 years now. It is in my 180g tank. It has never shown any interest in my sps and the only interest it had in my clams was if they were on the sand bed. Long as the clams were in the rocks, which being the species of clams I had they should of been in the rocks, the copperband was fine. My copperband just loves frozen mysis{PEbrand} and will also snack on enriched brine too.

As to the pearlscale butterfly I know of a member on another forum keeping one quite successfully in his reef. BUT that is not an endorsement, most bytterfly fish are not considered reef safe by any means.

[Instar]

Larry how do you worm them? I have always wanted a copperband. I just get a little nervous housing a copperband in a reef with calms.

Adam, well you remember the dog heart worm meds I used in March? :lol:
A couple cleaner shrimp and they need a well balanced diet and plenty of it once they start eating; at least 2x, some need 3x a day till they get fat or they find enough to eat in the reef. I always feed the new arrivals live split mussels and frozen white mosquito larva. I keep a couple large HI feather dusters in where they will start out tank life as well. In case I detect more than external parasites, I'm prepared to do more if necessary. The presence of the worms looks like a fine coal dust on them in certain places such as fins, where fins join body and at the tips of the gills to start with. Many don't have any signs of this at all. I occassionally use garlic once or twice and more often than not Reef Vital DNA Professional at 2x to 3x the regular dose. After 8 weeks of QT/treatments they are ready for someone's reef. My one will eat aiptasia out of my hand. I like doing that, so if you have any little aiptasia rocks or shells you want knocked down, ship them on over to me. :lol: He evens cleans aiptasia off other reef things and from the edge of clams without hitting the clam. They are surgically precise.

[adaminaustin]

StephenA, sorry for hijacking your post....

Thanks everyone for the helpful answers. LMAO...It looks like I need another fish. :D

[StephenA]

The info is useful! :)