Butterfly fish keepers?

[captexas]

Well today I broke down and got something I have wanted for a long time now, a butterfly fish. I actually picked up a small blackbacked butterfly (chaetodon melannotus). It ate some flake at the store and from reading it sounded like they are meat eaters. I put some frozen marine cuisine in the tank and he didn't touch it. Now it is picking off what few pods I have in the tank! Anyone else out there keep butterfies? If so, what do you feed yours?

[Tim Marvin]

From zooplankton, to tiny motile crustaceans and mollusks, to all types of soft and stony corals, anemones, fan or tubeworms, other soft and encrusting sessile invertebrates associated with live rock, as well as being opportunistic marine fish flesh eaters, overall Butterflyfishes are considered to be carnivores. However, some species are omnivorous feeders that primarily feed on marine algaes as well as some meaty fares, while others are "strictly" obligate corallivores.

[Richard]

Blackbacks are said to feed on soft corals in the wild. So I got mine hoping he would eat my stupid mushrooms that I can't get rid of. He didn't.

For about two weeks he ate mysis/brine occasionally but not much. Mostly he hunted the rocks for pods and snacked on my acros polyps :angry but at least he didn't kill them. Now he eats pretty much everything including flake food and seems to be less interested in my acros because the milli's are starting to polyp out again. He has never shown interest in my LPS or clams. The only coral he ate completely was my GSP's , which is good cause I was trying to get rid of them too.

[SueT]

I have kept a pakistani butterlfy in the past. It readily ate mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp. Ot would not eat any type of flake or pellet. Butterfly's are a beautiful fish. Love them, wish they were reef safe.

[loans_n_fishes]

try some black mussels from HEB. Fish can't seem to resist them.

[demodiki]

My CBB loves mysis. He can outcompete my maroon clown going after chow. He does not like flake. Wouldn't touch the black mussels. After a couple of weeks he tore into my prized rics. He hasn't touch anything else but I am thinking any LPS is fair game.

Loves aiptasia as well.

[SueT]

My copperband loves mysis like yours. Only mine never developed a taste for aiptasia. I never had to try any black mussels. It ate from day 1 and now has had them every day for the last 7 years.

[Enigma13]

I have a Pyramid Butterfly. They are totally reef safe and it eats all types of frozen and seaweed. Had him for over a year now and never seen him picking on any of my corals or clams. The species is a planktivore in nature and is also hardier than most butterflyfish. I have never seen a local dealer get one, but they are fairly easy to get online if you look. I would definitely recommend.

[brewercm]

I had a Morish Idol that loved the black mussles from HEB also. I'd pop one open and toss it in and remove the empty shell later. Only problem was he would do the same to a clam and I wanted the clams more than the Idol. My Copperband that was in the tank would eat just about anything I'd throw in the tank that wasn't flake.

[SueT]

I have heard really good things about the pyramid butterflys. Thats so cool and they are a very pretty fish too. Cool...

[hobogato]

i have a copperband that is currently working on my aptasia issue - he was eating frozen at CB pets, but wont now because he has his own little feast of aptasia :)

[captexas]

Well I haven't been able to see my little blackback eating anything other than my pods for now. I've tried flake and several different frozen foods including mysis. Guess I'll have to try some mussels. Fortunately he still looks healthy, just need to get him to eat. I just got a pair of percula clowns so he is out swimming around with them. Maybe he'll catch on when they eat. If that doesn't work I guess I'll have to find some more live pods somewhere!