Butterfly fish?

[rcreations]

Does anyone have experience keeping butterfly fish, like a Racoon Butterfly in an agressive tank? I got a few aiptasia anemones that are in hard to reach places and I tried peppermint shrimp, but those get eaten right away. So a racoon butterfly or filefish are my last resort, just not sure how they'd fare. Usually my queen angel and sohal ignore little fish, so I'm thinking if I add a small racoon butterfly, it'll do ok. Any thoughts, suggestions?
Thanks in advance.

 

[kjr_trig]

Wouldn't a Copperband Butterfly be a better option if they are in tight spots, plus I think Copperband are the most notorious Aiptasia eaters....There is a long list of beautiful Butterflies I would like to have someday, every time I see a Butterfly fish, I ask myself why I don't have any.

 

[rcreations]

A copperband would be the best for the job, but I remember reading they get easily stressed by agressive fish. I hate these aptaisa anemones and I made the mistake to ignore the one or two I had and they just spread, slowly but surely and now some are under rocks, between rocks, almost impossible to get to them. So lesson learned... you see one, get rid of it right away.

 

[rcreations]

Want to hear something funny? I tried my last attempt to put in some peppermint shrimp. This time I put them in at night, hoping the fish would be asleep and the shimp can hide. Guess what was the first fish to grab one as it was falling? My Sohal tang.

After that both it and the queen angel were looking for more peppermints. This fish is very odd... it ate a peppermint and it LOVES raw shrimp. When I feed it to the eel and triggers, the Sohal is right there munching on it, probably eating the most in the whole tank.

 

[srfisher17]

Quote:
Originally Posted by RCreations http:///forum/thread/381667/butterfly-fish#post_3325786
A copperband would be the best for the job, but I remember reading they get easily stressed by aggressive fish. I hate these aptaisa anemones and I made the mistake to ignore the one or two I had and they just spread, slowly but surely and now some are under rocks, between rocks, almost impossible to get to them. So lesson learned... you see one, get rid of it right away.
Yeah; more than once, I've kept a CB that wasn't doing well. As soon as I moved him to a less stressful tank, he thrived. I've thought for quite a while that a quiet environment was the real key to CBs. Many butterflies can be kept with more aggressive fish ; but you know as well as I do, that your Sohal will decide what you can or can't have. My Sohal ignores a Yellow Longnose; but you pays your money and you takes your chances.

 

[rcreations]

I ended up getting a 2" racoon. He's in QT but not eating yet. It's just been a few days and I put in a piece of LR that has some aptaisas and he's picking at it. But not eating any prepared food I tried so far: mysis, spirulina brine, emerald diet, angelfish diet, nori. Otherwise looks healthy if a little skinny.

 

[srfisher17]

IMO, a good choice. I doubt that the Sohal will see him as a threat. I often agree with our Arizona husky fan; there are so many great butterflies, I don't know why we don't keep more of them. So many of the really beautiful species are almost impossible to keep, though. (Like a Husky in Arizona? Wasn't it Rev. Jim Baker had the air-conditioned doghouse, bought with Church funds.?)

 

[ironeagle2006]

In my 150 I routinely keep a coupleButteflies. Normally a Cb and a raccon. Never have an issue with them not being able to eat or anything. What you need to worry about is is if you have a Copperbmaded is getting it to Eat in General. If it is eating your fine. The last one I had would attack my angelfish.

 

[srfisher17]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ironeagle2006 http:///forum/thread/381667/butterfly-fish#post_3328777
In my 150 I routinely keep a coupleButteflies. Normally a Cb and a raccon. Never have an issue with them not being able to eat or anything. What you need to worry about is is if you have a Copperbmaded is getting it to Eat in General. If it is eating your fine. The last one I had would attack my angelfish.
It sounds like these guys aren't lasting long for you; or am I mis-reading? They should live for years.

 

[ironeagle2006]

No what killed the last group was having a Tornado rip the power grid out for 3 days. I made a choice loan the Genarator I got to my Neighbor to save his wife who is on oxygen or try and save my fish. On avarage they last 1-2 years for me or until a trigger goes postal. This time no triggers so that should not be the problem. As long as the power Grid holds out I will be fine.

 

[rcreations]

I would've bought the neighbor a generator and used mine on the tank. Restocking my tank would cost more than a generator.

 

[ironeagle2006]

RC when that tornado hit we were all stuck in our neighborhoods for 5 days with no access to anythng. We had people bringing us water Ice Food thank you National Guard. Even my kids were eating MRE's and liked them. The only way out of town that was not closed off was to go 15 miles east then come back 12 miles everyother road was closed with debris from the tornado and the other storms. We were glad to be alive. Yes I lost my tank however I was not going to see a person die when I had the means to stop that.

 

[srfisher17]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ironeagle2006 http:///forum/thread/381667/butterfly-fish#post_3329419
No what killed the last group was having a Tornado rip the power grid out for 3 days. I made a choice loan the Genarator I got to my Neighbor to save his wife who is on oxygen or try and save my fish. On avarage they last 1-2 years for me or until a trigger goes postal. This time no triggers so that should not be the problem. As long as the power Grid holds out I will be fine.
I had a great generator system; no match for Hurricane Katrina, though. A great reminder on triggers. So many folks just don't believe that the cute little trigger at the lfs is going to turn into a real, live, and aggressive, triggerfish. IMO & IME, most triggers just don't belong in peaceful tanks, period. They will kill lots of fish with the stress factor alone.

 

[rcreations]

Quote:
Originally Posted by ironeagle2006 http:///forum/thread/381667/butterfly-fish#post_3329502
RC when that tornado hit we were all stuck in our neighborhoods for 5 days with no access to anythng. We had people bringing us water Ice Food thank you National Guard. Even my kids were eating MRE's and liked them. The only way out of town that was not closed off was to go 15 miles east then come back 12 miles everyother road was closed with debris from the tornado and the other storms. We were glad to be alive. Yes I lost my tank however I was not going to see a person die when I had the means to stop that.
I didn't realize you were blocked in. Sorry. You did the right thing to help the neighbor.

 

[rcreations]

Quote:
Originally Posted by srfisher17 http:///forum/thread/381667/butterfly-fish#post_3329532
Quote:
Originally Posted by ironeagle2006 http:///forum/thread/381667/butterfly-fish#post_3329419
No what killed the last group was having a Tornado rip the power grid out for 3 days. I made a choice loan the Genarator I got to my Neighbor to save his wife who is on oxygen or try and save my fish. On avarage they last 1-2 years for me or until a trigger goes postal. This time no triggers so that should not be the problem. As long as the power Grid holds out I will be fine.
I had a great generator system; no match for Hurricane Katrina, though. A great reminder on triggers. So many folks just don't believe that the cute little trigger at the lfs is going to turn into a real, live, and aggressive, triggerfish. IMO & IME, most triggers just don't belong in peaceful tanks, period. They will kill lots of fish with the stress factor alone.
True on the trigger. Even the most peaceful trigger can turn extremely mean. I had to take my sargassum out of the tank twice and now he's by himself in a 65gal, temporarily until I think of something. This sargassum was really peaceful while small, for 2-3 years no problem. Then slowly got more agressive as he got bigger. Had to take him out because he was becoming very territorial to all the fish. Was pushing around and biting my moray, my small niger had bite marks, my queen angel had small parts of her streamer bit off, this fish had become a menace. It got to the point that he didn't want any fish swimming in his half of the 6' tank. So I first took him out for a month, then put him back in thinking he'd settle down. He was ok for a month, then went to be even more agressive. Now I'm not sure what to do with him because I've had him for a long time and I feel bad to sell him, but I also can't keep him in a community tank anymore.

 

[rcreations]

I'm happy to report the little racoon butterfly is doing very well, no issues from the Sohal. I think it's too small for the Sohal to bother with it.

 

[meowzer]

WHAT....NO PIC

 

[rcreations]

Pictures?

This one isn't a good picture but you can see the size difference with the Sohal.

 

[meowzer]

LOL...Looks like lunch

The Raccoon is a BEAUTIFUL Butterfly.....I made the newb mistake of getting one in the beginning....AND THEN found out it not only was AGGRESSIVE, it was not reef compatible
man...catching that thing was a job, but I found it a new home

 

[ironeagle2006]

Wife I think ordered a Raccoon for her tank but I hae no clue what she ordered. All I know is how much showed up on the freaking Credit Card. We ordered thru our LFS and will pick stuff up there unles he can not get it then and only then will I ordeer online. Stuff like my Purple Tang will have to come online.