butterfly only tank?

rcdude1990

Active Member
lemme tell u the story
i want a tank that is very colorful, wit community fish only because they seem to b the most colorful
i was thinkin of doin a butterfly/angel fish tank, is this a good mix?
 

travis89

Active Member
IF you are a very experienced hobbyist and know what you are doing and have a large enough tank. Butterflies can be VERY difficult to keep for any length of time. Basically no it isn't.
 

nicetry

Active Member
Much depends on certain factors; Can they be kept together? Sure, given a big enough system with lots of live rock/shelter/excellent filtration. I've kept bf's and angels in my tank for the past 5 years.
Angels are territorial by nature. A lot of the bf's are pretty passive and will be bullied by more aggressive fish. A lot of butterflies won't get along well with others of similar shape and color. There are some pretty sturdy bf's available but as a rule, all need really good water and a varied diet.
Tank size is also critical. Some of the better bf's grow fairly large and all are active and will use every bit of tank space available. Again, having enough room for fish to stay out of each other's way is important too.
I would not suggest any of these fish to someone who is new to the hobby. They have special considerations and are not suited to new tanks. A mature, stable system is a must, as is quarantine.
 

xdave

Active Member
Very few butterflies (as in 2 or 3 species) can be kept with other butterflies, and those can only be kept with others of their own species. The butterfly tank is possible but could only contain a group of 1 species.
As far as difficulty, Heniocus, which could be kept in groups, are some times referred to as hardy, but that is hardy for a butterfly, not hardy in general.
 
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