Copperband Butterfly help

fishfatty

fishfatty

Active Member
Is the copperband butterfly considered "reef safe"? What does everyone think...and any personal expierences?
 
jam1e

jam1e

Active Member
NO .. Butterflyfish will feed off your coral as if it were an all you can eat buffet .. don't trust any butterfly . .it's not like angels (where it's a 50/50 chance) . .with butterflys it a 100/0 chance .. they will eat coral .. but i don't know if they'll eat mushrooms ..
 
dogstar

dogstar

Active Member
With respect to jamie, I disagree. Some may eat some corals but rarely...They will definately eat worms like feather dusters and other micro crustations and may pick at clams but I had a CBBF for 4 years in my reef and it never touched a coral, and I have many kinds. Lost it to H. Wilma. Many BFs can not be kept with corals but some can. Any fish can have a personality other than whats considered normal and any fish can be a gamble because of this, so depending on how much you want the fish ( as well as a proper system ) depends on wether to roll the dice or not.
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
I agree with Dogstar here. I have kept a copperband butterfly in an SPS reef tank for years without any issues. I just could not keep feather dusters and tube worms in there.
 
fishfatty

fishfatty

Active Member
Wow...what is the minimum tank size for a Copperband Butterfly? Anyone else had expierences with Copperbands in a reef?? I would really like one! Thanks guys!
 
jam1e

jam1e

Active Member
I'm warning you .. I wouldn't trust a butterfly in a reef tank any day .. but ultimately it's your decision and your risk to take
 
dogstar

dogstar

Active Member
Other more main issues with keeping CBBF than reef safe. IMO they should only be kept in a large reef with a refugium because they are as many other BF, very delicate and not hardy to begin with, and feeding them is very tricky and most depend on feeding from esablished LR that has the type of micro and macro funa on and in it ( not generally found in a FO or even a FOWLR ) that they need untill they can, if they do, begin to eat introduced foods.
 
C

cyrusmekon

Guest
Hi
I have a juvi yellow butterfly in a 55 gal.
No problems whatso ever. He just swims around does his thing then eats the mysis. Doesnt even look at the corals.
I know its not a copperband but it may be a suitable alternative.
Kev.
 
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