Longnose Butterfly

[kamee]

I just purchased a longnose butterfly from my lfs, and they told me that it was reef safe. now, on the internet it says they are not. Anyone know for sure? and if they aren't what am I going to worry about it eating? I dont have any corals as of yet, but I will be shortly.

 

[tizzo]

I am browsing in my "Fish Bible" and there are 3 different kinds of longnose Butterflies. One is reef safe, one isn't and the other may be... Which kind did you get?? Or how about a description...

 

[tizzo]

Better yet, let me try to explain to you, because the one in this sight's pic is not the same as in my book.
Big Longnose Butterflyfish=Forcipiger longirostris= Reef safe.
But the almost identicle,
Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish=Forcipiger flavissimus=not reef safe
And the 3rd, I doubt you have...
HTH

 

[lionfish12]

I made my own fish book also and it says that it need to be modited. I have seen them in many reef tanks befor.

 

[reavely]

I have theMicheal book as well but I've asked several LFS guys and they say that no matter what any book says ANY long nose will eat coral polyps - one even showed me how they feed their dying corals to their LNbutterfly.

 

[kamee]

It's yellow with a black horizontal raccoon stripe on it's face. And if it isn't the reef safe one, can I do any soft corals? I don't think I was going to do hard corals as of yet. Or am I better off just try ing to get him out of there?

 

[reavely]

I can;t say what it will or won't eat. The difference that marks whether you have the one identified as safe or not is (besides nose length - which is hard to tell without a comparison) is that the "safe" 'longirostris' butterfly has a silver mark on the bridge of its nose. You are in a good position to figure out what it will and won't eat since you have no corals in yet - i.e. you may only lose one (or see the butterfly attack it and remove/return the coral) before you know not to put any more of those in. It's a beautiful fish, I wanted one, but with a tank FULL of various corals, I won;t take the chance. good luck!