Chaetodon ulietensis (double saddleback butterfly)?

[snorvich]

I have heard reports that Chaetodon ulietensis is reef safe except for aiptasia and majano anemones. Anyone have personal experience with this fish?

[Chibils]

No personal experience, but fishbase has it listed as a planktivore. No mention of coral feeding habits.

I'm looking into one myself.

[snorvich]

LA has it as not reef safe. But if it is I really want one.

[glassbox-design]

Steve,

I have not tried them in a reef, but IME they are like many hardy Chaetodontids and are opportunistic feeders. It is possible that it will not cause damage, but it is more likely that C. ulietensis will take some coral samples here and there.

If you give a try let us know how it goes :thumbsup:

[snorvich]

I shall. But much more research before I even consider it. Thanks e&f

[SDguy]

I had one many years ago. Aggressive to other butterflies and loved to eat BTA's.

[snorvich]

Since I have pyramids, that would be a problem. The BTA is no issue.

[Chooch1]

Terry Siegel, the editor of Advanced Aquarist online magazine, has one in his reef which he claims is reef safe. He wrote about it in an editorial maybe 8 months or so ago. You might send him an e-mail. He claims its C. falcula but I'm certain it is C. ulietensis. They are similar. The Waikiki Aquarium has one in their large reef exhibit that was collected in Fiji in the 1980's and is still alive I believe. FWIW, I observed many pairs of C. ulientensis while diving in the Solomons and I never once saw them nip at a coral but we all know the wild and our aqauriums are completely different. Keep us posted Snorvich. I know I've always wondered about this fish too but my guess is that most specimens won't be reef safe.

[snorvich]

Yes, I too have seen them in the wild but that behavior pattern is no guarantee that they will exhibit it in our aquaria. But I am sufficiently intrigued to pursue the issue further.

[Chibils]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13125699#post13125699 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snorvich
LA has it as not reef safe. But if it is I really want one. The good doctors don't take chances. ;)

It's generally documented among aquarists that butterflyfish are not reef-safe. That said, I've never owned one and my research on the matter has been pointing me in the direction of "good chance they won't."


Steve, you have a 320 reef. A nibble here and there isn't going to RTN your whole tank; as long as it stays a nibble (which we're conditioned to believe never happens), there's no cause for concern imo.

[snorvich]

Actually, it is going in my other tank. But I have found that when they are NOT reef safe, they develop a taste for a specific coral and eat ALL of it rather than nibble around. It is a PAIN getting these buggers out.

[Chibils]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13130222#post13130222 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snorvich
Actually, it is going in my other tank. But I have found that when they are NOT reef safe, they develop a taste for a specific coral and eat ALL of it rather than nibble around. It is a PAIN getting these buggers out. I know what you mean. I would give it a shot; there's always fish traps.

[snorvich]

Fish traps work well for carnivores but less well for those that are not. Still, I may give it a shot.

[Chibils]

How much do you value your corals? That's what it comes down to. IMO, I see you having a very good chance at success, and a chance that you may take a few days catching him. In the advanced topics forum I believe it was, there was a huge thread documenting all kinds of ways to remove fish from your tanks.

But that's me. ;)


I have a pretty low income so make big upgrades slowly (haven't added anything in months, getting ready to mount lumenbrights for my six corals :p). So I don't have any prize colonies. Would suck if I lost one (17% of my corals), but that's kind of an existential moment. I took a risk, can't get them back now.

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13136059#post13136059 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snorvich
Fish traps work well for carnivores but less well for those that are not. Still, I may give it a shot.
what happened?