Butterfly Fish

[Kdocimo90]

I'm thinking about getting a Meyer's butterfly fish for my 210g reef tank. I've read mixed opinions as to whether they are reef safe or not. I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience with this fish, or any other butterfly fish.

Thanks

[snorvich]

Someone on here tried one, albeit unsuccessfully. I think they are obligate coral feeders.

[Gary Majchrzak]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15691267#post15691267 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snorvich
I think they are obligate coral feeders.
I think you're right :)

Meyer's needs to be left in the ocean. There are plenty of other great Butterflyfish choices.

[Kieth71]

I wonder if anyone ever decided to buy corals for this fish and not try to get it to eat prepared foods.I am not advocating buying this fish just curious if anyone ever tried it.I know it would be very expensive but you would think a public aquarium somewhere would keep these.

[Cantonesefish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15691322#post15691322 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kieth71
I wonder if anyone ever decided to buy corals for this fish and not try to get it to eat prepared foods.I am not advocating buying this fish just curious if anyone ever tried it.I know it would be very expensive but you would think a public aquarium somewhere would keep these.

Most kinds of corals we get they would not eat anyway... I believe they are specialized feeders in that they eat only specific species of hard corals. Some obligate corallivores even only eat one species. If you were able to import large numbers of hawaiian sps, maybe you would have a shot with this.

I have a hunch that there's nothing magical in the coral that other aquarium foods can't provide nutritionally; I would expect they would thrive in an aquarium, they only trick is getting them to be enthusiastic about prepared foods.

And it seems they never do :(

[AuroraDrvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15691381#post15691381 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Cantonesefish
Most kinds of corals we get they would not eat anyway... I believe they are specialized feeders in that they eat only specific species of hard corals. Some obligate corallivores even only eat one species. If you were able to import large numbers of hawaiian sps, maybe you would have a shot with this.

I have a hunch that there's nothing magical in the coral that other aquarium foods can't provide nutritionally; I would expect they would thrive in an aquarium, they only trick is getting them to be enthusiastic about prepared foods.

And it seems they never do :(

Meyer's are found all over the Pacific and Indian oceans, but are absent from the Hawaiian Islands. They do have favorite species of corals, but will not be "shy" about what they eat. Even huge anemones are not immune to a butterfly's appetite.

That said, people have gotten them eating prepared foods, vigorously, and they still wasted away.

[Cantonesefish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15691980#post15691980 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AuroraDrvr
Meyer's are found all over the Pacific and Indian oceans, but are absent from the Hawaiian Islands. They do have favorite species of corals, but will not be "shy" about what they eat. Even huge anemones are not immune to a butterfly's appetite.

That said, people have gotten them eating prepared foods, vigorously, and they still wasted away.

Sorry, guess I was thinking of the ornate (I see now those aren't even endemic!) It seems they are quite the challenge, must be why I've never seen them alive for too long in anyone's aquarium!

[JamesJR]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15690867#post15690867 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kdocimo90
I'm thinking about getting a Meyer's butterfly fish for my 210g reef tank. I've read mixed opinions as to whether they are reef safe or not. I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience with this fish, or any other butterfly fish.

Thanks

I have never heard of one surviving more than a couple months. I have handled a few of them in the past when I worked in the fish trade. getting them to eat wasn't particularly difficult but none of them survived. I have heard of it's closest relative, the ornate butterfly, surviving in a large outdoor reef display at the Waikiki aquarium. It was probably collected locally and had an innexhaustable supply of corals.