Thoughts on Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus)

[argi]

So I am slowly (very slowly) getting my 93 cube up and running and I am trying to plan out my fish for the tank. I am going to have mostly all smaller fish (gobies, blennies) and would like to have one larger fish that is on the passive side in the tank.

I have always loved the look of the Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish (http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+25+350&pcatid=350) (Forcipiger flavissimus) and was thinking about giving one a try but wanted to see if anyone else has tried one. Everyone seems to list them as "reef compatible with caution".

I know they will go after featherdusters (not planning on keeping them) and possibly some zoas (never been my thing, so I probably won't have them either). My plan is to have a nice sized colony of green sinularia (already have), one colony of hammer euphyllia (already have) and then a couple of SPS colonies.

So has anyone kept one and how was your experience with it?

TIA,

Keith

[BubbaBoBobBrain]

I had a longnose butterfly for about 6 months and it never bothered any of my corals. The only problem I had with mine was trying to feed it. Their mouths are very tiny and could only eat the smallest pelellets I could find and mine wouldnt eat any frozen brine or mysis. It would only eat live and eventually the pellets just werent enough and it died. But there are very pretty fish and I hope you have better luck than I did.

[Zalman]

When it comes to bothering corals every one is different. i think more feedings lowers its desire to hunt for food and nip corals... i have a copperband in my tank which has a similar mouth. my suggestion is if you find a store with one, make them feed it with whatever you would feed it. if it doesn't eat walk away.
i have seen many copperbands not eat so i didnt risk it. Easier to keep a fish that is alreadyeating than trying to find a food it will accept

[Zalman]

Double post

[Paul B]

I have had dozens of them and love them but they rarely eat pellets and almost never flakes. If you get one their best food is live blackworms. I also feed them pieces of fresh clam that I freeze and mysis. If you can't feed these foods, I would not get one.
I took this in Bora Bora.
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/LongNose.jpg

And in my tank

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/Aquarium014.jpg

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/IMG_1249.jpg

[Useful_Idiot]

I thought they weren't supposed to eat zoas? I ordered one from Bob in Cheshire and he had it about a week but it wouldn't eat. The second one is there 5 days now and it's picking at food but not eating yet. Bob does not use live food because it can bring parasites in with it and that's perfectly understandable. But the fact that he won't culture some clean live food or hatch brine shrimp to encourage picky eaters bothers me. I'm going to ask him about that when I see him maybe there's something I don't know about brine shrimp eggs and parasites. He has been doing this much longer than me.
And I read that they do well with that roggers food. It's like a gel and if you hag a clear tube in the tank with the right size holes drilled in it the butterflys can pick at it all day and the other fish can't.

[Paul B]

I don't know about brine shrimp eggs and parasites. He has been doing this much longer than me.

They will not live on brine shrimp, adult of babies. I hatch shrimp every day and although they do eat them, they are much too small for a butterfly.
This fish was built to eat worms, preferably live worms.

[Zalman]

I have heard many good things about live blackworms and butterflys. i am just unaware of any local place that has them. I think if you have one eating mysis it might be your easiest chance at success.