A friend for Mufasa.

[Jackie Blue90]

Hi, name is Jackie and I just signed up. I have a 125 gallon tank *with a wonderful refugium filter* and a Volitan Lionfish (who is Mufasa). I was wanting to get a tang and a butteryfly to help with my algae and my bristle worm problem. has anyone ever owned a White Cheek Tang or a Pakistan Butterfly fish? they are both beautiful.

[Gregs138]

Not familiar with those two species, but tangs and butterlies tend to be for the most part similar.

I have 1 volatin(Fenris), a kole tang(Fancy Pants), and a new PBT(no name yet). The tangs have no interest in him. Fenris did attempt to eat the PBT when I first put him in because the PBT is rather young and not much bigger than the chromies. He never has gone after the Kole.

I am a bit more fearful of putting a small butterfly in there as from what I have seen they tend to swim around slower. On the same note though, I have 3 green chrmoies that have thus far been able to avoid getting eaten. Since Fenris is well fed, I think he pretty much just counts them out. He still goes after them from time to time, but never strikes. They just duck into the rocks or zoom to the other side. They have learned to not get eaten.

If I was going to put a butterfly in I would get one that is nearly fullgrown.

[Jackie Blue90]

Yeah I figured as long as I put something in just as big or bigger than mufasa I would have no problema. Thank you!

[Gregs138]

Not sure how big he is now, but keep growth in mind. Eventually Mufassa is going to get to possibly 12+ inches. There are not alot of things that get bigger than him. And people have reported their lions eating 6" clown fish etc. Just keep that in mind.

The tangs I think are good because they are so fast and alert and have that big round body(hard to swallow). Butterfly fish are similar in body structure, but they just seem a little "lazier" to me, and I think a young/small one would get eaten. Again I don't own one but that's just my impression of them. I can't really see my lion fish wasting the energy chasing a tang, when silversides magically just happen to show up right next to his head everyday.