Reboot .. and butterfly pair/groups ideas?

kmbyrnes · 03/18/2018, 09:23 AM

Last November, my 350 FOWLR got wipe out by a Mandarin when I skip QT. 25 beautiful fish gone. We are past the heartache and starting the reboot.

Every last item have been sterilize. The rocks were bleached and have spent the last 4 months drying in the AZ desert. Not sure if we are going bare-bottom, but if we do, that will all be new. I fixed the plumbing items that bugged me, changed the configuration of the sump, and cleaned up the lighting wires in the canopy. Doing the leak testing and tuning the drains this week. Next week I will be building the rock work and start the cycle.

We are planning our new livestock list. We are getting a lot of the same fish in this incarnation. However, this time we want MORE butterflies. Specifically, pairs or groups. We know want a Pearlscale, Yellowhead, Pakistani and Declivis. We think we want a Saddleback and Raccoon. They all should form pair or groups.

What species have worked for you? May others we missed?

radicalemonpeel · 03/18/2018, 10:27 AM

you could look in to the yellowheaded butterflyfish. Pretty hard to find, but well worth it IMO

moe103 · 03/18/2018, 05:24 PM

The experienced members on this forum like SDGuy, Caribfan, etc. have not had success with pairs. Butterflies can be very aggressive to conspecifics. I have a beautiful semilarvatus, a fremblii and octofasciatus. I'm hoping to add a tinkerii to the mix but they are so expensive, I have yet to pull the trigger.

Good luck

Naraku · 03/18/2018, 05:34 PM

Rainfordi trio and pairs have worked.
saddleback pair has also worked but one stopped eating and died (not due to aggression)

Surprisingly, heniochus have been very aggressive towards each other.

kmbyrnes · 03/19/2018, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moe103

The experienced members on this forum like SDGuy, Caribfan, etc. have not had success with pairs. Butterflies can be very aggressive to conspecifics. I have a beautiful semilarvatus, a fremblii and octofasciatus. I'm hoping to add a tinkerii to the mix but they are so expensive, I have yet to pull the trigger.

Good luck

Thanks for the input.
I hear you about a Tinkerii. But a Declivis is some what similar, without the small large ticket.

I would like to know how you got an octofasciatus to eat any other than acro frags. Mine never switch over to prepare food and waste away.

kmbyrnes · 03/19/2018, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naraku

Rainfordi trio and pairs have worked.
saddleback pair has also worked but one stopped eating and died (not due to aggression)

Surprisingly, heniochus have been very aggressive towards each other.

Thanks for that suggestion.
I had never seen a Rainfordi in any of my LFS so it was not on my list. I will do some research.

I had a trio of heniochus. But in about 6 months I only had one. More aggressive.

luckyk0505 · 03/19/2018, 10:37 AM

Must have Semilarvatus butterfly!

Naraku · 03/19/2018, 01:19 PM

I have one. trying to get another. will update on progress.

Quote:

Originally Posted by luckyk0505

Must have Semilarvatus butterfly!

kmbyrnes · 03/21/2018, 06:39 AM

Semilarvatus are beautiful.
Are they hard to get onto prepared food in QT?

Dmorty217 · 03/21/2018, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmbyrnes

Semilarvatus are beautiful.
Are they hard to get onto prepared food in QT?

Typically take to food pretty easily

Naraku · 03/21/2018, 11:55 AM

I think with all butterflies (except corallivores), it varies by individual and not by species. My current one gorges on pellets. I had some that only eat frozen and some won't eat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmbyrnes

Semilarvatus are beautiful.
Are they hard to get onto prepared food in QT?

kmbyrnes · 03/22/2018, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmorty217

Typically take to food pretty easily

Dmorty, good to heard from you. Thanks for the input.
Since the reboot, we will try some to new species. The Semilarvatus looks like a strong candidate.

kmbyrnes · 03/22/2018, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naraku

I think with all butterflies (except corallivores), it varies by individual and not by species. My current one gorges on pellets. I had some that only eat frozen and some won't eat.

Naraku, that has been my experience as well. Expect Copperbands. They all they ones I tried seem to been picky.
Good luck getting your second!

03/18/2018, 09:23 AM	#1
kmbyrnes Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Mesa AZ Posts: 2,055	Reboot .. and butterfly pair/groups ideas? Last November, my 350 FOWLR got wipe out by a Mandarin when I skip QT. 25 beautiful fish gone. We are past the heartache and starting the reboot. Every last item have been sterilize. The rocks were bleached and have spent the last 4 months drying in the AZ desert. Not sure if we are going bare-bottom, but if we do, that will all be new. I fixed the plumbing items that bugged me, changed the configuration of the sump, and cleaned up the lighting wires in the canopy. Doing the leak testing and tuning the drains this week. Next week I will be building the rock work and start the cycle. We are planning our new livestock list. We are getting a lot of the same fish in this incarnation. However, this time we want MORE butterflies. Specifically, pairs or groups. We know want a Pearlscale, Yellowhead, Pakistani and Declivis. We think we want a Saddleback and Raccoon. They all should form pair or groups. What species have worked for you? May others we missed? __________________ 125g Mixed Reef 5/26/2015; 350 Butterfly Dominated FOWLR 11/26/2015 - 11/17/20217 & 07/31/18 to ??? ; 100g Mixed Reef 11/16/2013 to 06/16/2017 Current Tank Info: Too small

03/21/2018, 06:39 AM	#9
kmbyrnes Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Mesa AZ Posts: 2,055	Semilarvatus are beautiful. Are they hard to get onto prepared food in QT? __________________ 125g Mixed Reef 5/26/2015; 350 Butterfly Dominated FOWLR 11/26/2015 - 11/17/20217 & 07/31/18 to ??? ; 100g Mixed Reef 11/16/2013 to 06/16/2017 Current Tank Info: Too small

03/18/2018, 10:27 AM	#2
radicalemonpeel Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Posts: 30	you could look in to the yellowheaded butterflyfish. Pretty hard to find, but well worth it IMO

03/18/2018, 05:24 PM	#3
moe103 Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 103	The experienced members on this forum like SDGuy, Caribfan, etc. have not had success with pairs. Butterflies can be very aggressive to conspecifics. I have a beautiful semilarvatus, a fremblii and octofasciatus. I'm hoping to add a tinkerii to the mix but they are so expensive, I have yet to pull the trigger. Good luck

03/18/2018, 05:34 PM	#4
Naraku Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2015 Posts: 512	Rainfordi trio and pairs have worked. saddleback pair has also worked but one stopped eating and died (not due to aggression) Surprisingly, heniochus have been very aggressive towards each other.

03/19/2018, 10:37 AM	#7
luckyk0505 Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 368	Must have Semilarvatus butterfly!