i would actually consider copperbands not reef safe. people like to put them in their systems to control aiptasia. some do, most do not. most tend to start out by devouring the fan worms in the tank, then focus on aiptasia or other small polyped anemones. if they are not weened onto prepared foods than just about anything is considered on the menu including clam mantles. clam mantles seem to be a forite nip food for a lot fish. those that do not find suitable food, will waste away.
I agree with Geoff on the Copperband. Unfortunately, my problem with butterflies is that I have yet to hear of one that is really fit for the home aquarium due to diet or fragility. So even if they are reef safe, they wouldn't really be aquarium appropriate...
I was thinking and thinking... then it clicked... bannerfish...
I think Heniochus diphreutes is reef-safe and the Heniochus acuminatus is not. Please correct me if I mixed the two up.
I was thinking and thinking... then it clicked... bannerfish...
I think Heniochus diphreutes is reef-safe and the Heniochus acuminatus is not. Please correct me if I mixed the two up.
you are correct. the H. diphreutes is also a shoaling fish while the H. acuminatus is more of a loner.
now figuring out which one is which is up to you. since they are so difficult to tell the difference there is a good chance that the LFS may have either. they are shipped out as bannerfish, they are not seperated on most distributor lists.
interesting. i would not try that one. in my book it also lists benthic inverts as a diet item. this tends to mean that they like to scour the rocks for food also. a greater chance that it could eat something that you would try a coral. in general the Heniochus's are a polyp eating group, so i would me more weary on that one than the others listed.
they are bit riskier than i would usually recommend. they can be very hit or miss with the fact that they may or may not eat aiptasia. they will also clean a tank out of feather dusters.
i would also put Raccoon butterflies in with copperbands. if you find one that actually will only eat the inverts you want it to than they are fine, but they can turn on you sometimes and start eating or nipping at some of the other polyped critters.
take a look at these links and it will show you how to tell the difference between the two Heniochus. the diphreutes is from Hawaii. I sell them pretty well to LFS. they know they are the right ones because we don't have the evil ones here.
the good heniochus is the heniochus diphreutes,,, see how the anal fin goes straight down? Its directly in line with the tail, it doesn't sweep outward like the heniochus acuminatus, where the anal fin is longer than straight down from the body.
For those of you who want to keep BF's in your reef just know that it can be done. This is the best looking reeftank I've ever seen and there's a school of Heni's in it.
One tank that I maintain also has a Longnose Butterfly that has never touched any of their polyps, SPS, LPS or tubeworms.
The heniochus in Oregonreef.com are from Hawaii. Hawaii only has diphreutes and they are reef safe. there are other places where you can get diphreutes but I believe that Hawaii is the only place where diphreutes is the only pennant so if it is from Hawaii you are safe.
Also the longnose butterfly longirostris is reef safe (also from Hawaii).
My copperband has been with me for about 2.5 yrs. now. He was eating frozen mysis when I purchased him and still very small. He always ate aiptasia and of course any small fanworms I had. Loved most of the frozen foods, like mysis & others.
He did develop a habit of nipping the mantles of my crocea,s. So I sold them & kept him. After all he swims in my fingers & eats from my hand. After talking with others, many fed theirs the common freshwater clams purchased in the supermarket. Mine eats one/day. I feed it on an algae clip, so I dont have to go rooting for the shell after its cleaned out.
As seen in the pics, my percs love it also and the cardinals eat pieces from the current.
I would agree they must be purchased with a word of caution. Many dont make it in aquariums, unless care is taken in its purchase and one must be willing to see to its proper diet. They can also reak havoc on a reef tank, eating things mentioned in this thread, plus most worms they find, most all pods they find. I dont know if it was the copperbands removal of pods or my switch to faster flow, less rock, bare bottomed tanks, but my 4+ yr. old mandarin lost so much weight, we had to catch it and put it in my friends large tank.
I like the Long nose Butterfly(Forcipiger flavissimus).<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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