Are all Butterflies coralNippers?

[threebuoys]

I had to re-home a bicolor dwarf angel that picked on polyps. I've stayed away from butterflies for fear they would do the same.

Has anyone successfully kept butterflies in a reef tank?

 

[CK00020]

Lots of people have copperbands, I think they are pretty well behaved

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I had to re-home a bicolor dwarf angel that picked on polyps. I've stayed away from butterflies for fear they would do the same.

Has anyone successfully kept butterflies in a reef tank?

The pyramid butterflies almost always work out. We use copperbands to control Aiptasia anemones...they may nip at some corals, but overall, the benefit we see outweighs that. Reports are that Heniochus diphreutes is reef safe, but many times when I order those, they send me H. accuminatus, which is NOT.

Jay

 

[exnisstech]

Lots of people have copperbands, I think they are pretty well behaved

^^ This I've had my copperband about a year and it hasn't touched anything. I have sps, lps, and softies.

 

[i cant think]

I had to re-home a bicolor dwarf angel that picked on polyps. I've stayed away from butterflies for fear they would do the same.

Has anyone successfully kept butterflies in a reef tank?

Some butterflies are better than others but as soon as you go into Micros, Scolys, Trachy’s ect… it’s game over for any RSWC fish as they’ll most likely go to town.

 

[exnisstech]

Some butterflies are better than others but as soon as you go into Micros, Scolys, Trachy’s ect… it’s game over for any RSWC fish as they’ll most likely go to town.

Like any fish there are exceptions that can go both ways, good or bad. My CBB is in with these fleshy coral and doesn't touch them.

 

[i cant think]

Like any fish there are exceptions that can go both ways, good or bad. My CBB is in with these fleshy coral and doesn't touch them.

I’ve seen it work for some but I know others don’t work and theres higher chances of it not working.

 

[Dave1993]

you rehomed a angel for nipping a butterfly can do the same so avoid imo

i'm the opposite of you if a fish was nipping my corals i would be like well RIP that coral

 

[exnisstech]

I’ve seen it work for some but I know others don’t work and theres higher chances of it not working.

Agreed. I wanted the CBB in my 180g but wasn't willing to risk my clams. I have a Flame angel in with those lps along with the CBB but I do feed heavily several times a day which I think helps.

 

[threebuoys]

you rehomed a angel for nipping a butterfly can do the same so avoid imo

i'm the opposite of you if a fish was nipping my corals i would be like well RIP that coral

If i had a fully mature reef tank, I probably wouldn't have noticed. But a 5 polyp zoa, for example, doesn't stand a chance against a coral nipper. Then it becomes very expensive fish food.

 

[Miami Reef]

I had reef-safe fish pick at my trachy corals (blue tang, bellus angel, and Lamarck angel). I had to remove them one by one until my LPS came back.

 

[Rugops]

Ive heard the Kleini Butterflies also go for aiptasia and sometime more readily than CBBs but sometimes go for zoas?

CORAL released an article in 2021 regarding care and husbandry regarding the CBB.

Regarding Aiptasia Elimination:
54% said that they dealt with the pests well.
36% said that while they eliminated the pests, there was other problems.
9% said that they didn't do anything.

 

[Seansea]

So i have this dude in my tank. He has been in my tank for 5 months. When i first got him he was murderous on some corals. But ive learned if you feed nori twice a day on a clip then leave the nori remnant in the clip it will preoccupy him. Spends half his day trying to get that little peice in The clip .He still nips but its about 20% of what he use to. Could try with butterfly but i believe most butterflies are more of coral devourers than nippers.

Ps new corals put in the tank get nipped for about a week for some reason then he chills out and goes back to the clip

 

[Seansea]

FWIW when my tank gets over grown and corals are cramming into each other im gonna try a racoon butterfly. USe as a possible coral pruner

 

[i cant think]

FWIW when my tank gets over grown and corals are cramming into each other im gonna try a racoon butterfly. USe as a possible coral pruner

They won’t prune coral but they will definitely nip the polyps.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Ive heard the Kleini Butterflies also go for aiptasia and sometime more readily than CBBs but sometimes go for zoas?

CORAL released an article in 2021 regarding care and husbandry regarding the CBB.

Regarding Aiptasia Elimination:
54% said that they dealt with the pests well.
36% said that while they eliminated the pests, there was other problems.
9% said that they didn't do anything.

The kleini will eat fleshy, LPS and zoas. BTDT, I can say it will eat aiptasia, quickly.

 

[Seansea]

They won’t prune coral but they will definitely nip the polyps.

Gonna find out

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

The kleini will eat fleshy, LPS and zoas. BTDT, I can say it will eat aiptasia, quickly.

Supposedly, C. striatus, the Caribbean banded butterfly will eat Aiptasia, but mostly leave corals alone. I have NOT tried that species myself, but a public aquarist I know swears by them.

Jay

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

Supposedly, C. striatus, the Caribbean banded butterfly will eat Aiptasia, but mostly leave corals alone. I have NOT tried that species myself, but a public aquarist I know swears by them.

Jay

I'd Love to find one! I'll gladly take 'your friends' advice and try it as I'm out of ideas besides joes juice working on what I can see.

When you see 'your friend' in the mirror next time let him know I said thanks for the tip

P.S. were talking about this variety of butterfly?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I'd Love to find one! I'll gladly take 'your friends' advice and try it as I'm out of ideas besides joes juice working on what I can see.

When you see 'your friend' in the mirror next time let him know I said thanks for the tip

P.S. were talking about this variety of butterfly?

Yes - that's C. striatus. And no, I don't see that person in the mirror (grin) he works at another public aquarium.

Jay