Long nose butterfly

[Jack Eskay]

I want to buy a long nose butterfly and just wanted to ask some questions here before I went and bOught one. I currently have a planet aquarium 70 gallon and have a clown pair, chevron tang(small) and a flame angel. My first question is, would it be possible to keep a butterfly with this current stock? Also how hard are they to care for as I've read thy do pretty well in captive and a lot easier to care for the CBB's. I just want to get other people's 2cents on getting one and what I should do!

Thanks!!

 

[wkscott]

The long nose isn't too difficult to keep, however, they can grow up to 9 inches. Your 70g may be s little too small for it snd your chevron tang may give it a hard time. The long nose can be a rather shy fish and doesn't take to bullying very well.

They are quite beautiful and was the first marine fish I purchased 40 years ago in 1977. I kept it 12 years.

 

[Jack Eskay]

The long nose isn't too difficult to keep, however, they can grow up to 9 inches. Your 70g may be s little too small for it snd your chevron tang may give it a hard time. The long nose can be a rather shy fish and doesn't take to bullying very well.

They are quite beautiful and was the first marine fish I purchased 40 years ago in 1977. I kept it 12 years.

Thanks for the feedback! My chevron bullied my flame for a bit when I first got him but their best friends now so I'm not too worried about the bullying, and if it did become a problem I have a 10 gallon fuge I could put him in. I also would never keep a fish that was to big for my tank. The butterfly would at least last a few years until fully grown so I would have plenty of time to keep him! I also go off to college in 3 years anyways so that's basically the mark of my breakdown lol! Thank you though I think I might buy one! How are they with coral(lps, softies and sps)

 

[wkscott]

I owned mine before people kept corals, but I understand that like most butterflies it may nip at corals and clams.

 

[Triggreef]

I had one for about a year, IIRC it was added with several tangs in the tank already and fended for itself just fine. Also there was a CCB with it which I still have. The longnose left most corals alone but I was catching it picking polyps off a large purple stylo. Really didn't even irritate the stylo which was about 14 inches across. But it seemed like over time he was spending more and more time picking at the stylo, especially if I missed a feeding here or there. I ended up pulling him for that reason, and sold him off for the same thing I paid, $20.

Edit to add that clams will be impossible, pretty much with any butterfly other than maybe pyramid.

 

[4FordFamily]

They're a bit more fragile than other butterflies but much easier than CBB.

I'll bet your tang doesn't accept it, in a tank that small it makes this an even more likely outcome.

Your longnose and most butterflies are far less tolerant of bullying and this stress can lead them to die quickly or stop eating which would obviously result in death as well.

Try a social acclimation box if you insist on trying this.

 

[sc50964]

In my experience, butterflies are not tolerant to any bullying and they don't compete well for food. They feed often but need only small amount of food at a time. I like to keep angels and tangs and just never had any success with butterflies. LNB is hardier than CBB but is still very delicate. I suggest to get pearlscale butterfly fish instead.

 

[wkscott]

In my experience, butterflies are not tolerant to any bullying and they don't compete well for food. They feed often but need only small amount of food at a time. I like to keep angels and tangs and just never had any success with butterflies. LNB is hardier than CBB but is still very delicate. I suggest to get pearlscale butterfly fish instead.

Pearscale butterflies are NOT considered to be reef safe.

 

[tj w]

Personally, I wouldn't keep one in a 70g tank at all. Especially with an established tang. Just my .02.

 

[cracker]

I agree with Ford, Do you have a sump with refugium ? doesn't have to be big. Put the tang in the ref and introduce the Butterfly. Wait a couple of weeks then put the tang back in. ( Tangs like all bullies are not very smart. they will quickly forget they had a territory staked out ) This has worked well for me in the past. Also it is a pretty small tank for a tang & butterfly. Could be done , just sayin.

 

[Jack Eskay]

Thank you all for your feedback! I think I may look into an acclimation box of some sort and try that method(thank you @4FordFamily ) I may change my mind though and look into smaller fish.

Thank you all!!

 

[Jack Eskay]

I agree with Ford, Do you have a sump with refugium ? doesn't have to be big. Put the tang in the ref and introduce the Butterfly. Wait a couple of weeks then put the tang back in. ( Tangs like all bullies are not very smart. they will quickly forget they had a territory staked out ) This has worked well for me in the past. Also it is a pretty small tank for a tang & butterfly. Could be done , just sayin.

I have a 10 gallon fuge, if I decide to get a LNB I'll try an acclimation box and if that fails I'll put the tang in the sump for a few days.

 

[Triggreef]

I think you'll do fine with an acclimation box, chevron's aren't the worst. My YLN defended himself quite well with his dorsal spikes and competed with food just fine. I probably had about 30 fish at the time and a couple/few were tangs. AND I think it would be fine in a 70g for a couple years at least. Mine barely grew if at all in a year or more and I feed like theres no tomorrow.

 

[wkscott]

I think you'll do fine with an acclimation box, chevron's aren't the worst. My YLN defended himself quite well with his dorsal spikes and competed with food just fine. I probably had about 30 fish at the time and a couple/few were tangs. AND I think it would be fine in a 70g for a couple years at least. Mine barely grew if at all in a year or more and I feed like theres no tomorrow.

Mine grew very quivkly. Maybe yours wasn't competing for food as well as you thought it was.