Ornate Butterfly Diet

[mujimran]

I got an Anthias and an Ornate butterfly for my FOWLR tank. They are in QT for now. Though the Anthias is eating fine, the OB isnt. I tried both brine and Mysis shrimp. The below post mentions cotal polyps. Should I buy corals to feed it??

Ornate Butterflyfish, Clown Butterflyfish / Chaetodon ornatissimus

Ornate Butterflyfish, Clown Butterflyfish / Chaetodon ornatissimus SCIENTIFIC NAME –Chaetodon ornatissimus COMMON NAME – Ornate Butterflyfish, Clown Butterflyfish SIZE – 7" (18 cm) MIN. AQUARIUM SIZE – 75 US Gal. (284 L) FOODS AND FEEDING– The Ornate Butterflyfishhas a...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[lapin]

Not an easy fish to keep. You can try live black and white worms.

Butterflyfish are obligate corallivores, which means the majority of their diet must be made up of live coral polyp - coral mucous rather than coral tissue

 

[mujimran]

Not an easy fish to keep. You can try live black and white worms.

Butterflyfish are obligate corallivores, which means the majority of their diet must be made up of live coral polyp - coral mucous rather than coral tissue

Didn’t realize it has a specific diet requirement. I just went by the look of it.

Does petco have live black and white worms? Not sure where to get these from.

 

[lapin]

Maybe ask your LFS if they will take it for store credit.

 

[mujimran]

Maybe ask your LFS if they will take it for store credit.

return it?!?

Really? Is it that tough to feed it?

 

[DCR]

I do not believe anyone has kept one alive for more than a few months.

 

[lapin]

Awesome Fish Spotlight: The Ornate Butterflyfish

The Butterfly Effect We have always been told a swift “NO” on keeping most butterflyfish species in reef aquariums and it constantly reminds us of an old Mark Twain quote: “There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.” The Ornate Butterflyfish (Chaetodon...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

From my research in keeping corallivore butterflyfish, they are extremely hard to wean onto any food besides their wild diet of SPS corals. I'm in Bangkok and actually had some initial luck with corallivore butterflyfish by getting two out of three to eat oysters I rubber banded to clam shells but unfortunately they didn't make it through quarantine due to their delicate nature. I've come to understand that I had a great advantage though due to being able to get them just a week or so out of the ocean. A lot of research I read made it sound like the shipping to America and other destinations takes too much of a toll on them for them to have much chance of survival or change diet. They arrive starving with weak immune systems so they are very stressed from the start...not to mention they are disease magnets! Very few of them do more than look pretty swimming around for a few weeks before they starve. I hate to sound so negative but that's my understanding from researching these species.

 

[mujimran]

I do not believe anyone has kept one alive for more than a few months.

 

[mujimran]

From my research in keeping corallivore butterflyfish, they are extremely hard to wean onto any food besides their wild diet of SPS corals. I'm in Bangkok and actually had some initial luck with corallivore butterflyfish by getting two out of three to eat oysters I rubber banded to clam shells but unfortunately they didn't make it through quarantine due to their delicate nature. I've come to understand that I had a great advantage though due to being able to get them just a week or so out of the ocean. A lot of research I read made it sound like the shipping to America and other destinations takes too much of a toll on them for them to have much chance of survival or change diet. They arrive starving with weak immune systems so they are very stressed from the start...not to mention they are disease magnets! Very few of them do more than look pretty swimming around for a few weeks before they starve. I hate to sound so negative but that's my understanding from researching these species.

Will be returning it tomorrow

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Will be returning it tomorrow

They're absolutely beautiful and I don't want to discourage you from trying but just know what you're getting into with this amazing fish...I imagine you paid a pretty penny for him too

 

[Tamberav]

Unfortunately fish are sold in this hobby that haver very poor survival rate or specific diet requirements. Save yourself some money and research every purchase.

Sadly this guy will probably starve at the LFS unless someone buys him who has a large mature coral tank he can eat in. Most people probably don't want that. It's too bad our hobby collects these beautiful fish only to starve them to death. Really sad.

 

[damsels are not mean]

If you really want the fish try live blackworms or clams on the half shell. I have seen people succeed with masstick or repashy spawn & grow on a coral skeleton as well. That would be your best bet.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

There are two articles written in Coral Magazine by Matt Pederson from a while back about these beauties...read over the articles and see what you think...I've heard they might go for white worms, but again, no promises...he's probably pretty stressed and hungry already after his big journey

 

[mujimran]

He is definitely hungry, keeps nipping at everything. Its sad. Will be returning it today.

Thanks everyone for pitching in.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

He is definitely hungry, keeps nipping at everything. Its sad. Will be returning it today.

Thanks everyone for pitching in.

Can you send a pic first?