Reeferdude56
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I am interested in getting a trio of these, but my question that on LA they are listed that they grow to eight inches. Do they actually or is that including the banner they are eight inches long?
Reef safe butterfly growth size (henochious diphretes)
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They get that big....and usually pretty quickly. I really wanted them but decided it wasn't worth it even in a 6' tank.
Eienna
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Unfortunately, they really aren't reef-safe anyway. Even if they decide to ignore corals, they have quite the taste for inverts from what I hear.
SantaMonica
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Yea I got excited for a second... a reef safe butterfly. Oh well.
OP
OP
Reeferdude56
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Racin you are right I just really like the banner, but I don't have the time to try a moorish idol.
dodgerblew
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I bought a pair from LA and they did great for 3-4 days and then they both started picking on my acans. Beautiful fish and I am very disappointed but these weren't reef safe. They are out of tank now 
SantaMonica
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Yes LA does list a pyramid as safe.
SantaMonica
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Do all pyramids get that dark face, or does it vary like my hippo sometimes gets a flush face?
pickupman66
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Mine never had a dark face. Stayed the tan color. Awesome fish. Perfect for a reef but love to pace. Mine paced my 180 more than my naso
Eienna
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From what I gather, "reef safe" butterflies are like dwarf angels; they may pick at corals, or they may not.
Definitely like the look of pyramids. Don't really know about their care or habits, though.
Definitely like the look of pyramids. Don't really know about their care or habits, though.
mcarroll
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What size tank?
If it's big enough, consider a school of three or more Klein's butterflies. I love em! Strong schoolers, hardy, not picky eaters, good citizens, etc.
Butterflyfish is a big family, so there's bound to be a lot of variation, but my understanding is that a lot of these butterflys that come into the hobby are primarily worm feeders. They turn to coral nipping when their preferred food is unavailable/they are starving.
In my limited experience, Klein's never nip if fed. The only story I know of one "going off the ranch" was when an owner was out of town and their regular feedings were missed. They grazed zoas and yellow polyps while he was out.
That's one story out of LOTS of Klein's going into lots of reefs.
-Matt
If it's big enough, consider a school of three or more Klein's butterflies. I love em! Strong schoolers, hardy, not picky eaters, good citizens, etc.
Butterflyfish is a big family, so there's bound to be a lot of variation, but my understanding is that a lot of these butterflys that come into the hobby are primarily worm feeders. They turn to coral nipping when their preferred food is unavailable/they are starving.
In my limited experience, Klein's never nip if fed. The only story I know of one "going off the ranch" was when an owner was out of town and their regular feedings were missed. They grazed zoas and yellow polyps while he was out.
That's one story out of LOTS of Klein's going into lots of reefs.
-Matt
dodgerblew
2500 Club Member
interesting post. As it turns out, the heni's I just got rid of were nipping at the feeding tentacles of the acans. They ate everything I threw in the tank and they definitely didn't appear to be starvingWhat size tank?
If it's big enough, consider a school of three or more Klein's butterflies. I love em! Strong schoolers, hardy, not picky eaters, good citizens, etc.
Butterflyfish is a big family, so there's bound to be a lot of variation, but my understanding is that a lot of these butterflys that come into the hobby are primarily worm feeders. They turn to coral nipping when their preferred food is unavailable/they are starving.
In my limited experience, Klein's never nip if fed. The only story I know of one "going off the ranch" was when an owner was out of town and their regular feedings were missed. They grazed zoas and yellow polyps while he was out.
That's one story out of LOTS of Klein's going into lots of reefs.
-Matt
Bronson Foster
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Will Pyramids eat Aiptasia's?
pickupman66
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Nope. Ones I've had never got near rocks. Copperband will though.
CoralHut
Active Member
What size tank?
If it's big enough, consider a school of three or more Klein's butterflies. I love em! Strong schoolers, hardy, not picky eaters, good citizens, etc.
Butterflyfish is a big family, so there's bound to be a lot of variation, but my understanding is that a lot of these butterflys that come into the hobby are primarily worm feeders. They turn to coral nipping when their preferred food is unavailable/they are starving.
In my limited experience, Klein's never nip if fed. The only story I know of one "going off the ranch" was when an owner was out of town and their regular feedings were missed. They grazed zoas and yellow polyps while he was out.
That's one story out of LOTS of Klein's going into lots of reefs.
-Matt
I added some Klein's butterflies to a 400g display full blown mixed reef and they were fine until the aiptasia supply went down. They decimated a dinner plate size fungia coral, two 7" blue maxima clams, candycane colony, five hammers, and a huge frogspawn. They also liked to pick on the SPS polyps so the SPS never opened up until in removed them. Took 8 hrs to breakdown the tank in order to catch the school of 5. The owners feed the tank a ton of food, literally go through 5 cases of spirulina brine, a xlg flat of pe Mysis, and 3-4 flats of rods food a month so they were certainly well fed. Another service tank it ate a show size light blue maxima, a couple frogspawns, and an anemone before I trapped the single one.
I do not recommend Klein's for any reef any longer due to these experiences even though they are excellent aiptasia control. Copperbands have replaced them in all these tanks and no problems anymore. (although the one in the 400g has decided to stop eating aiptasia because they feed so much LOL)
