Which one? Butterfly

[Steven91]

First, with great sadness I lost my copperband butterfly of 3 years (might be wrong but for sure over 2 years) a couple of days ago, no signs of illness. It's a painful lost as it was always first to come to eat and would almost eat out of my hands.

Now I'm looking for a replacement, I've kept both a longnose and copperband, so debating if I wanna go with one of them or try a different one. Any suggestions? Reef safe with caution is fine, and might even go as far as not reef safe as I don't really have much in corals

 

[mattzang]

sorry about the copperband

roaops are pretty cool and not as finicky as copperbands, more expensive tho

 

[Steven91]

sorry about the copperband

roaops are pretty cool and not as finicky as copperbands, more expensive tho

Not really worried about cost, just getting ideas right now

 

[av8soulfly]

Gotta love them 'flies...

 

[JumboShrimp]

Pearlscales are gorgeous— that vivid orange, PLUS crosshatching?! Come on! Lol.

 

[pcon]

Not really worried about cost,

Prognathodes basabei, pretty penny but no more stunning butterfly than it.

but with more down to earth butterfly inquiries, I second @mattzang 's recommendation of roaops. they are much easier than the Forcipiger and chelmon, more likely to eat pest nems, and similarly reef safe.

All the prognathodes are worthy of consideration as well. also reef safe, about as difficult as the Forcipiger and chelmon. but are usually more expensive than even the roaops.

Roa is the third genera of deep water semi reef safe butterflies but require more consideration than the roaops and prognathodes.

 

[mattzang]

since cost is no issue

wrought iron butterfly

 

[Maritimer]

I've recently picked up a Klein's butterfly. Smaller than most butterflies, and from all accounts a pretty easy keeper - which it's displayed by dashing out of QT cover to rapidly devour bits of frozen food with little regard to precisely _which_ frozen items it's snapping up. Burnt-yellow-orange color with some sapphire in the eyeband, and seems to have a pretty bright personality.

My primary rationale for picking up _this_ butterfly? Many, many reports that it delights in the taste of majano anemones. (There are also reports of Klein's relishing the taste of soft and LPS corals - YMMV.)

~B.