Longnose butterfly?
 

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/forcipig.htm

Anyone have one ? I'm just reading up on them and finding myself growing enamored with them.

Seems like they're so-so as far as reef safeness goes, softies and LPS might be at risk?

Any other downsides? Best left to a fish-only or mmmmaybe could try in a reef?

(My questions are purely academic at this point BTW.. just looking at pretty pictures and wonderin'-what-if..)

No advice, but I saw them when I was diving in Hanuma bay a bunch of years ago and they looked really cool.

I tried one a while back to see if it might snack on my friggin' Majanos... it didn't make it...:cry:

They seem real timid, so I would make sure it doesn't get bullied too much like mine did. As for risk to corals - well is there really any hard and fast rules when it comes to Butterfly's?

Well Yes as a general Rule Most Of The Butterflys Are NOT Reef Safe The Olny One That I know Of That Is Would Be The copper band butterfly...
BUT Some also Will not bother Dif Kinds Of Stuff In A Reef Tank
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I do Not no this from frist hand acount but From Reading Up On It
I allready Have A Coperband, J&L Says That Its Mabey Reef safe and he hasnt tuched anything and it also says mabey reef safe for the long nose So Yehh
i was looking at a long nose today And Wondered the same thing :neutral:
Ps. i would also Like To no what the outcome is if not ill have to try it for myself

Tony I say you go for it and let the rest of us know how you make out! They are beautiful fish.

They are indeed. I was somewhat surprised to read that they are (well, at least by Fenner, in the link I provided above) regarded as hardier than CBB's.

The text at http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/but...nosebutterfly/ seems to indicate that LPS and softies may be at risk, but that SPS should be safe. They make no mention of clams however, which to me is really the big question mark then, because I am envisioning a more or less SPS-only tank for my 280g setup (i.e., no softies, no LPS) but it would most certainly be including my clams.

I've been reading up on these fish a bit myself lately, hoping to maybe add one to our reef to help with our aiptasia problem (as well as for their beauty!). From the research I've done, it's said that the Forcipiger Longirostris is the better choice for a reef. Some places/books have even gone so far as calling them reef safe. I'm still not sure if I am ready to risk adding the fish to our tank of softies and LPS.

Bumping this thread up to see if anyone's had any first hand experience with this fish and clams in the same tank yet. Really want to hear that someone's kept this fish in a tank with clams and there was no issue. :)

I think if you kept them well fed they wouldn't have the need to nip at any of your corals/clams...

I'm not 100% convinced it always works out that way. Once they get an idea as to what's food you pretty much can't discourage them off it forever. I can't keep blastos, likely not acan's, with my CBB and I feed him as much as I can. He earns his keep though by keeping aiptasia at bay. I have another tank with aiptasia and was thinking I'd try a longnose for them but it has 9 clams (8 of which aren't mine), so it's sort of imperative I have some anecdotal evidence to weigh in on before trying..