Mushroom corals needed asap

Fishfanatic · #1 03-26-2006, 08:02 PM

Hi I was at Big Als yesterday and they sold me a butterfly fish. I was told it was a black finned but when I got home looked it up and it's an Exquisite butterfly, and from what I have read they mostly only eat coral. I was wondering if anyone has some cheap mushroom corals of any sort so I can get this guy eating. I don't have extensive lighting so thats why I am looking at mushrooms but of you have another coral that doesn't need alot of light please let me know and how much you want.

muck · #2 03-26-2006, 08:24 PM

Id bring the fish back if it were me.

mark · #3 03-26-2006, 08:28 PM

Aside from the fact it was misrepresented, I'd really think it over, do you really want a fish that will only eat live coral polyps?

Fishfanatic · #4 03-26-2006, 08:39 PM

I just want soem to try to get it to start eating thats how I got my moorish idol eatign then he switched over to mysis and Nori. So I wanna try the same for this guy.

Beverly · #5 03-26-2006, 08:51 PM

Too bad BA's doesn't have a fish reference book to look up the fish they are selling so folks know they are getting the fish the store says they are getting. Or maybe they do have such a book, and no one thought to look in it.

Anyway, after a bit of investigation, I found the following quote at
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi...5.2003.03833.x

Quote:

Chaetodon austriacus is a generalist coral feeder that feeds mainly on three genera of abundant hard corals (Acropora, Porites and Pocillopora).

This fish appears to be a rather specific feeder and probably wouldn't eat shrooms anyway. I have a latticed butterfly in a softie tank, with xenia, green and brown star polyps, and various mushrooms. Picks at the mushrooms a bit, and eats the tentacles off zoas and button polyps. It also eats PE mysis and scallops cut in half, scored, then secured to a small piece of LR with a piece of plastic onion bag and elastic. The scallop is a big hit with our dwarf angel and fairy wrasse. The scallop is left in the tank for four hours, then removed to prevent the fish from eating spoiled food.

Before you bought it, did you ask to see it feed? If so, what did it eat?

I would also seriously consider taking it back.

Beverly · #6 03-26-2006, 08:59 PM

Video of butterfly and angel getting used to the scallop set up .....

http://www.lostmymarblz.com/v-rusty-angel.wmv
(320 x 240 pixels, 21.6 MB, 4:19 minutes)