BUTTERFLY LATTICE

[pegrochilakila]

Hello everybody im new guy in this hobby, i just started 3 months ago.-
I get my fish from Wai's calgary, i get a clown, yello tail damsel and a lattice butterfly, the problem is that my butterfly is picking all the time on my mushroom corals, i have quite a few of them, this guy in the store told me that this lattice will be fine with my corals (soft corals) but i get to the point that i put it inside of a little quarantine tank cus it is going to finish wit my mush.-
Like a said im a complety new in this so im kinda desperate i need any help possible, what can i do with this fish ??
can i try buying special food for butterfly fish?
should return him to the store??
Any advice please.-
Thanks to all of you and God Bless you

[Skimmerking]

see that was your problem. you listened to the LFS who knows nothing about the hobby. Don't get me wrong there is some great LFS that have people who know the hobby. But I guess you found a real winner. Butterflies are known to eat mushrooms, SPS , leathers , ZOO's sponges just look it up and you can see what they eat.

The Latticed Butterflyfish, also known as the Raffle's Butterflyfish, is yellow with dark scale margins giving a lattice-like appearance. It has a black eye band and a blue patch between the eyes; the tail has a black vertical stripe.

It requires a 120 gallon or larger aquarium that has numerous hiding places and peaceful community members. In the wild, it will prey on hard and soft corals, zoanthids, and/or anemones. If the fish is asleep or stressed, it will get a dark spot on the front of the body. The Latticed Butterflyfish will feed on chopped sea foods.

[Oilers]

This might be the wrong forum to post your question. No wonder THE BEAR isn't here yet to lay his paws on the fish yet

[Skimmerking]

dude I never even seen that

[The Grizz]

Originally Posted by Oilers

This might be the wrong forum to post your question. No wonder THE BEAR isn't here yet to lay his paws on the fish yet

I have been a little busy today.

First off, welcome to CanReef.

Second, call Wei's tomorrow & tell them there is a problem with the butterfly, not a health issue but an issue with it nipping at your coral something they said it wouldn't do. Try your best to keep it alive & away from your coral. If I had my FOWLR going I would offer to fish sit until you talked to

How long have you had the butterfly for? They will never change from coral munchers no mater what you try to feed them.

Always research any & all fish you want before you buy, don't always trust what a person at a store tells you. I can't believe that Wei's would give some bad advise, I have always received good info from them.

Butterflies are not a good choice for a reef tank unless its a Copperband. If you need any advise or help let me know, shoot me a PM.

[fishoholic]

Originally Posted by The Grizz

I can't believe that Wei's would give some bad advise, I have always received good info from them.

Really? Maybe it's because he knows you know your stuff? I've heard him say things to new people in his store (giving poor advice) to make a sale.

Once a fish gets a taste for coral it doesn't change. I'd take it back or try to sell it on here

[Reef Pilot]

Originally Posted by fishoholic

Once a fish gets a taste for coral it doesn't change. I'd take it back or try to sell it on here

This may be the case for most butterfly fish, but not so with my Pearlescales. When I first got them 2 years ago, they picked a bit at some of my mushrooms and some LPS. But their favorite target was my aiptasia, which they cleaned out nicely. I also fed them well, and they soon lost their taste for corals. Now I have SPS, LPS, and softies, and they don't bother them at all. They do show some interest when I put in a new frag, but the most they do is clean off the thin slime threads, and then forget about them. They do pick at the rocks, though, not sure what they are finding, but seems to keep them occupied.

Unfortunately, though, they also seem to have forgotten what aiptasia taste like, too, and have a seen a couple reappear here and there. Hopefully, they won't let them get out of hand again.