Aiptasia eating butterfly fish

[daniella3d]

My copperband does not touch aiptasia with a 10 feet pole. Never.

And I know a few who have the same so don't ever buy a fish just for the purpose of it eating something because it is unlikely that he'll do what you want.

I suspect aiptasias to be toxic anyway..often you hear about a copperband eating all the aiptasia and then dying. I am glad mine does not eat that crap. Get some peppermint shrimps instead and take care of the larger aiptasias with Aiptasia X or something similar.

Originally Posted by fishoholic

I was thinking there are a few different butterfly fish that are known aiptasia eaters. Copperbands for sure being one of them, however CBB's are notoriously tricky and while I have had some success with them I'd rather find a hardier aiptasia eating butterfly for my 80g. I had a filefish which was eating the aiptasia but he slowed down with eating them after awhile and is presumed dead now since it's been well over a month since I last saw him.

I have mushrooms and maxi mini anemones in my 80g, so I'd like to eventually get a butterfly that eats aiptasia but not maxi minis. While doing some research I found or have heard that these butterflies (other then CBB's) will eat aiptasia:

Raccoon
Klein's
Threadfin
Burgess
Latticed
Longnose
Saddleback
Pyramid

The problem is some people say the above do, and some people say they don't. So I'm not sure what to believe. Also read the some of the above will eat aiptasia but also will eat mushroom anemones (I'm assuming they mean maxi minis) Anyone have any ideas or experiences? Please share thanks

[fishoholic]

I have a fu man chu lionfish so peppermint shrimp are out. Every single piece of rock in my 80g has a few aiptasia on it, way to much rock to swap around. Some butterflies only get around 5" max so they should be ok in an 80g.

[marie]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

......

I suspect aiptasias to be toxic anyway..often you hear about a copperband eating all the aiptasia and then dying. .

Just for the record I'm reasonably sure aiptasia did not kill these fish. My copperband eats aiptasia and is still alive and well in my tank after 4 yrs

[Oilers]

Laurie,
Berghia nudibranch worked for me. I got 4 from monocus and they wiped out all my aptasia within a few days.

[The Grizz]

Originally Posted by Oilers

Laurie,
Berghia nudibranch worked for me. I got 4 from monocus and they wiped out all my aptasia within a few days.

Lucky you! The ones I got dissapered completely & didn't touch any of the apitasia.

[Delphinus]

1) Likely those CBBs died from causes other than eating aiptasia.

2) IMO I would say most butterflies get too big for an 80g, but not all. Threadfin (C. auriga), double-saddleback (C. ulietensis), raccoon (C. lunula), Pakistani (C. collare) strike me as a couple that ought to do OK in a tank that size (depending on tankmates and if you get them small enough). No worse than many other species of fish we keep at any rate.

[daniella3d]

I am more suspecting an aiptasia only diet to be bad. But that was just my impression after reading a lot of these stories. Maybe the fish also ate all the aiptasia and died because it was not eating anything else, not sure.

Originally Posted by marie

Just for the record I'm reasonably sure aiptasia did not kill these fish. My copperband eats aiptasia and is still alive and well in my tank after 4 yrs

[fishoholic]

I had originally thought threadfin but then read they get up to 8" so then I was thinking Klein's would be better because they get to 5-6". However someone earlier mentioned trying a bannerfish and I've wanted one of those horned ones for awhile now and then I read this on live aquaria

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...96&pcatid=2896

Phantom Bannerfish (Heniochus pleurotaenia) it is I will order one when the time is right. I will have to wait a bit as I might be putting some of Doug's corals in there when he moves up, and will need to move Doug's yellow tang out of the 80g first.

[Reef Pilot]

I have Pearlscale butterfly fish, and they totally cleaned up my aiptasia problem. They also taught my Copperband to eat aiptasia. If well fed, the Pearlscales won't eat my coral, but if hungry (not fed well), they will pick at my mushrooms and palys/zoas. They leave most of my other corals (soft and LPS) alone. I don't have any SPS, so not sure what they would do to them.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by fishoholic

Some butterflies only get around 5" max so they should be ok in an 80g.

It's not the size of the Butterflyfish that matters though Laurie...