Klein's Butterfly

Crazy4salth2o · #1 12/26/2007, 05:37 PM

My Klein's is going to town on my SPS...Any similar experiences?

JHemdal · #2 12/26/2007, 07:05 PM

These guys will chow down on just about anything; corals, algae, zooplankton, etc. - did somebody tell you they wouldn't eat your coral? Chaetodon trichorus is just about the same in terms of eating corals - though both would probably prefer soft corals over SPS.

Jay

axia55 · #3 12/26/2007, 08:20 PM

Mine ate all my mushrooms but ignores all other softies...No SPS in the tank.

oct2274 · #4 12/26/2007, 08:46 PM

nature of the beast, it one of their food sources.

wayne in norway · #5 12/27/2007, 03:54 AM

Mine was perfectly behaved, but ate aiptasia. These guys are really, really variable in what they will eat, and it depends to a large extent on where they come from - ones from Hawaii are nearly 100% on soft corals, in other areas they are almost zooplankton feeders, in other areas sps and so on. Sounds like you got one from the bad side of town....

No, you can't tell where they're from from appearances.

TrojanScott · #6 12/27/2007, 05:53 PM

I have one that's a model citizen, doesn't touch anything in my tank. (except aiptasia) I guess I'm lucky.

Crazy4salth2o · #7 12/30/2007, 11:37 AM

I referenced Scott Michael's book as my guide. I am frustrated now. Gotta get him out!!!!! I am not in the mood to dismantle the reef.

JHemdal · #8 12/30/2007, 01:11 PM

I'm confuzzled - Scott's book is pretty clear that some of these individuals will "also eats hard coral polyps". He also says "if it begins picking at corals it should be removed."

My "Advanced Marine Aquarium Techniques" only references the fish in relation to the less often seen C. trichorus:

Tahitian Butterflyfish Chaetodon trichrous
While rarely imported, this species is quite hardy and very active. They are identical in their habit to that of the Klein’s butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleini) to which they are very closely related. Feeding them is no problem; just keep them away from live corals in reef aquariums.

Now, getting the fish out without dismantling the reef will be a trick. One method that sometimes works is to get the fish accustomed to feeding at the surface on flakes. Then, swoop it up with a net. You get ONE chance at this (they learn fast) and many reef tanks do not have enough surface clearance to pull this off without smacking the corals. Another trick is to wait until night, have all the room and tank lights off, and then try to grab it while its sleeping. You could even try using a red lens flashlight to see the fish better. You'll first need to observe the fish - hopefully it will use the same spot to sleep each night....

Jay