From Venezuela Trying To Succes Whit Butterflys

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bisdikian

New Member
HELLO¡

when i started in this wonderfull hobbie 10 month ago, I decide after reading Sprung's an Borneman Books about reef aquarium I decided to design, built and run a reef aquarium with my own captures with gorgonians, hardc corals, zohantids, and of course CARIBEAN BUTTERFLY FISHES (one of a specie), And the two angels (QUEEN ANGEL AND THE POMACANTUS).
Till now i considere my project succesfull, I run a 100 gallon tank at the point of corals (hard an soft) invertebrates, anemones, but not with the buterflys only succed with the pomacantus angels.
Has any of you succed with butterflys and corals together.

The butterflyes has always died after a month with ich, i have some other fishes with now problem.
Thank you all, it is a pleassure to share this passion with you
 
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bisdikian

New Member
My Tank Is A 100 Gal Tank With A 10 Gal Sump With Two 10.000 K Ushio And Fluorescent Vho Ant Actinic Blue,

My Vlues Are : Nitrite 0
Amonia 0
Nittrates 10
Ph 8.3

Deep Sand Bed And 1/3 Of The Capacity Of The Tank Live Rock Collected By My Self.
About The Ishes I Will Look For The Names In English Or Cientific Name
Thanks For Your Interest
Ricardo
 
BoomerD

BoomerD

Well-Known Member
A couple of things...
First, NONE of the butterfly fishes are completely reef safe, although copperbanded (chelmon sp) are probably the closest there are. MOST butterflyfishes are coral polyp eaters, and many are dependent on ONE species of coral for their survival, and quickly starve in our tanks.
Next is the pomacanthus angels. Beautiful fish...the Queen is my all-time favorite fish...NOT reef safe at all. None of them are. Most will eat soft corals, anemones, and even SPS polyps. ALL will outgrow a 100 gallon tank fairly quickly too. They need a 180 or bigger to have any chance of long-term survival.
Sounds like you're going to have to make the decision to either keep a reef, with reef-safe fish, OR keep a Fish Only tank, with fish that will stay small enough to live in a 100 gallon tank, OR, invest in a much larger tank, so you can have the fish that you want...but, being mindful that many of the beauties in the sea, just won't last in our tanks, and avoid those species.

(edited my turible speling)
 
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mps9506

mps9506

Well-Known Member
I would have to say if you do want to keep Pomacanthids with corals, you will be looking at a much larger aquarium. I have seen some succesfully housed with leathers and xenia in aquarium ~400gallons. I think the size of the aquarium along with the rapid growth of the corals made it work, most of these fish were fed like pigs though :)
I will also say those two angels you have can be quite rambunctious, and I wouldn't be suprised if they were not friendly at all to each other or the b/fly in that size aquarium.
But definately follow Boomer's advice, these fish are most easily kept in a LARGE fish only system. And most of the butterflies are best left in the ocean.
 
Little Luey

Little Luey

Active Member
Bienvenido Ricardo.
I must be very interesting to capture your own livestock and collect your own live rock yourself. You are so lucky.
 
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bisdikian

New Member
thank you all for your interest is nice to recontact you, I have bad news but could be a new begining. my 100 gal. tank without explanation after 2 years the back glass broke and all the water came in to my living room. thank god i was having breakfast with my family, so could save sell, gifts, and keep just my deep sand bed and the only two especimens that i did not capture, and are not from the caribbean which are a xenia and a my percula clown fish.
So time to restart tomorrow i will rebuilt the big tank and after put the sand bed and the new water i will start again to recolect my new live rocks and gorgonians and hard corals from caribbean and of course fishes. at this point i have to remember that i am apneist and i recolect everything in my tank.

so i am very open for your coments to make a good choice of the right mix. any ideas, remember only caribbean especies
 
sasquatch

sasquatch

Brunt of all Jokes~
PREMIUM
Hi and Welcome back! if your rebuilding the tank and collecting again my suggestion would be to quarantine all your fish before they go in to avoid the ich problem, and this is a perfect time for PICTURES lol. Steve
 
vdituri

vdituri

Well-Known Member
Si, picturas por favor!
We love pictures here. Even if its of the old aquarium.
Sorry about your loss (and the mess).
Lo siento mucho.
 
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