How bad is this idea: butterfly in a reef

[mogurnda]

I gave up trying to kill Anthelia and mushrooms, and they are at plague levels.  What do people think about using a butterfly to eradicate them? Are there any that will leave SPS alone?  Will my clowns be able to defend their anemone?

[wildcrazyjoker81]

Probably going to have to take everything out and cook the live rock. Bruce (bbyatv) had this happen to him with purple shrooms. Read this thread and his links to his other threads in that thread. Wow that is a mouthful.

http://wamas.org/forums/topic/67348-how-to-kill-mushrooms/

[Neto]

I bought a copperband butterfly recently to control my small aiptasia problem and so far so good, I have seen way less aiptasia in my tank.. I havent seen it munching on corals but we will see..

Edited July 9, 2014 by Neto

[YHSublime]

Won't work for your mushrooms, IMO. I have a copperband in a reef tank.

[zygote2k]

filefish is best for Aiptasia control.

[mogurnda]

filefish is best for Aiptasia control.

Never could grow Aiptasia.

 

BTW, I am thinking about a totally not-reef-safe butterfly, like a raccoon.

[mling]

I had a massive Aiptasia problem. My Klein Butterfly cleared out all the Aiptasia but never touched the mushrooms or any corals.

[davelin315]

Dave, I can't remember whose tank it was that was profiled on RC but there was a thread in particular that caught my eye years back. There was a woman, I believe, keeping multiple no -reef safe butterflies in her reef and it was awesome. I want to do that in the future, even if it sacrifices some corals in the short term, because some of the butterflies that are not reef safe are absolutely striking. That said, many of the non-reef safe ones are seldomly available in the trade. I do like the raccoon butterflies a lot, but they grow pretty large and are one of those been there done that species for me, although I won't ever say the idea of mixing them in a reef with other butterflies doesn't hold massive appeal.

[Squishie89]

I think it really depends on the butterfly. I had a CBB and she went after my acans and a button coral (think really small scoly), everything else was fine. For some they go after other things.

[YHSublime]

Dave, I can't remember whose tank it was that was profiled on RC but there was a thread in particular that caught my eye years back. There was a woman, I believe, keeping multiple no -reef safe butterflies in her reef and it was awesome. I want to do that in the future, even if it sacrifices some corals in the short term, because some of the butterflies that are not reef safe are absolutely striking. That said, many of the non-reef safe ones are seldomly available in the trade. I do like the raccoon butterflies a lot, but they grow pretty large and are one of those been there done that species for me, although I won't ever say the idea of mixing them in a reef with other butterflies doesn't hold massive appeal.

 

If I didn't have so many zoas I was attached to, I would try this as well. I think if you get large enough SPS colonies, and smaller angels, it would greatly increase the chances of success. I tried adding a Koran to my mixed reef when I set the 150 up. It had come from a mixed reef and had been fine, but found my tank to be a buffet. It must have tried one of everything. As a matter of fact, I think it ended up with Coral Hind, it would probably do the trick for the OP!