Coralivore butterflyfish diet experience

[LaloJ]

I have little knowledge of butterflyfish that feed exclusively or almost exclusively on corals. I understand that they derive nutritional benefit specifically from coral polyps, so I was wondering if some of these fish can be fed a primary diet in captivity of corals such as zoanthids and palythoas, supplemented with some frozen foods, seafood mush, clams and oysters as a supplement; it's possible that well adapted fish can eat some dry foods but I understand that they have little to no nutritional benefit to them. Some butterflyfish of this type that I can get in my area are Chaetodon capistratus, Chaetodon striatus and Chaetodon ocellatus. As a side note, I have never seen these fish eat in captivity, and it's difficult to get other coralivore butterflyfish species here.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

From my experience it's hard to get coralivores on prepared foods. Had a Blue Spot butterfly fish and it mainly dined on sps corals, pocillopora especially but I did successfully get it on to selcon soaked nori. Never ate anything like dry foods or cubed stuff. It was a hard experience and one of the few fish I returned back to my importer. Last I knew the fish was enjoying life in a massive 500+ gal sps dominant tank.

 

[LaloJ]

That is a beautiful fish, I know it's complicated trying to adapt them to the food we use in captivity, sps corals seem to be the best option for them, although it's likely that other corals can be helpful, I have read about experiences with some butterflies that kill some corals such as zoanthids and even mushrooms. Another part to consider is diseases, the quality of fish is VERY bad in my area, especially for marine fish, and even worse in delicate fish like these, but that is another topic.

From my experience it's hard to get coralivores on prepared foods. Had a Blue Spot butterfly fish and it mainly dined on sps corals, pocillopora especially but I did successfully get it on to selcon soaked nori. Never ate anything like dry foods or cubed stuff. It was a hard experience and one of the few fish I returned back to my importer. Last I knew the fish was enjoying life in a massive 500+ gal sps dominant tank.

 

[IrezumiHurts]

I have little knowledge of butterflyfish that feed exclusively or almost exclusively on corals. I understand that they derive nutritional benefit specifically from coral polyps, so I was wondering if some of these fish can be fed a primary diet in captivity of corals such as zoanthids and palythoas, supplemented with some frozen foods, seafood mush, clams and oysters as a supplement; it's possible that well adapted fish can eat some dry foods but I understand that they have little to no nutritional benefit to them. Some butterflyfish of this type that I can get in my area are Chaetodon capistratus, Chaetodon striatus and Chaetodon ocellatus. As a side note, I have never seen these fish eat in captivity, and it's difficult to get other coralivore butterflyfish species here.

It can be done but takes some work

See my post on the topic here:

Advanced - Getting your corallivore to eat in QT

Hello I have a chaetodon mellanotus under my care and while I was doing some prep figured I would share a method that has worked well for me to incentivize a feeding response for these sometimes picky eaters. This one went 3 weeks without eating reliably. This method can also be used for...

humble.fish

Here is a video of my melon butterflyfish eating in a QT



Just getting them to eat is the bigger problem than the nutrition of the diet in the beinning

 

[LaloJ]

It can be done but takes some work

See my post on the topic here:

Advanced - Getting your corallivore to eat in QT

Hello I have a chaetodon mellanotus under my care and while I was doing some prep figured I would share a method that has worked well for me to incentivize a feeding response for these sometimes picky eaters. This one went 3 weeks without eating reliably. This method can also be used for...

humble.fish

Here is a video of my melon butterflyfish eating in a QT



Just getting them to eat is the bigger problem than the nutrition of the diet in the beinning

Thanks for the link and video, I remember reading this method some time ago by Matt Pedersen. From what I've researched, it's important to keep coral in the diet of coralivore butterflies, but on the other hand I would like to get healthy fish which is difficult in my area, without that crucial point the fish are likely to be doomed from the start, so I'm gathering all the information I can before making any attempts with these fishes, plus my wish list includes finicky fish to feed.