Butterfly fish

[Jae1525]

I'm looking to stock my 40gal tank after its finnished cycling and I was wondering if anyone here keeps butterfly fish?

I'm looking into keeping a couple of them and know they are a bit nasty to smaller fish so my tank will be stocked with semi-aggressive fish of the same size or larger.

Any tips on feeding, tankmates or behaviour?

I would like to keep a Ghost knife with them if poss.

 

[StingrayKid]

Butterfly fish like defend their rights as " ruler of the surface". I used to have a very large one and it would get angry if other fish would hang around the top. They really like isects and frozen foods that float, because in their natural enviroment, they eat bugs that fall into the water. Thhey can eat small fish so, watch out for that. They can get up to 6 inches in captivity, maybe more. They're really cool fish though. Good tamkmates would be ones they can't fit in their mouth. Oh, and make sure you have a lid that has no spaces open for fish to jump. Butterflies are notorious for jumping.

 

[Jae1525]

I hear they can even glide a bit!

What would you say a 6" butterfly fish could fit into it's mouth? (dont be rude)

 

[ryan]

Look here; http/fish.orbust.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=34968

 

[Jae1525]

Cheers Ryan!

That answers all of my questions bar 1...

Would new word cichlids such as the firemouth be a menace to the butterfly fish and its long fins?

 

[ryan]

I wouldn't risk keeping them together, although you could argue that the Butterfly Fish stick to the surface of the water away from the Firmouths etc. I'd keep a group of Butterfly fish with some bottom dwelling species and a group of Cyprinids rougly the same size, maybe a species of Barbs or larger Tetras.

 

[Jae1525]

Cool!

Cheers for your help.

 

[CFC]

Barbs with butterfly fish!!! OMG NO!!! The fin nipping habbits of barbs would have the butterflies long delicate finage in tatters in no time.

 

[ryan]

Barbs with butterfly fish!!! OMG NO!!! The fin nipping habbits of barbs would have the butterflies long delicate finage in tatters in no time.

I would disagree mate. I keep mine with Golden Barbs and Puntius everetti with no problems at all, I think alot of people have given all the Barbs a bad reputation. More peaceful species do fine with the Butterfly Fish and cause them no harm, the Butterfly Fish are more danger to them then they are to the Butterfly Fish.

 

[CFC]

Well i'll take your word for it but i generally wouldnt advise keeping barbs with long delicate finned fish, most of the barb species commonly available in your average LFS are evil little terrors.

 

[Jae1525]

Who to believe! Your both mods!

 

[ryan]

Well i'll take your word for it but i generally wouldnt advise keeping barbs with long delicate finned fish, most of the barb species commonly available in your average LFS are evil little terrors.

Yes agreed, species like Barbus tetrazona and some other commonly sold fish would be a bad idea. But I have always found Golden Barbs to be a peaceful species that trouble little else, I found the other species to be the same.

 

[Jae1525]

How about a ghost knife with butterfly fish?

He lives at the bottom they live at the top. Sound ok?
But what if the ghost came to the top for a stroke and sum grub?
Would the butterflys attack him?

 

[FMZ]

I dont know about a ghost, if you get a small one, you have a chance of butterfly making a dinner out of it. If you get a large one, it'll outgrow your tank faster then you think.

What kind of knife fish are you planning to keep?

 

[samsung-401]

i would have to agree with basacly everbody here.

i myself have a very large one. and by large i mean fat.