butterfly fish

[teknikz]

i was in a lfs today and saw a butterfly fish and wanted it LOTSLY!!!!!

but the woman said that they eat ikkle fishes ....n ive got a few tetra's

anybody know how true this is???

do they munch on the little light beams that are neons or are they a good community fish??

Tek

 

[CFC]

Definately not a community fish,believe it or not that innocent looking little fish has a mouth like a trap door and will eat anything under 2" once full grown,very hard to feed as well as they will only take live foods from the surface and they preffer their food big.Lovely fish though and well worth the effort for those who can keep them,unfortunately i lost my two a few years ago when they both commited suicide by getting out of the tank through a 2" gap where the wires for the lights go in.

 

[Feline]

Is Butterfly fish a marine kind or freshwater kind? And what's ikkle fishies? Haven't seen them, just curious!

 

[impur]

Freshwater. I donno about ikkle or wanting something lotsly, might be another over the pond thing

 

[wetwetwet]

ickle=small

both fresh and marine varieties (sometimes i think called lion fish )

 

[teknikz]

ikkle is small......u yankssss....hahahaha .... just messin

heres a butterfly fish.......its freshwater

Tek

 

[teknikz]

omg

ive just realised its not upside down!!!!!!

it looks upside down!!!!!!

hahahahahaha......i want 1 tho

 

[wetwetwet]

m8 i dont think ickle came from state side

....look at location ^

 

[wetwetwet]

ignor me

...that last post anyway

....toooo tired

bed time see ya all

 

[shimanocono]

The marine lion fish is not the same as a fresh butterfly

 

[Feline]

Oh my! For a moment I thought it's upside down! Very funny looking lol!!

 

[Alex]

Gorgeous fish, but one of mine got its beautiful under finnage demolished by my zebra danios, and I've heard that most barbs have a good go at them too. They also are quite delicate and need to be put in a mature tank, as they become very unwell with even the slightest problems with water quality. Definately worth while though if you have the right conditions for them.

 

[Thomas A. Anderson]

As far as I am aware if anyone is interested they are called Butterfly fish because when viewed from above they look like a butterfly on the surface of the water, thus tempting insects to take a closer look, where the fish ends up eating them.

Correct me if I'm wrong though.

 

[Wasserpest]

There is a African Butterfly Fish girl in my tank for quite some time now, I posted some of my experiences and a few pics over here http/www.plantedtank.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1913 in case anyone is interested.
Very peaceful fish, should only by kept with other tranquil fishies of it's size (I have a pair of pearl gouramies sharing the surface area, and they get along great).
I feed her flies, earwigs, moths, little mosquito fishies, daphnias (live, with some air under their shells they stay at the surface). I think they would take frozen food like mosquito larvae, but definitely prefer something that moves!
I don't agree that they are picky about water conditions, but it would be very cruel to keep the Butterfly together with fast-moving fish like barbs and danios that would bother him all the time.
By the way... mine has never even tried to jump out of the tank. She does jump after flies and the little fishies, as long as they are on the surface. I guess it is like with you getting into a hotel... some you'd rather stay outside. She loves to hang out in the dense vegetation on the surface... between Riccia, Myriophyllum and swords that made it to the surface... until I show up, then she comes out and expects a big fly

 

[snotirl]

There perfect for eating those un wanted babies