Racoon Butterfly reef safe?

[Newts]

Has any of you had any experiences with a Racoon butterfly in a reef tank?What if anything did it bother clams,LPS,SPS.Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[mountainbiker619]

The Chaetodon lunula grows up to 8 inches. The small size will come to you generally 1½ to 2½ inches; the medium generally 2½ to 4 inches; the large generally 4 to 6 inches. The Raccoon Butterfly prefers a tank of at least 80 gallons with plenty of places to hide & swim. The Chaetodon lunula is a carnivore and likes to eat variety of foods (meats & veggies). The Raccoon Butterfly is a medium maintenance fish and may act peacefully toward other fish. Not reef-safe, may eat inverts, anemones. Chaetodon lunula, "the" raccoon butterfly. They bear black and white crescent bands over the face and eyes raccoon-mask-like imitating their terrestrial namesake. They're similarly colored yellow, black and white on first glance, yet look closer. The Red Sea species lacks the Indo-Pacific's caudal peduncle (the area right before the tail fin) black spot and oblique yellow stripes behind the head. Note also the differences in the Red Sea's white masking (less), it's bolder, more variegated body band markings, and gorgeous red margining on the unpaired fins. Though not as attractive as its namesake in the Red Sea (C. fasciatus), the Indo-Pacific Raccoon is just as hardy, and a very good choice for eating pest Aiptasia anemones in reef tanks, though it will consume coral polyps in some cases. Also used to eat Aiptasia, and though more "reef safe" than the Auriga, still not to be entirely trusted… as it also eats coral polyps on the reef. Similar in distribution as the Threadfin as well, but supplanted by another species, the Red Sea Raccoon Butterflyfish, Chaetodon fasciatus. Keep water quality high (SG 1.020 - 1.025, pH 8.1 - 8.4, Temp. 72 - 78° F). The Raccoon Butterfly is commonly collected from the Indian Ocean.

 

[Will C1]

nice cut and paste from the marine depot lol. my friend had one it was very hearty and loved to eat sps and some zoid's, after cleaning the tank of them he dident bother the clam or the lps or the leathers, but like most marine creatures some do certain things and some do not, its all in the luck of the draw but over all i would not add one to my reef, now my fo is another story.

 

[mountainbiker619]

Will..you like my skills By no means do I know everything about this hobby. But I am damn good at finding information on the web

 

[Will C1]

hey i go there for some basic info also. lol :lol:

 

[Enzo]

ANything works. You just got to try it and see if it works. I have a trigger and a puffer with an anemone. And I am planning on getting some leathers.

 

[john f]

Racoon butterflies are generally considered NOT reef safe.

Please DO NOT believe everything you read on a site like marine depot however.
Most of these on-line sellers have less than adequate care info.

Although Marine depots' site is one of the better ones IMO, they are not perfect.

Here is an example from their site: "The Powder Blue Tang is a medium maintenance fish "

If this fish is not high maintenance, what is?

How about this one : "Many consider the Goniopora lobata a medium-maintenance specimen"

Since I have heard of maybe two people who have kept goniopora lobata for over 2 years, I personally would consider this a HIGH maintenance coral which is almost impossible to keep.




John

 

[Anonymous]

I was able to keep one in a SPS tank for several years, then one day he decided my hammer coral tasted good, least he did it when I was watching. I pulled the LPS out, and he was fine with the sps/clams.

I could hold a rock from the prop tank, covered in aiptasia, and he would clean them right off while I held the rock in the tank.

He also ate every featherduster in the tank, not that it bothered me.

 

[Newts]

Thanks everyone,I don't think I'll try it,just a bad feeling about it.Could be a disaster in the making.

 

[Will C1]

hey i just noticed i live right next door to you im in milford lol.