Ornate Butterflyfish.

schabiazabi · 02/08/2020, 09:10 PM

Have you guys seen Ornate Butterflyfish for sale lately?
I did a quick search and don't see them for sale anywhere.
Is there an import ban on them maybe?

wrott · 02/09/2020, 01:43 PM

They die in captivity. Simple as that.
I've seen them while diving in HI and I researched keeping them in captivity.
You may be successful if you have 10000G tank with plenty of Pacific sps corals and plankton to munch on.

Dmorty217 · 02/09/2020, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schabiazabi

Have you guys seen Ornate Butterflyfish for sale lately?
I did a quick search and don't see them for sale anywhere.
Is there an import ban on them maybe?

The poor survival rate is the reason you never see them. Even ones that are eating clams on the half shell rarely make it long term. Getting one straight from a diver is the only way to go since if you get one with disease the survival rate is near zero. They don’t do well in medication since it will kill off good bacteria that lives in their gut to help process food, or at least that’s what I have seen when they have been attempted.

02/08/2020, 09:10 PM	#1
schabiazabi Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 70	Ornate Butterflyfish. Have you guys seen Ornate Butterflyfish for sale lately? I did a quick search and don't see them for sale anywhere. Is there an import ban on them maybe?

02/09/2020, 01:43 PM	#2
wrott Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,912	They die in captivity. Simple as that. I've seen them while diving in HI and I researched keeping them in captivity. You may be successful if you have 10000G tank with plenty of Pacific sps corals and plankton to munch on. __________________ OK, but where does the meat go! ------------------------------------------------ 120g SPS, 125g mix, 56g FOWLR, 20g qt Last edited by wrott; 02/09/2020 at 01:48 PM.