Butterfly fish and raccoons

How come a butterfly fish isn't reef safe? It's mouth seems to small to eat snails and such? Does it eat corals?

Also what's up with raccoons? I hear they eat zoas, but not snails?

 

Butterfly fish will nip at clam mantles and corals (small polyp stony, I believe). Some people still have them in their ref tanks, but they are taking hat risk.

 

Certain butterflies like the pyramid and copperband are supposedly more reef safe, but all are risks to eat corals.

 

feeding a varied diet will help reduce the risk, but yes almost all butterflies are a risk in a reef tank.

 

OH ok, i was just wondering because their mouth is soooo small.

 

Their mouths are small but are elongated to allow them to get inside crevices and coral branches. Definitely not too small to nip at corals. I have butterflies in my reef because I like them. You just have to weigh the potential damage they can do versus your enjoyment of having them in your tank.

 

Butterfly species can eat a medium clam in the space of a couple hours. When they go bad they go bad quick.

 

Sounds like me on a diet... At thanksgiving. When I go bad, I go bad quick!

 

Butterflies like to eat Anemones, so there is that!

 

I can vouch for the Pyramids. I had one that was sadly lost a while back. Great fish. Planktonic feeders. Mine ate everythig I fed to the other fishes and was a PERFECT model Citizen. I am currently looking for a pair or trio.

buddy got a thumbnail sized raccoon in a while back. Decimated a tank full of LPS.