Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Not Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Papua New Guinea south to the Great Barrier Reef and Lord Howe Island.
Size: 6 inches (15 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow lagoons, protected back reefs, reef flats, and reef slopes at depths between 3 to 50 feet (1 – 15 m) and feeds on stony and soft coral polyps along with minor amounts of filamentous algae and various benthic invertebrates.
General Husbandry: Has a yellowish body with several vertical greyish bands edged in brown with one passing through the eyes, a black patch on the caudaul peduncle, and yellow dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins.
Best maintained in larger peaceful fish-only aquariums, especially those with lots of open swimming space, live rock hiding places, and having lots of algae growths. As to diet, this is usually a difficult species to get feeding in the home aquarium, therefore begin with a meaty diet of live fortified brine shrimp and/or black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus). Once feeding regularly, various frozen meaty foods such as mysis, can be tried and offered several times daily.
Even though basically a live coral polyp consumer in the wild, it also injests some algae, therefore, flake foods, especially those containing Spirulina and/or Nori should also be occasionally offered.
If still refusing to eat regular aquarium foods, try small human consumption clams/black mussels purchased in local grocery stores and placed on the half-shell in the aquarium, which may help entice it to begin feeding. Over time, frozen foods like mysis and brine shrimp and various flake foods may be more readily accepted.
Can be maintained with other butterflyfish species or this species, but all should be introduced at the same time.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Chaetodontidae
Genus: Chaetodon
FYI: Pressing some soft foods into openings/crevices on a piece of old dead coral skeleton can sometimes encourage finicky eaters to begin feeding.
Experience Level: Intermediate
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: No
Invertebrate Safe: With caution
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful or non-aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 75 gallons
Temperature Range: 68 - 82°F (20 – 28°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 -1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5
