AQUARIUM Details
gether in lovely tandem
most of the time, and I have
observed them spawning on
multiple occasions.
My latest addition is a
Chaetodon larvatus, vari-
ously known as the Orange-
face, Masked, or Larvatus
Butterflyfish. I know about
the difficulties with this
species, and I read a range
of scientific articles and
books about butterflyfishes
before attempting to keep
it. Fortunately I have good
connections in the trade,
so I was able to get a freshly
imported specimen. I feel
that with any fish as sensi-
tive as this, the best way to
give it a good chance is to
start it immediately with its
natural food: corals.
I think that when you
keep a newly imported fish
in unnatural surroundings,
its health declines very fast
to the point of no return.
The day after my C. larvatus
fish was imported I picked it
up, gave it a freshwater dip,
and took the gamble of re-
leasing it in my aquarium. It
did exactly what I expected:
it literally started to graze
on my corals immediately.
I must stress the fact that I
have a lot of thriving corals,
and I do not mind if a fish
nips them as long as no cor-
als are seriously damaged.
While the fish grazed on the SPS corals, I tried to
encourage it to eat other foods as well. Although the
other fishes in the tank were very happy with the extra
feedings, the C. larvatus showed no interest at all. I had
read about the plasticity of the diet of this species: While
they only eat corals in their natural habitat in the Red
Sea, they have also migrated into the Mediterranean Sea
through the Suez Canal. Obviously, there are far fewer
SPS corals in the Mediterranean Sea, but the Orangeface
Butterfly has been recorded living there. My goal was to
get this fish to accept other foods so I could minimize the
damage to the corals. I had learned that many reef fishes
cannot resist fresh oysters, so I offered these as well. Af-
ter about a month, the C. larvatus suddenly started to eat
the oyster meat.
At this writing, the C. larvatus has been in my tank
for almost a year. (Editor: See link to video taken July 2017,
below.) I still try to encourage it to accept alternate foods.
The trick I use is to first feed a taste of food I want the
fish to eat and then, about half an hour later, offer some-
thing I know the fish likes. The local fishmonger now
always keeps a fresh supply of oysters ready for my fish.
When he asked about my insatiable appetite for oysters
and I told him what I really do with these delicacies, the
look on his face was priceless. In addition to oysters,
my C. larvatus also eats scallops and “Vongole Clams”
(Tapes semidecussatus). Of course, three months is defi-
nitely too short a time to claim real success, but I feel
that I am getting there with this fish. Some of my fishes
have been with me for a long time, such as an OcellarisMAIN TANK: 43 X 28 X 31 inches (110
x 70 x 80 cm) (L x W x H), ca. 162
gallons (615 L), built of 15-mm glass;
front pane is low-iron to provide a bet-
ter color rendition
FILTER SUMP: 40 X 20 inches (100 x 50
x 25 cm) (L x W), ca. 33 gallons at 10
inches (25 cm) water level
INVERTEBRATES: 2 Tripneustes gratilla,
1 Mespilia globulus, 2 Lysmata amboi-
nensis, 2 Ophiaderma squamosissimus,
some Turbo fluctuosus, some Cerithum
echinatum, 2 Astropecten polyacanthus, 3
Tridacna squamosa
CORALS: Mainly SPS corals of different
genera, including Acropora, Montipora,
Stylophora, Seriatopora, Pocillopora,
etc. Also some Euphyllia spp., 1 Dun-
canopsammia axifuga, fungi ssp., Pavona
sp., Palauastrea sp., Plerogyra sinu-
osa, Blastomussa merletti, Psammocora
contigua, Goniopora sp., Alveopora sp.,
Leptoria phrygia, Turbinaria reniformis,
T. heronensis, Pseudopterogorgia elisabe-
thae, Gorgonia flabellum, Rumphella sp.,
Ricordea sp., Rhodactis sp.
FISHES: About 20 fishes, including a pair
of Amphiprion ocellaris, 1 Zebrasoma
flavescens, 1 Pygoplites diacanthus, a pair
of Centropyge colini, Macropharyngodon
choati, 4 Gramma loreto, 2 Pomacentrus
alleni, Nemateleotris helfrichi, Chaetodon
larvatus
REEFSCAPE: Plates of “Real Reef Rock”
glued to the glass; live rock, coral sand
LIGHTING: 2 Philips CoralCare LEDs
CURRENT: Return pump Red Dragon
10,000 and a Panta Rhei ECM 42 HydroWizard with customized programming
FILTRATION: Sump with a Bubble King
Supermarin 200 Internal Skimmer and
Red Dragon 10,000 as a return pump.
In the sump there is a small section
with algae, lit on a reverse daylight
cycle. Active carbon and iron-based
phosphate remover are employed.
WATER CHEMISTRY: A dosing pump adds
Triton Core7 Elements daily. Two or
three times a month I change about 3
percent of the water with artificial sea-
water, using KZ Reefer’s Best Salt. Four
times a year I change 20–30 percent
with either natural seawater or water
made with Tropic Marin Pro Reef Salt.
In addition to this, elements are added
when a Triton ICP OES analysis indi-
cates that they are needed. Twice per
week I add 3 ml Korallenzucht Amino
Acids for the LPS.
WATER VALUES
PO4: 0.04–0.1 mg/L
Ca: About 450 mg/L
KH: 8–9º dKH
Mg: 1.350 mg/L
Temperature: 77ºF (25ºC)
CARE MEASURES:
The animals are fed at least twice per
day, once before I leave for work and
once when I get back. I use a flake food
based on phytoplankton, different pellet
foods, and high-quality frozen foods
(mainly Mysis and lobster eggs). Fresh
oysters on the half-shell are incorpo-
rated into the menu.
OWNER: Tanne Hoff,
Vlaardingen, Netherlands