Where to buy Spot-Nape Butterflyfish
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About Spot-Nape Butterflyfish
A small butterflyfish with a distinctive yellow body and white-edged black vertical bands. The most recognizable feature is a black spot or patch on the nape (back of the head/neck area), which gives the species its common name. The face is pale with black eye-bars characteristic of the genus Chaetodon.
Key facts
- Diet
- planktivore
- Common Health Issues
- Marine ich, Fin rot, Swim bladder disorder, Hole-in-the-head disease, Velvet disease
- Max Size
- 5.1
- Diet Details
- In the wild, Spot-Nape Butterflyfish feed on small crustaceans and zooplankton. In captivity, they require frequent small meals of live or fresh foods such as mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, or copepods. Many refuse dried or standard frozen preparations and require acclimation to captive diets.
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific region, including the Red Sea, East Africa, and westward to the Hawaiian Islands and tropical waters of the western Indian Ocean.
- Care Level
- Hard
- Difficulty Level
- The Spot-Nape Butterflyfish is difficult in captivity. It is notoriously selective about diet, often refusing prepared foods, and demands excellent water quality and stable conditions. Success requires patience and typically specialized live or fresh foods.
- Care Requirements
- • Minimum 55 gallon tank with excellent water quality and stable parameters • Temperature range: 72–78°F; Salinity: 1.020–1.025 SG • Feed small amounts of fresh, varied marine foods: mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, small copepods, or specialized butterflyfish diets; many individuals refuse frozen foods • Provide plenty of rockwork and stable hiding places; nocturnal feeders that are most active at dawn and dusk • Keep only one per tank; extremely sensitive to copper-based treatments and water quality fluctuations
- Feeding Schedule
- 2-3 times daily
- Water Parameters
- Temperature: 72-78°F pH: 8.1-8.3 Salinity: 1.02-1.025
- Family
- Chaetodontidae
- Min tank size
- 55 gallons
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