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Milletseed Butterflyfish
Butterflyfish

Milletseed Butterflyfish

Chaetodon miliaris

A Hawaiian-endemic butterflyfish that forms loose schools over reef edges to feed on plankton and small benthic invertebrates. It's one of the hardier, more adaptable Chaetodon and a good beginner butterfly, but it still noses at coral polyps and small ornamental inverts often enough that it isn't a safe bet for a mixed reef. Best introduced as a pair or small group added all at once.

Temperament
Peaceful
Max size
5.9"
Min tank
70 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe with caution
Diet
Planktivore
Zone
Mid-water, Open water, Rockwork
Best in a shoal of 2+.
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Tankmates

How Milletseed Butterflyfish gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Purple TangPurple Tang (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Milletseed Butterflyfish and may harass it.Picasso TriggerfishPicasso Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Milletseed Butterflyfish and may harass it.Raccoon ButterflyfishMilletseed Butterflyfish and Raccoon Butterflyfish are the same genus (Chaetodon) and will fight — keep only one.Pearlscale ButterflyfishMilletseed Butterflyfish and Pearlscale Butterflyfish are the same genus (Chaetodon) and will fight — keep only one.Volitans LionfishVolitans Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Milletseed Butterflyfish.Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Milletseed Butterflyfish.Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Milletseed Butterflyfish.Chainlink MorayChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Milletseed Butterflyfish.Rectangle TriggerfishRectangle Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Milletseed Butterflyfish and may harass it.Clown TriggerfishClown Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Milletseed Butterflyfish and may harass it.Miniata GrouperMiniata Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Milletseed Butterflyfish and may harass it.Panther GrouperPanther Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Milletseed Butterflyfish and may harass it.Double Saddle ButterflyfishMilletseed Butterflyfish and Double Saddle Butterflyfish are the same genus (Chaetodon) and will fight — keep only one.Klein's ButterflyfishMilletseed Butterflyfish and Klein's Butterflyfish are the same genus (Chaetodon) and will fight — keep only one.Threadfin ButterflyfishMilletseed Butterflyfish and Threadfin Butterflyfish are the same genus (Chaetodon) and will fight — keep only one.Lunare WrasseLunare Wrasse (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Milletseed Butterflyfish and may harass it.Spanish HogfishSpanish Hogfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Milletseed Butterflyfish.