Pyramid butterflyfish - “expert level”?

[alex277]

I was looking to get a trio of pyramid butterflies and it seems just about every source online has them listed as moderate difficulty, but when I found a reputable site to buy them from, they were listed as expert level care. I thought this was odd as everywhere else says they’re one of the easier butterflies. I reached out to the owner to ask why they were listed as expert, to see if they are harder than I expected. They stated that these guys need a huge tank and that they don’t live long in captivity - I clarified that I have a 180 gallon and that I was looking to get a group of 3, and was told that I’d probably get 2 years give or take out of them.

I wanted to get other opinion, as I was researching I heard nothing of this sort. Do these guys really not live long in captivity? I have a large tank and I know they do better in groups, thus the 3, but are they really only to live a couple of years? As stated I’ve done research on these guys, but want to know what I’m in for before getting them. I have confidence in the business but this information also seems to conflict with other sources. Any experience with these guys?

 

[damsels are not mean]

They are planktivores. Hearty and voracious eaters from what I've seen and fairly peaceful in an adequately sized tank. The only "difficulty" is that they do best in small groups or more which means you need a sizeable tank. And there may be bickering but the experience of the aquarist won't affect that beyond choosing the right size tank.

I would ignore "expert only, easy, moderate, etc." every animal is different as are its care requirements. Do the research and figure out if the animal is right for you not whether your reef credentials are up to snuff. Is feeding a sun coral "difficult"? No, but some may not have the time or dedication to do it. Is having a deep sand bed "difficult"? No, but someone who hasn't done a bit of research about that shouldn't have a jawfish.

 

[Tired]

Seems like animal care should be rated more along the lines of a scale from "generalist" to "specific". Clownfish, for example, thrive in a wide variety of environments, with a wide variety of foods. Mandarins don't, but if you put a mandarin in a mature 90gal with loads of live rock and no competition for pods, it's the simplest fish in the world to keep.
Or I'd accept "hardy" to "delicate", or, heck, "easy" to "finicky".

 

[Tamberav]

Also keep an eye out of the vender has a different guarantee for expert only fish. I have seen things like Gem Tangs listed as expert only when they are not any different then other zebrasoma. In this instance.. it is clearly just not wanting to offer a guarentee due to expense of the fish.