A successful technique for the long term maintenance of these fish is to stuff prepared foods into crevices and between the branches of decorative corals. They like foods containing crustacea meat, algae and sponge. As with Copperband Butterflies, they also enjoy using their beaks to root out the meat of a fresh mussel or clam from the supermarket. To get a new fish started, offer live foods such as brine and Mysis shrimp. As with all Butterflyfish, this fish loves to eat polyps and corals and should not be trusted in a reef aquarium.
Butterflies are also quite sensitive to water quality.
If your fish goes off its feed, chances are your water quality is deteriorating.