Wild Threadfin Butterflyfish graze on stony coral polyps, sea anemones, sedentary polychaete worms, algae, and assorted small invertebrates, and they readily work over biofouling growth on submerged structures. That omnivorous, picking-oriented feeding style should guide the captive menu: offer a rotation of finely chopped marine fish and crustacean flesh, mysis shrimp, glass worms, fresh mussel or clam meat, and quality frozen marine preparations, supplemented with algae- and spirulina-based foods if the aquarium does not supply enough natural grazing.

Feed frequently, and increase to several small meals per day while a new fish is settling in. This species has a reputation for being difficult to convert to prepared foods, and individuals have been known to refuse food for extended stretches after purchase, so early feeding response deserves close attention. Live foods often break the impasse, as does smearing or tucking food into rockwork and empty coral skeletons so the fish can pick at it the way it would on the reef. Selecting an individual that is already eating is the single best safeguard.

Temperament is mild. Threadfin Butterflyfish largely ignore other fish and mix well with a wide range of calm tankmates. More than one butterflyfish can often share a large display provided the species look different from one another; similar-patterned congeners tend to spar unless introduced as an established pair. Reports from the wild describe a social species, and some aquarists find these fish settle more confidently in a small group than alone, though that is not firmly established. Expect shyness and stress sensitivity during acclimation, and avoid adding this fish to an immature system or to a tank already dominated by boisterous, territorial residents.

This species is not reef safe. Coral polyps, both soft corals such as zoanthids and large-polyp stony species, along with anemones, tubeworms, and bristleworms, all fall within its natural diet, and it will nibble at clams including Tridacna. Larger ornamental shrimp and crabs are at greater risk than small fish, and outcomes with any particular invertebrate are hard to predict from one aquarium to the next. A fish-only display or a live-rock-only system is the reliable choice, with sessile invertebrates and prized clams housed elsewhere.