Advice on getting a Copperband Butterfly

Blazer88

Blazer88

Premium Member
I am thinking about getting a CBB for my 65G tank. The tank mates would be as follows: 2 Clowns, Bi-Color Blenny, Yasha Goby, and a few firefish. It should be a nice and mellow environment that wouldn't cause any stress.

Are they generally hardy assuming they are eating at the LFS? Are they completely reef safe? What do they eat (other than Aptasia, I only have one in the tank) once they are acclimated? Any other general advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the help.

-Rick
 
Mine frequently nips at snails but leaves the corals alone for the most part. He loves mysis.
 
any feather dusters would be gone. Yeah mine loves mysis and brine. He will only eat frozen, tries to eat flakes just spits it out.
 
I don't have any feather dusters, so I'm not too worried about that. The CBB won't pick at large anemones, right? I have a RBTA that is about 8" across. Were your CBB's eating before you got them? Is a 65G sufficient for a happy and healthy fish?
 
I'd make sure the fish was eating for at least a few days at the LFS, probably a week is better. When you take them home, and if they don't except frozen food, a good thing to try is bloodworms (sometimes called blackworms). My copperband LOVES these, and if you enrich them with selcon by putting them in a small jug or container with an airline and a bit of selcon, they are nutritious for them. Now, my copperbands had only excepted frozen brine shrimp at first which isnt very nutritious. However, to solve this problem, I mixed in some frozen mysis along with the frozen brine and before long, he was eating some of the frozen mysis too. After he was on a bit of that, I eliminated the brine completely, and he is now on a diet of frozen mysis shrimp. Most butterflys with a reef are either a hit or miss. I think Copperbands are reef safe though. Id keep a cleaner shrimp in with it thought to eliminate any ich outbreaks if it were to get any. But if you buy a healthy specimen, get it acclimated to frozen foods, and keep the water quality good along with peaceful tankmates, I think you should be fine!

Good Luck!
 
Thanks for the comments about feeding. I'll keep my eye out for one at the LFS and make sure it is eating before I will buy it. Thanks again for the help.
 
I would say that the lack of a dominant similar bodied fish like a tang or angel improves the chances that your butterfly will settle in more quickly than some.

Good luck
 
I think it should coexist fine with the tank inhabitants you mentioned. I had my CBB with a rather pugnacious Kole Tang who killed it off within two weeks time. It was however, quite effective in removing that oh so virulent aiptasia while it was alive.
 
Yep, they are happily hosting in it. I'm in the search for one that is already eating, I'll post up some pics when I find a good one. Thanks for everyone's advice.
 
I've had a CBB for a while now, about 4 years, and it has been a model citizen as far as corals go. It will pick at snails and destroy aptasias and zoos. I don't mind because I don't want either in my tank. The snail thing is a bit annoying, but it's a chance you take. It eats anyhting from Omega One flake food to my home made mush. The fish is about 4".
 
I found one at the LFS that was eating Mysis like there was no tomorrow. I'm getting him acclimated right now and will try to feed him in a little bit. I'm hoping for the best that he won't destroy my zoa's!
 
It may appear at first that he is eating some of the corals, but is probably just picking some 'pods off of them ... my spouse has one that did this to the open brain, at first we thought she was eating it, but she quit doing it after a day or two and the brain has been fine ever since. It's been four months and she's never touched any of the corals, but we keep her well-fed and she's still quite small ~ 2.5". Oh, and there's 4 BTA's in that tank.
 
ive heard these fish die off randonly when eating fine and seamingly healthy is this true? my lfs said this...I have found one that eats in his lfs tank and sems very active and wanted to put him with two clowns and a bi color angel
 
The only reason I think one would die off like that is if it was caught with cyanide. Fish caught with cyanide eat like theres no tomorrow, but never seem to be gaining weight because of stomach damage. If the fish has been eating, and does appear to be putting on weight, I'd say chances are it wasn't caught with cyanide.
 
I wasn't aware fish would still eat if they were caught with cyanide. He made it through the night just fine and is out and about the tank with the moon lights on this morning. He is about 4" long, doesn't appear to be skinny by any means, and is picking at the rocks. I'll post a picture as soon as my lights turn on.
 
I fed some Mysis this morning at he ate it just fine. I noticed he made a few stops over to my cleaner shrimp, is that a good or bad sign? I'm hoping he isn't sick or anything. Are the Copperbands susceptible to any diseases, like Tang's and Ich? Any ways, here are a few pics.
Copperband.jpg


Copperband2.jpg
 
Blazer 88

That is one beautiful cbb! I've been contemplating rolling the dice with a yellow longnose but these pics have me thinking copperbanded

ethompson
:D
 
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