Copper band butterfly

[DrewCam]

Any reason I shouldn't put one in my 80 gallon shallow, sps dominated with some zoas reef tank? Ive always liked them but have never tried one. I have a couple friends that have had pretty good luck with them. Why shouldn't I do it?

 

[tc2007]

If you have to put one make sure you see it eating frozen food at the LFS.

 

[mpsteve]

What he said. Also I hope you don't like your zoas my copperband loves them for sure


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[CrayolaViolence]

my copper band has been great. I love him. He doesn't bother anything: zoas, acans, acros, nada. A model citizen. I did luck out and get him from another person's tank where he ate all the aptasia and they took him back to the store. He's not even shy, not like I expected and is eternally curious.
A really great fish.

 

[evolutionZ]

i've had mine for over a 1 year and a half now, feeds only on frozen mysis. dosn't touch anything else other that aiptasia. They are lovely fishes but they do require target feeding (with a turkey baster) to ensure they get enough food. Esp so if u have aggressive fish that snatches food from it!

 

[kmbyrnes]

Great Fish!
+1 On seeing them eat.
It took 4 tries before I got one to survive TTM/quarantine and make it to the DT.
One died of ich, ( before I knew better ), 2 ate sparingly and wasted away.
My success has been in the tank for 9 months.
Feeds mainly on frozen mysis, but I saw her eat some flake the other day.
Model citizen and all the aiptasia are gone.

 

[jml1149]

Agree on the target feeding. I blast some food into the power head, sends all fish scrambling except CBB. CBB comes to back of tank and I squirt a little food in 4-5 times to ensure it gets enough.

 

[OrionN]

If you freeze live clams in the freezer they freeze with shell shut. Every day, i would take one out and drop into the tank. As the clam thaw out, the shell would open. CBB with long snout will get first dip at the clam. Once the CBB is full, the shell open enough for the rest of the fish to move in and finish it off.
My CBB is fat and happy. I just have to remove the shells out of my tank weekly.

 

[tkeracer619]

They're tough. For the best chance of success get a large one that eats from an lfs. Mail ordering a small one almost guaranteed a dead fish. They're already a fish with low fat reserves and since shippers starve them before they send them out they often come with pinched bellies. To bring this fish back from that is almost impossible.

It's a pretty active fish that hunts for food all day. Consider this before you subject it to a smaller system.

 

[jd371]

I had one in qt 2 weeks ago that was eating, but after 3 days died because of a bacterial infection. I was shocked at how fast it succumbed to the infection. Last weekend I picked up another one after making the rounds of the local lfs to find one that looked healthy and eating. He's been in the tank since Sunday and is eating like a champ, very active searching every inch of the qt. I've been feeding him Mysis and Brine shrimp soaked in Selcon and live Black Worms. The Black Worms he makes a beeline to and gobbles them up, the shrimp he'll pick at and the ones he doesn't eat will settle on the bottom of the tank caught in a whirlpool where he'll eat them through out the day. Started a round of antibiotics on day one this time. I've got another 3 weeks in qt, but looks good so far.

 

[dutch27]

Easily my favorite fish when I had a larger tank. I would be patient and spend the money to try and get one off of Diver's Den. I got mine from them at the time, and it was healthy and eating on day 1, never had any problems with it. Mine never touched a zoa, but YMMV.

 

[jml1149]

Where did you get the live black worms? Did he just go right for them?

 

[Andrew D]

If you freeze live clams in the freezer they freeze with shell shut. Every day, i would take one out and drop into the tank. As the clam thaw out, the shell would open. CBB with long snout will get first dip at the clam. Once the CBB is full, the shell open enough for the rest of the fish to move in and finish it off.
My CBB is fat and happy. I just have to remove the shells out of my tank weekly.

What a great idea, I need to try that. I've had several but although all were eating before I put them in my display, they couldn't compete with my other fish for food and eventually died. I tried everything, from pod "hotels" to turkey basters but nothing would work.

 

[jd371]

Where did you get the live black worms? Did he just go right for them?

I get the black worms locally, but in the past I've ordered from aquaticfoods.com. Yeah, he goes right after them, with all other food he'll pick at, but the worms he attacks.

If you freeze live clams in the freezer they freeze with shell shut. Every day, i would take one out and drop into the tank. As the clam thaw out, the shell would open. CBB with long snout will get first dip at the clam. Once the CBB is full, the shell open enough for the rest of the fish to move in and finish it off.
My CBB is fat and happy. I just have to remove the shells out of my tank weekly.

I'd love to try this but I'm afraid for my Maxima once I move him to the DT.

 

[oseymour]

My copperband ate my acans when I first put him in but he doesn't touch anything else.
It took me a week to get him to eat. fresh clams in the shell did the trick for me. Now he eats seaweed on the clip and any frozen food I add to the tank.

 

[OrionN]

.....

I'd love to try this but I'm afraid for my Maxima once I move him to the DT.

Steamer clams and Tridacna clams have nothing in common in the eyes of CBB. Fish can devour steamer clams but leave Tridacna clams alone.

I imagine over the millennium, Tidacna clams developed mantel with terrible taste to protect themselves again browsing fish. Steamer clams use their shell as protection so once the shell is open, they are "dead meat".