copper banded butterfly question

[BCreefmaker]

i just bought a copper banded butterfly fish to rid my tank of aiptasia. i was wondering if it was safe to put him into my reef. i have heard and read they can be quite picky and i have lots of diffrent corals including SPS, feather dusters, and clams. so would it be better toi just put him in my fuge and then just put one rock at a time in there for him to clean? or just throw him in ot the main tank?

 

[m2434]

Re: copper banded butterfly question

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11579270#post11579270 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BCreefmaker
i have heard and read they can be quite picky and i have lots of diffrent corals including SPS, feather dusters, and clams.

If your so lucky - they hardly ever survive long enough to be a problem.

 

[poppin_fresh]

Theres no guarantee that it'll eat aiptasia. I would put Copperbands in the Tang category as far as swimming room needs. Unless it is going to be stressed by something in the display, I wouldn't put it in a small tank, like a 'fuge.

 

[george81]

you should have researched the animal before you bought it..and if you were unwilling to take the chance you should have researched other ways to rid you re tank of aptasia..www.coralscaping.com
berghi nudibranchs are reef safe and aptasia is all they eat...for the well being of the fish either keep it in the display tank or return it..you fuge is too small for a copperband and will only cause it stress.

 

[oldschooldino]

I have a copper banded butterfly in my 125. He destroyed all the aptasia and does also eat some frozen food. I believe he also eats copepods, amphipods, etc... I have not seen him nip at any of my corals(zoos,leathers,lps,stonies) but maybe I just got lucky. Maybe you got a good one, maybe not. If he will eat prepared foods, then by keeping him well fed after the aptasia are gone, there is probably less of a chance of him going after your corals. Unfortunately, the only way to know is to put him in and see. I do agree though, that he should go in the main tank, as the refugium is too small.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11579856#post11579856 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by oldschooldino
I have a copper banded butterfly in my 125. He destroyed all the aptasia and does also eat some frozen food. I believe he also eats copepods, amphipods, etc... I have not seen him nip at any of my corals(zoos,leathers,lps,stonies) but maybe I just got lucky. Maybe you got a good one, maybe not. If he will eat prepared foods, then by keeping him well fed after the aptasia are gone, there is probably less of a chance of him going after your corals. Unfortunately, the only way to know is to put him in and see. I do agree though, that he should go in the main tank, as the refugium is too small.

I think you got lucky

Try Joe's Juice on the aptasia--works great

 

[oldschooldino]

capn_hylinur, no doubt about that!

 

[tmz]

Nice looking fish may or may not eat aiptasia;may or may not nip corals particuarly open brains(cynarina,Scolymia,trachyphylia) Ships poorly. May not eat.

 

[kzickovich]

I got lucky just like old school. I've had one in my reef tank over a year. He eats prepared food (mysis shrimp brine shimp and sometimes even flake food) It's the only fish I own that I didn't buy online. I shopped around LFS and bought one I seen eat in the store. He even leaves all my coral alone.

 

[tmz]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11582992#post11582992 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kzickovich
I got lucky just like old school. I've had one in my reef tank over a year. He eats prepared food (mysis shrimp brine shimp and sometimes even flake food) It's the only fish I own that I didn't buy online. I shopped around LFS and bought one I seen eat in the store. He even leaves all my coral alone.

If were getting one that's exactly the way I would do it. Pick one that's been in a tank for at least two weeks and is eating.

 

[poppin_fresh]

I'm going to try to get one online. The last two I bought from my LFS didn't make it more than a couple days. I dont think their source is very good for CBBs.

 

[Reef of Eden]

i got a Copper Banded about 5 days ago, and have yet to see it eat an aptasia. any thoughts on this?

 

[oldschooldino]

Give it some time. I thought mine wasn't eating any either, at first. May just be eating ones you can't see, and don't know are there. Is he eating any frozen/prepared foods?

 

[Reef of Eden]

no, but he is picking at the rocks and substrate. He's eating something I can tell. I just can't see it like you said.

 

[CMcNeil]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11585070#post11585070 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reef of Eden
i got a Copper Banded about 5 days ago, and have yet to see it eat an aptasia. any thoughts on this?

i see alot of people assume they will eat aiptasia,they will be more inclined to eat any featherdusters or tube worms you have in the tank.id would NEVER buy one from an online vendor as i cant see its overall health and see it eat prepeared foods.best bet is to shop around and wait for a good healthy one that eats prepped food before your eyes.

 

[CMcNeil]

have you tried feeding him PE mysis?or blackworms?mine only ate mysis for months(ive had him over a year now) and is just now eating rods food.they will eat pods and are quite active after the lights go out hunting pods.

 

[Aquarist007]

Perhaps it got buried in my other post---Joe's Juice is great for ridding aptasia

If you still want the copper banded butterfly--then great but qt it for 4 weeks or so to get it to eat without the stress of other fish.

 

[tmz]

Peppermint shrimp might be a better bet in a reef coupled with joe's juice or kalk paste.. If you are setting up a tank to put rock into for aiptasia erradication,a Racoon Butterfly(Chaetodon lunula) will almost always ravage them along with corals and invertebrates.So you need a plan on where to keep it when it's work is done. The Racoon is generally hardier than the copperbanded.

 

[kydsexy]

** no one gets lucky with CBBs, you just get luckier in keeping them. i have yet to meet a person who has one that lives their entire lifespan

 

[glenns]

I bought on CBB, he lasted two weeks. I made sure he would eat, but did not make sure he would eat prepared foods. The only prepared food he would eat was Bloodworms. Don't know why. He would eat live brine and California blood worms. Unfortunately it was not enough.

For what its worth, I've since purchased a Klein's butterfly from my LFS. I got lucky, this one had been in an office tank the LFS was maintaining for years. He does eat prepared foods. But best of all one day I realized my Aptasia was declining. I have not had any Aptasia in more than a year. Only problem is he nips at my Green Eye Zoo's. I wish he would eat my brown button polyps, they're taking over my tank. Have not seen him attack my LPS or SPS. I guess I need to feed him more Mysis.