I've had CBB for 3 years; it hunts constantly, especially loves "feather stuff", wiped out apitasia, feather dusters; nipped coco worm and tore flame scallop apart. I don't think my CBB tried to eat the coco worm, but it did nip a few times, cause the worm never came out and died.
Copperband Butterfly Primer
- Thread starter BrianD
- Start date
I've had CBB for 3 years; it hunts constantly, especially loves "feather stuff", wiped out apitasia, feather dusters; nipped coco worm and tore flame scallop apart. I don't think my CBB tried to eat the coco worm, but it did nip a few times, cause the worm never came out and died.
My 3 years CBB never bothers maxiam clam and SPS. But the clam was introduced to the tank before CBB. It is always curious about the new things and nipping them a bit, luckily it doesn't pay attention to SPS at all.
aquaph8
Love The Fish
I asked this in another thread also but thought maybe you guys/gals would be the ones to ask since its a really similar fish. I've been searching for a Chelmon muelleri forever and finally I have a lead on one. The catch is that its a large fish with a larger price tag. Ive heard the larger ones are harder to acclimate and get to eat. I plan to have many foods on hand including blackworms. What do you think, should I go for it or pass and let my seach go on for who knows how long. Thoughts?
thanks for the reply. picky eater or out competed by aggressive fish? what do you feed yours and how often?
thank you
I think I will give the Marginalis Butterflyfish a try I know an importer who gets them and I can pick anyone from the tank and see it eating mysis or pellets.
do you think I can keep this and a spotted mandarin together in a 75g w/20g refugium? I don't know if the Marginalis Butterflyfish is a prolific pod hunter (I would assume they would be a supplement to my feedings) but if it is how much liverock am I going to need for both to be happy?
do you think I can keep this and a spotted mandarin together in a 75g w/20g refugium? I don't know if the Marginalis Butterflyfish is a prolific pod hunter (I would assume they would be a supplement to my feedings) but if it is how much liverock am I going to need for both to be happy?
I have a CBB in QT. It has been eating H20 Marine fusion and mysis (the last one not with gusto). I tried many types of food, including live grindal worms (I haven't been lucky finding blackworms and just tubifex seems to be available) but seems not interested.
I noticed it started to scratch, so I will start to treat the QT tank with paraguard and metronidazole.
I would like the CBB to be stronger to overcome the treatment so I don't know if it would be a good idea to get the fish stronger by feeding it with live tubifex and gut loaded artemia
What do you think? the risks of feeding tubifex are worth? Feeding live brine shrimp would make step back the CBB from eating the frozen food it was already eating?
I noticed it started to scratch, so I will start to treat the QT tank with paraguard and metronidazole.
I would like the CBB to be stronger to overcome the treatment so I don't know if it would be a good idea to get the fish stronger by feeding it with live tubifex and gut loaded artemia
What do you think? the risks of feeding tubifex are worth? Feeding live brine shrimp would make step back the CBB from eating the frozen food it was already eating?
Copperband came out of 8 weeks of quarantine with no meds. My QT tank is bare bottom and no LR (although I did add small pieces from sump for CBB to pick at). Eats PE Mysis and a home made fish meal (clam,Mysis, silver sides and algae ground up) that I pack into an empty snail shell and he has eaten all of the Aipitasia in DT.However it is behaving oddly....He darts around the LR until he finds an overhang, turns on his side and snugs right up against the underside of the rock. If I walk up to the tank to observe he darts away. Watching from a distance it is almost like he is inspecting the rock but is very short sighted ? He then picks at the rock and swims onto the next. He is beginning to rub against the rock a bit and I am worried about an infection. Although there are no visible signs of ich and have never had an outbreak, all of the rubbing on one side has left a mark...He has been in the DT for 1 week but is still very shy when I am within a few feet of the tank but actively swims and picks at the LR if I stand back. Has anyone else observed the swimming on its side behaviour ?
I can't really give a definitive answer about swimming on its side, but I can share some info when my CBB was in QT. He developed a small case of lymphocystis and was rubbing against rocks. As soon as I placed him back in the DT he swam right over to my skunk cleaner shrimp and couldn't wait to be cleaned. Within about 2 days of frequent shrimp cleanings, he stopped rubbing and I could see no more marks on his side. I know cleaner shrimp are not a cure for serious ailments like ich, but for skin irritations and "manageable" conditions like lymphocystis, they can provide a lot of relief. Do you have a cleaner shrimp?
180+55reef
New member
I would say who doesnt and yes!
Froggy
Reef "Hobbyist"...right!?
I am one month in on keeping a CBB and thought I would share my experience so far here.
I purchased an Indo CBB from a LFS that was in their store for about 2 weeks. The CBB was already eating frozen Mysis at the store and I made sure to witness this myself before purchase. The CBB ate mysis aggressively and looked to have a full body and not underweight so I made the purchase. Only frozen mysis was being offered at the LFS.
Upon arriving home a month ago, the CBB was acclimated and placed directly into the display. My CBB passed on the 1st feeding offered. After that, he began eating frozen mysis for me along with the other fish. Through my research before purchase, I read worms are an important part of their diet and not only for getting finicky CBB's to eat. I found a local source for live black worms and began offering those too. My CBB LOVES blackworms!!!
It did not take long for my CBB to recognize the turkey baster as a food source. I now feed the live black worms this way by sucking some up into the turkey baster and holding it under the water. My CBB sticks his long snout into the turkey baster hole and eats his fill of the black worms without competition from the other fish. I do this every day. I also feed the tank frozen mysis, frozen marine cuisine, and frozen Rods food. The CBB eats all frozen food added. Flake food and pellets are chased but never sampled.
Maybe I have been lucky but my experience has been great so far and my CBB eats like a pig. Now I just wish he would eat some aiptasia! Maybe I am filling him up on too many worms and this is why he ignores the aiptasia??
Anyway, I love the individual feedings and really enjoy this fish. Lots of personality.
Joe
I purchased an Indo CBB from a LFS that was in their store for about 2 weeks. The CBB was already eating frozen Mysis at the store and I made sure to witness this myself before purchase. The CBB ate mysis aggressively and looked to have a full body and not underweight so I made the purchase. Only frozen mysis was being offered at the LFS.
Upon arriving home a month ago, the CBB was acclimated and placed directly into the display. My CBB passed on the 1st feeding offered. After that, he began eating frozen mysis for me along with the other fish. Through my research before purchase, I read worms are an important part of their diet and not only for getting finicky CBB's to eat. I found a local source for live black worms and began offering those too. My CBB LOVES blackworms!!!
It did not take long for my CBB to recognize the turkey baster as a food source. I now feed the live black worms this way by sucking some up into the turkey baster and holding it under the water. My CBB sticks his long snout into the turkey baster hole and eats his fill of the black worms without competition from the other fish. I do this every day. I also feed the tank frozen mysis, frozen marine cuisine, and frozen Rods food. The CBB eats all frozen food added. Flake food and pellets are chased but never sampled.
Maybe I have been lucky but my experience has been great so far and my CBB eats like a pig. Now I just wish he would eat some aiptasia! Maybe I am filling him up on too many worms and this is why he ignores the aiptasia??
Anyway, I love the individual feedings and really enjoy this fish. Lots of personality.
Joe
Hal
New member
I've been 2 for 2 for aiptasia eaters with my CBB's. Sometimes it takes a few weeks though.
Monkeyfish
Active member
5 years is a good run for these fish; congrats!
FishDad2
Member
I'm in the process of converting a well established reef to a fowlr tank. One of the key additions to the tank will be a CBB. I'd like to get the advice of the community on some things in order to maximize my chances of success.
First though, a description of the environment...225 gallon DT with well established live rock, large sump, external dsb filter and refugium. I will continue to use RODI water for all evaporation makeup and water changes, so water quality will be up to reef standards. I also plan to remove all but the most passive of the current inhabitants before introducing the CBB in order to minimize stress on the CBB. All new inhabitants will go through QT prior to addition to the DT.
So, my first question is about point of origin. CBB's are available from Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Australia (perhaps other places as well)...are some origins considered superior to others? I've read in the thread that Australian CBB's may be more hardy...thoughts/experience? Are some origins to be avoided?
Second, is there an ideal size for addition of a CBB to the captive environment? Bigger means more mature and while the intuitive thing is to assume they're more hardy, for some species the adults actually don't make the transition to captivity as well as younger fish. And in some cases the really little ones can't handle the stress. What's considered the "ideal" acquisition/introduction size for CBB's?
Finally, tankmates... I've seen numerous posts expressing concern over Yellow Tangs unless you have a "large" tank. Is 225g large enough? My Yellow Tang is medium sized.
Six-Line wrasses also seem to be a point of concern because they're big eaters of the zooplankton found in the live rock...they compete for food with the CBB. But again, it's a 225g tank with a refugium...do I need to be concerned or can the six-line stay?
Following is the current plan for tankmates and the order in which they will be introduced. Anyone see any issues for the CBB in the list / introduction plan? Any fish missing from the list that you'd recommend?
* = livestock already owned
Bangaii Cardinal *
Longspine Cardinal *
Royal Gramma *
Serpent Stars (2) *
Rose BTA * (I plan to keep the BTA but will remove if necessary)
Copperband Butterfly
Wait 2-4 weeks before adding more fish
Heniochus Butterfly
Auriga Butterfly
Wait 2 weeks before adding more fish
Blue Girdled Angelfish (large juvenile)
Wait 2 weeks before adding more fish
Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse
Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse
Ocellaris Clown
Citrinis Goby
Wait 2 weeks before adding more fish
Yellow Tang *
Lyretail Anthias (2 x female) *
Six-Line Wrasse *
Flame Angel
You input is much appreciated...thank you.
First though, a description of the environment...225 gallon DT with well established live rock, large sump, external dsb filter and refugium. I will continue to use RODI water for all evaporation makeup and water changes, so water quality will be up to reef standards. I also plan to remove all but the most passive of the current inhabitants before introducing the CBB in order to minimize stress on the CBB. All new inhabitants will go through QT prior to addition to the DT.
So, my first question is about point of origin. CBB's are available from Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Australia (perhaps other places as well)...are some origins considered superior to others? I've read in the thread that Australian CBB's may be more hardy...thoughts/experience? Are some origins to be avoided?
Second, is there an ideal size for addition of a CBB to the captive environment? Bigger means more mature and while the intuitive thing is to assume they're more hardy, for some species the adults actually don't make the transition to captivity as well as younger fish. And in some cases the really little ones can't handle the stress. What's considered the "ideal" acquisition/introduction size for CBB's?
Finally, tankmates... I've seen numerous posts expressing concern over Yellow Tangs unless you have a "large" tank. Is 225g large enough? My Yellow Tang is medium sized.
Six-Line wrasses also seem to be a point of concern because they're big eaters of the zooplankton found in the live rock...they compete for food with the CBB. But again, it's a 225g tank with a refugium...do I need to be concerned or can the six-line stay?
Following is the current plan for tankmates and the order in which they will be introduced. Anyone see any issues for the CBB in the list / introduction plan? Any fish missing from the list that you'd recommend?
* = livestock already owned
Bangaii Cardinal *
Longspine Cardinal *
Royal Gramma *
Serpent Stars (2) *
Rose BTA * (I plan to keep the BTA but will remove if necessary)
Copperband Butterfly
Wait 2-4 weeks before adding more fish
Heniochus Butterfly
Auriga Butterfly
Wait 2 weeks before adding more fish
Blue Girdled Angelfish (large juvenile)
Wait 2 weeks before adding more fish
Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse
Red Velvet Fairy Wrasse
Ocellaris Clown
Citrinis Goby
Wait 2 weeks before adding more fish
Yellow Tang *
Lyretail Anthias (2 x female) *
Six-Line Wrasse *
Flame Angel
You input is much appreciated...thank you.
Paul B
Premium Member
I have them with 6 line wrasses in a 100 gallon tank and I have had dozens of them and dozens of 6 line wrasses, never had a problem.
They don't live for 15 or 20 years like many fish but with the proper care and food they do fairly well.
Five years with a copperband is about normal in a smaller tank which still stinks but it is not to bad. I find them to die more often in accidents that from any other cause. I find that with many flat fish in a captive envirnment.
Here he is sharing baby brine shrimp with two bluestripe pipefish at a feeder, but he also gets live blackworms and clam every day
They don't live for 15 or 20 years like many fish but with the proper care and food they do fairly well.
Five years with a copperband is about normal in a smaller tank which still stinks but it is not to bad. I find them to die more often in accidents that from any other cause. I find that with many flat fish in a captive envirnment.
Here he is sharing baby brine shrimp with two bluestripe pipefish at a feeder, but he also gets live blackworms and clam every day
