Copperband Butterfly Primer

[StupidsReef]

I have a 225 MD with a 100 sump. I'm not sure how many pounds of LR, as I've added over time. This tank is 2 years old, though some of the rock I've had since 2004. In Feb of 08 I had an uncontrollable explosion of aipstasia. I tried everything out there and every home remedy to no avail. I was losing SPS & Lps and couldn't seem to stop them. At my wits end and stressed out I went to one of my LFS to see again what other options was out there. On this day they had 7 CBB. They was offered and right away I refused, due to they die. However, I was asked to feed the 7 CBB with a food call PE mysid shrimp ( new to us). To my amazement 6 of the 7 CBB ate it right away as I placed it into the tanks. Still I was unsure. After a few hours of looking them all over I was talked into giving one a try. If I thought it wasn't going to make it, and I brought it back alive, I'd get a full refund.
I bought him and a large pack of the frozen PE brand. Due to them not eating normally, I did not QT, dripped for 3 hours and place into the MD. At that time I had these fish in the tank:

1 Maroon Clown @ 2 inches

1 Christmas Wrasse # 3 inches

and numorous Inverts.

Within 1 month I couldn't find 1 aipstasia. I watched this fish eat them everyday. He also eat's the PE Mysid shrimp. I've tried other brands of Mysid and he just picks at them and then spits them back out. The only foods I've been able to get him to eat is the PE mysid & once I hatched baby brine shrimp just for him. He did eat some of them but did not go crazy for them. I still have him today plus a about 5 other fish. Every once in a while I'll bring home from other reefer's homes some aipstasia and drop them in. He goes right after them sometimes before they hit the sand. He also picks at the rocks and around corals. I'm assuming he's eating pods.

Against all odds, I've had a few issue's where things went wrong ATO messed up and topped off 55g of fresh water bringing SG down to 1.021
A new fish brought in ICK
I over measured and over doses ALK
Heater stuck on and raise tank to 87*

I've lost a few fish due to these issues, But my CBB has remained. I call him one of the 3 strong holds of my tank. The Maroon Clown, Christmas Wrasse and my CBB have been the strongest through out. When asked why he's survived by other's in my club I can only give out the answer's I think might be right.

This tanks has been up for two years. Most things in it I had since 2004 from my first 90 tank, LR and some LS. And it's somewhat big 225 gallons.

It was up for 2 years before I bought him and had only had 2 fish in it. Maybe it was loaded with pods??

And the fact that he eat's the PE mysid shrimp.

Other's in my club have tried CBB and lost them even when feeding the PE brand Mysid shrimp and other's like me have had success. My CBB is about 3 inches long and is by far my prized fish. Of all the screw up's I done I'd like to think this CBB is a reward for sticking it out in this hobby. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying hey go get one, But I can't tell you it would be wrong to do that either. It was 4 years before I did, and I didn't want to even then.

 

[sunfish11]

Mine doesn't like PE Mysis. It is too big and he spits it out. I have to feed the smaller Hikarii Mysis. Could be he is just spoiled and finiky, LOL. When you get a new CBB make sure you try all brands of mysis just in case yours has a preference of one over the other like mine does.

Lisa

 

[raddogz]

Mine doesn't like the bigger mysis shrimp only likes the smaller ones.

 

[rampantmarine]

Interesting how everyone is feeding Hikari Mysis. Mine is eating mysis well, in fact it is waiting out for more all the time, as opposed to hiding. It has been a week so far. I have tried flakes - not interested. Tried Spectrum pellets - It wonders what the heck they are, but doesn't try them. Tried Hikari's mega marine - it has krill and other apparent yummy's in it. Didn't like the larger shrimps in that. Still going to keep trying to "fool" it into taking mysis flavored pellets.

So Hikari Mysis in selcon it is so far. What brands of other foods are people getting them to eat for variety?

 

[rampantmarine]

I have been fighting the s.g., ammonia & PH battle with my QT - and I am tossing in the towel and moving my CBB to the display, he is an active mysis feeder now and will benefit from the better not to mention stable water conditions. I dripped for two hours to adjust between my QT and the display and transferred him in a container (ice cream pail) and it worked way better then the net - less stressful on the fish as well. I At least I got a good picture, after lights out it was cruising around under the moonlights it looks like a zebra! I did find out that my tang ate Mysis soaked pellets !

Thanks for your advice everyone, it helped me out! Good luck to all who follow.

 

[JIM260]

I have tried several and only recently successful

I have tried several and only recently successful

My input:

1. of large fish, add him first and let get established before tangs, etc
2. Best in a non-sterile system, for example LPS, softy tank with fuge, lots of micro organisms, macro algea in fuge and main
3. Mine grazes all the time. Only prepared food he accepts is blood worms soaked in vitamins. Wont touch PE Mysis.

 

[losthere]

I have only had mine in for a few days and what a nice fish. The first day he ate all the aptasia. I had so many i thought for sure he would have food for a few days, but i guess he is a pig. He is now eating mysis and blood worms, but is also picking at my acans, micros, and 1 chalice. He is about to come out. My question is will he eventually lay off if I increase feedings or is it once he starts is there no going back? I really like this fish but i like my corals more.

 

[mflamb]

Mine has been in a 300 gallon Rubbermaid tub with everything else from the 390 for 3 weeks now. I was only worried about the CBB, but he eats everything that hits the water...flakes, small pellets, and anything frozen.

 

[HookedonReef17]

Mine has not touched any of my Aiptasia but then again he also hasn't touched any of my corals including a few feather dusters. So i like him for who he is and i've named him "Obnoxious". For his unwillingness to help me out. He is by far my favorite fish.

 

[crawlerman]

i was at a LFS and they had one that was eating mysis. I had a large aptasia that thew off a ton of small ones. I always like the CBB but I did not think they ate frozen. So i bought him and he ate mysis and marine quisine. He also cleaned up all of the small aptasias but left three big ones. After a month I decided to nuke the big ones with Aptasia X. Well this was a mistake. The next day he was just sitting in the corner jawing like he was chewing gum. The next day he died. i felt horrible because he was a good specimen that was eating prepared food, not eating corals, and ate aptasia. I just wanted to pass this on so nobody else treats aptasia when they have a CBB in the tank. This is a pic of him before he passed.

 

[gordon2726]

Hi guys,

Can anyone post a picture of a "fat" well fed CB? I got one about 1 month ago and he eat only frozen mysis once every 2 days. He's always picking on rocks and seems like he's eating something.. Also, where is CB's stomach located at? Maybe I can tell if he's full or not if only I know where is his stomach located... Thank you guys!

 

[55gSW]

I have had two of these beautiful fish. The first one lasted exactly one week. Never ate, never stopped moving. Not sure but I suspect it was a cyanide capture.
The second one ("Bubbles") was much better although it took awhile to get her to eat. I ended up making a clam feeder using a half shell and some of the mesh from an onion bag. This was doubled over the shell so that only the CBB could stick her snout in there to feed, thus giving her time to become accustomed to the food. After awhile I started mixing mysis shrimp in with the clam meat and soon enough she would take food from the water like the rest of the fish or even from my hand.
VERY friendly fish btw!
I had her in a 75g at first which was at that time going for a marine planted tank. You can see the grass in the pic I have added. Anyway she did really well but I noticed that she had this weird head shaking movement. Every so often she would shake her head, it looked like she was coughing. I made sure I soaked her food in garlic to try and help this. As time went on this behavior became more frequent so I did try different meds on her - I was guessing she had some sort of parasite - but nothing seemed to work. (BTW, no other fish ever had these symptoms) I had her for just over a year and a half when she died. It was very hard to lose her, she was such a personable fish.

Beautiful fish, but not one I will ever have again.

 

[CeasarIM]

Well I must be one of those lucky ones .I've had mine for about 5- 6-7 yrs or so(my tank has been runnin for about 12 yrs now )He eats everythink plus he'll eat out of my hand ,but 75% of my fish do the same .Flake food ,brine shrimp,aptaisia from my fuge.I have not seen aptaisia in my tank since he's been in it.I always put my fish in at night,and when I buy them from lfs I pay for them and tell them Im going out of town for about a week .They put a sold sign on the tank,the fish has time to get aclimated from a stressfull trip than I'll pick it up in a week and a half .By then if it wont eat ,or is not healthy,or looks like crap then it will most likely die .You get your money back and not buy a fish that should not have been sold anyway.It should be like that anyway,when a shipment comes in it should stay unsold untill fish get aclimated.

 

[ptr13]

Butterfly

Butterfly

I have a copperband butterfly and it has been thriving,loves mysis and brine shrimp but may move on to zoanthids after consuming your aiptasias. I bought him for utility and he has done its job but so far so good,he is beautiful fish to keep in a reef tank and has stayed away from my acros or polyp rocks but my little tube worms are gone.

 

[jhentr]

Mines been a delightful citizen of my tank (but don't tell that to the mini feather dusters that he took out after being in the tank for 5 minutes). The only thing he'll eat is frozen cubes, freeze dried mysis shrimp. He won't touch flakes/pellets or anything else including zoas, LPS, SPS, and the lone maxima clam I have.

I've been relunctant to keep giving him fresh water clam which he relish just because he might turn on my maxima. At 4 months in my tank, it's still too early to tell, but with me and my luck, once the fish is over 2 months in my tank, it usually last years (knock on wood).

Just make sure it's eating at the store before you buy it and make sure it's curious of it's surrounding, esp you when you walk up to the glass.

 

[Laddy]

Anyone know the range of these guys in the wild? Are there different color/pattern morphs with the different ranges like there are in other fish?

 

[JohnnyBassMan]

I have not purchased any fish for my tank. I want to stock with SPS and LPS before adding fish. Should I wait to purchase this fish last?

 

[Aqua Keepers]

I think this fish should not be a first fish in the tank because it is well known to be a picky eater and it's kind of timid. I feel that fish learn from other fish. So, having some othe non-aggressive fish that wont out compete it for food might help.

 

[lebloom]

Will a Copperband live in my 75? I am having a aptasia disaster and find nothing that truly helps. Will they get along with a Yellow Tang?

 

[redman1221]

I am thinking about getting one, but I have a tube anemone so I should not get one should I? I have a 125g mix reef tank that I want to put him in.