Copperband Butterfly Primer
- Thread starter BrianD
- Start date
I recently added a CBB into my DT from a 2 week in a QT without any meds. He has always been a great eatter but was stressed by a yellow tang when first introduced to the DT. I pulled the tang pretty quick but the stress must have been enough because I am seeing signs of ick and possibly a bacterial infection. I am planning to move him back to the quarantine and treat him. I don't have a refractometer but can borrow one from my brother should I do hypo treatment. I have also heard that Butterflyfish are not tolerant of copper.
how should I treat him? I would like to address both symptoms.
D
how should I treat him? I would like to address both symptoms.
D
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ReefKeeper2009
Member
I'm not sure if you have experienced this with your copperband. Mine seems to become more active when just the moon lights are on. Quick history on mine bought him at the lfs he was eating mysis really well. Ive had him for a little over a month now with a flame wrasse pair, rhomboid wrasse, mcoskers wrasse, and a chocolate tang. Every once in awhile he will get uneasy around the tang but no aggression that I can see. In the last two days though he has developed a bump on his nose about half way. Do any of u know what this could be? Can't figure it out. Any help you guys can lend would be appreciated. Thanks Tony
Monkeyfish
Active member
Not sure about the "infection," but unless you're sure it's a bacterial problem I wouldn't use antibiotics - they'll decimate the nitrifying bacteria and make it difficult to keep the water clean.
As for the Ich... I used Cupramine for 3 weeks in a quarantine tank and my CB was fine. Never stopped eating and was "Ichless" in a few days.
macchicks
CORA
For anyone using on of these for their butterfly do you pack it full and leave it in the tank all day?
Do you pack it with frozen, thawed or just live.
I am planning on having a mix of different mysis to find the one that is liked but plan on also offering blackworms along with homemade food..
Do you pack it with frozen, thawed or just live.
I am planning on having a mix of different mysis to find the one that is liked but plan on also offering blackworms along with homemade food..
I wanted to share what I use to feed my copperband. Its a simple PVC end cap and adapter to plug it off. I drilled some small holes in it for him to get to the food. The great thing is he is the only fish that can get to it.
Hope this helps out some of you with picky eaters.
Hella
Blitzburggirl
Member
That is a ton of food! Especially if you are looking at putting it in a 75? I would be concerned about waaaaaay overfeeding the system. I did something similar, at first... but my CBB took to water column feeding faster than the pill bottle feeder. I would suggest, if you plan on using this method, that you use foods that won't disentigrate (I am sorry for spelling that wrong!!!) as quickly if he'll eat them. Have you attempted raw (frozen then defrosted) table shrimp? My CBB LOVES IT!!! Scallop and clam not so much. Do you have your fish in QT? Or added directly to the display?
martinphillip03
New member
I picked up an Aussie CBB about a month ago from a LFS (in MN). He is now in my 3 year old 180G mixed reef DT with a few chromis, a pair of b/w clownfish, purple tang, blue sided wrasse and a melanarus wrasse. I did not quarantine.
Due to aggression I removed the purple tang...he was relentless on the CBB. I also removed the melanarus as he was a pig and eats everything in site...very intimidating to the CBB. After failed attempts with Hykari, PE mysis, Rods' Food, frozen brine, I started feeding blackworms. To date, the blackworms are the only thing he eats.
I feed him with a turkey baster too and I usually mix in some mysis or Rod's Food in with the blackworms. He hasn't eaten anything but the blackworms but I keep trying to offer other foods to him.
The CBB hasn't touched any LPS, SPS, clams, or my RBTA. And unfortunately he hasn't touched my ever growing aiptasia population either. sigh...
Has anyone considered acclimating the blackworms from freshwater to saltwater? I know this has been done with freshwater fish such as mollies.
Jim
Due to aggression I removed the purple tang...he was relentless on the CBB. I also removed the melanarus as he was a pig and eats everything in site...very intimidating to the CBB. After failed attempts with Hykari, PE mysis, Rods' Food, frozen brine, I started feeding blackworms. To date, the blackworms are the only thing he eats.
I feed him with a turkey baster too and I usually mix in some mysis or Rod's Food in with the blackworms. He hasn't eaten anything but the blackworms but I keep trying to offer other foods to him.
The CBB hasn't touched any LPS, SPS, clams, or my RBTA. And unfortunately he hasn't touched my ever growing aiptasia population either. sigh...
Has anyone considered acclimating the blackworms from freshwater to saltwater? I know this has been done with freshwater fish such as mollies.
Jim
macchicks
CORA
Just wanted to thank you for the response.
My CBB is still at the lfs. I am setting up the QT today so that I can work on the feeding and make sure it is completely healthy. Coming home this weekend. I did not want to set it up the same day I brought it home.
I have both Hakiri and PE mysis. Plus a couple other foods. I made the feeder yesterday just so I would have it if needed.
My CBB is still at the lfs. I am setting up the QT today so that I can work on the feeding and make sure it is completely healthy. Coming home this weekend. I did not want to set it up the same day I brought it home.
I have both Hakiri and PE mysis. Plus a couple other foods. I made the feeder yesterday just so I would have it if needed.
Blitzburggirl
Member
You are very welcome 
I wish you all the best! I QT'd mine (not a traditional QT) in a 12 gallon tank that had been a reef in a previous life for 2 years. I left a few teaser corals in there to see what he'd do with them, and live rock. I kept him in there for well over 2 months, till I felt good about transferring him. Just some quick history that may help you, he ate hikari mysis better than PE at first, now he likes both. He was more willing to eat without garlic on his food than with (strange, right?) He liked black worms, but he likes table shrimp as much. He was shy at first in the 180... My purple tang is evil. But now he's comfy. He has been eating a little Rod's original for about the last 6 or 7 months, but his main diet is the PE mysis. or homemade food.
I wish you all the best! I QT'd mine (not a traditional QT) in a 12 gallon tank that had been a reef in a previous life for 2 years. I left a few teaser corals in there to see what he'd do with them, and live rock. I kept him in there for well over 2 months, till I felt good about transferring him. Just some quick history that may help you, he ate hikari mysis better than PE at first, now he likes both. He was more willing to eat without garlic on his food than with (strange, right?) He liked black worms, but he likes table shrimp as much. He was shy at first in the 180... My purple tang is evil. But now he's comfy. He has been eating a little Rod's original for about the last 6 or 7 months, but his main diet is the PE mysis. or homemade food.
Monkeyfish
Active member
Hi Tony,
I've also noticed that my CBB is quite active during the tank's "twilight." I assumed that this time period in the ocean (dusk early dawn) was when his natural prey would be most abundant.
Without a pic it's hard to know what the bump is... it could be a parasite or a mechanical injury from banging into something. Don't panic, but keep an eye on it.
iamwhatiam52
New member
This is from the second post in this thread. Is it true they will eat tube anemones?
huig
New member
I give mine earth worms and she loves it.
She also eats mussels, squid, shrimp and mysis.
In nature they are polychaete eaters so it makes sense to feed them a large amount of worms.
Are the blackworms you all mention mosquito larvae?
She now is 8-9 years old, unfortunately the male died during a power outage.
BTW the pic below shows how 'chunky' they should be
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She also eats mussels, squid, shrimp and mysis.
In nature they are polychaete eaters so it makes sense to feed them a large amount of worms.
Are the blackworms you all mention mosquito larvae?
She now is 8-9 years old, unfortunately the male died during a power outage.
BTW the pic below shows how 'chunky' they should be
James983
Active member
This guy eats like a pig. I made him my first fish so he would have no competion for food during acclimation. I also picked him because he was eating frozen Mysis at the store. Like Monkeyfish mentioned, he is very active just before the lights come on. He picks off all the pods before they hide for the day.
I have two tangs in with him now and he has no problem during feeding time . He's usually the first one waiting.
I have two tangs in with him now and he has no problem during feeding time . He's usually the first one waiting.
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huig
New member
In the shops here in Europe 3 different type of mosquito larvae are offered white, red and black, so I thought it were mosquito larvae. On several occasions I have seen people give the red type with success, but as these often come from polluted waters I don' t think these are good to give. I never feed insects to my marine fish.
@Lunde: Most of the time I just get the worms from my garden, sometimes in winter I get some from a bait shop.
People often make the assumption that terrestrial organisms or freshwater fish are not good to feed to marine creatures. Well luckily for us there are always exceptions!
eg. guppies have suitable fatty acid profiles for marine predators.
And in the case of the earthworm a quote.
"The earthworm meal has a high proteinic content and a balanced amino acid and fatty acid profile, features which make this proteinic source a good alternative for substituting mainstream feeds of fish meal."
@Lunde: Most of the time I just get the worms from my garden, sometimes in winter I get some from a bait shop.
People often make the assumption that terrestrial organisms or freshwater fish are not good to feed to marine creatures. Well luckily for us there are always exceptions!
eg. guppies have suitable fatty acid profiles for marine predators.
And in the case of the earthworm a quote.
"The earthworm meal has a high proteinic content and a balanced amino acid and fatty acid profile, features which make this proteinic source a good alternative for substituting mainstream feeds of fish meal."
Huig - how do you feed earthworms to your cbb? do you cut it into several pieces? do you wash it with rodi water first?
is this the worm you talking about? : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthworm
thanks Huig....
is this the worm you talking about? : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthworm
thanks Huig....
huig
New member
@Sdguy: I' ve been feeding earthworms for several years without ill effects.
I just rinse the earthworms in a glass of tap water and feed them with tweezers.
The really big ones (over 6-7) cm i cut in pieces. But my CBBb prefers them if not too large (so max 6-7 cm) it's a guess off course as I' ve never measured a worm
Try with small worms in the beginning.
@Ptan: Indeed it are those kind of worms.
I just rinse the earthworms in a glass of tap water and feed them with tweezers.
The really big ones (over 6-7) cm i cut in pieces. But my CBBb prefers them if not too large (so max 6-7 cm) it's a guess off course as I' ve never measured a worm
Try with small worms in the beginning.
@Ptan: Indeed it are those kind of worms.
