Copperband Butterfly Primer

I think the biggest advantage to keep them is live blackworms. I tried a few CBB in the beginning years of the hobby without much luck. They would eat, just would fade away. But the two I've had since using live blackworms did great. I wound up selling the 1st one, but after a few years, wanted another. I've had him for about 3 months now. He ate at the store, but would only eat live blackworms until last week. He is slowly starting to eat frozen foods. They really are awesome fish with great personalities.
 
I picked up a large one last week, from a lfs who had it for about a month in a 75 gallon tank with another one. It at frozen brine shrimp like crazy when the owner fed It so I bought it. I feed LRS fish frenzy, reef frenzy and herbivore blend and it just looked at the food floating by on day 1. Day 2 it ate 1 or 2 small pieces. Day 3 it picked out specific pieces of food but ate a lot more. Day 4 it ate like it never ate in its life hammering as much as it could and has done the same since. It's only been 8 days and it swims around picking at the rock hunting and eating pods all day, so I feel like he is healthy and adjusted to its new environment and I'm on the right path to keeping him thriving and healthy for a very long time.
 
Mine gives me a dirty look when I feed the tank algae flake. He stays in one spot looking out at me as the other fish dart around eating. I know he is saying ***.
 
I purchased an apparently healthy CBB that was eating mysis readily at the LFS. Drip acclimated for 3 hours and placed in DT. CBB fed heartily on live white worms, hikari mysis, fresh clams and mussels on the half shell, king of the tank.

It refuses capelin roe. Seems to have an interest in flake when the clowns eat it but tastes and spits it out.

3 months in it got ich out of no where. Looks and acts healthy except for spots. All other fish in the DT are health and symptom free and the history log on my controller shows no tell tale incidents (i.e. temperature excursions). :confused:Started cupramine treatment today in QT.

Fingers Crossed...wish me luck.

Oh by the way he was easy to trap out of the DT using fresh calm on the half shell and a trap made from lighting grate.
 
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Mine eats up black worms like there's no tomorrow. Got to thinking…. has anyone ever tried feeding theirs leaches? I was thinking about giving that a shot.
 
Had one in QT for 9 weeks, ate first day.

3 days after being in our display with 4 tangs and he passed on :(

Didn't sleep, wouldn't eat, etc... might try another. Just going bigger and using an acclimation box this time...
 
Sorry to hear. When I set up my new tank, I added my copper band 2 weeks before I moved my tangs over from my old tank. I was worried that my tangs would harass mine to death, but fortunatley it worked out well. Maybe next time try taking your tangs out and put them in a QT tank for a couple weeks while your copperband gets adjusted? I wish you luck, and hope your next one works out for you.
 
I got one directly from the wholesaler to tank. It ate mysis within 24 hrs but died within 48. Weird as he was a very aggressive eater.
 
lespaul339 said:
Sorry to hear. When I set up my new tank, I added my copper band 2 weeks before I moved my tangs over from my old tank. I was worried that my tangs would harass mine to death, but fortunatley it worked out well. Maybe next time try taking your tangs out and put them in a QT tank for a couple weeks while your copperband gets adjusted? I wish you luck, and hope your next one works out for you.
Click to expand...

Thanks will get a big guy next time :)
 
I too have no luck with copperbands although my lfs has some Australian copperbands that I've been eying for awhile. My last 2 copperband attempts there was no problem getting them to eat but after about a month, they'd stop eating and then die. Mysis and blackworms fed through a turkey baster was a good trick. I would set the turkey baster on a rack so that the food would just gravity drip into the water or the fish would be able to pull the food through the tip of the baster. My guess is that my Yellow and purple tang probably didn't ease acclimation but I didn't see too much aggression towards the copperbands.
 
I agree that boisterous and aggressive feeders like tangs may cause a CBB to be nervous about eating
They tend to be somewhat passive feeders and can easily be bullied
 
Man, That was a long read! I kept a copper for 5 maybe 6 years. It stopped eating one day and that was it.When it was upside down in the corner I put it down. I recently purchased another She eats mysis,clam,oyster and finely chopped glass minnow. Had her about a month but hasn't filled out to my liking. I tried a tiny worm from my flower bed,Cleaned out the gut track and chopped. she took a bite and spit it out as did every body else. I'll try again! The read was long but lot's of good info. Thanks!
 
Use a feeding station to feed finicky CBBs. Take two threaded PVC endcaps that fit together, drill several holes in them. Zip-tie one endcap to a Koralia magnet. Whenever you want to feed the CBB, remove the contraption, put 2 cubes of PE mysis inside, screw together the endcaps again, and put it back in the tank.

The CBB can reach inside the holes to get the mysis at his leisure, but the tangs can't get to it. Eventually the other fish in the tank will figure out that the CBB can get the food, so they'll wait until the CBB reaches in there, then they'll try and steal it. The CBB always did ok though.
 
I like the magnet idea! Also was considering a large clam shell with Some type of mesh covering it.The mag will allow easy retrieval .
 
Picked up a cbb about 2 weeks ago, quite a small one, and was eating mysis at the lfs.
I'm pretty sure he was, as the owner fed them (4 in tank), one was eating very well.
Watched that one and the owner tried to catch it.
Things got pretty hairy in the tank, the owner said he got the one I wanted, i wasn't 100% sure.
Anyways, got him home. Didn't eat for a week.
Fed mysis a couple times/day, and also Larry's reef frenzy.
Them one day, he nibbled a mysis.
Next day, maybe 2, next day 3, etc.
Now he eats Larrys and mysis like a champ.
Guess I'm one of the lucky ones, so far.
he's in a 34g Solana by himself and now always comes to the front when he sees me. Most of the time.
The only words of wisdom i have is that I thought he would like little pieces of food as his mouth is small, so that's what I gave him at the beginning.
Not so, rarely eats a little piece.
Always goes after the biggest piece of food in the tank first and rips off what he wants to eat.
Great fish, always poking around the rocks and very inquisitive.
I hope i'm over the hump and keep him long term.
Only worries I have now is putting him in my heavily stocked lps tank.

P1100399_zpsaxazhrqq.jpg
 
Update on the Copperband.
About 10 days ago noticed the cbb "shaking".
Guessed it was flukes, so I medicated with Prazi.
Came through that ok.
This fish is incredible.
Walk into the room, he sees me and instantly comes to the front, begging for food.
Been feeding him Larry's reef frenzy 3 times a day to fatten him up, which is working.
Keep trying to get him to eat flakes by sneaking some in.
Have tried Omega one with garlic and Mysis Spirulina
He eats it, but then spits it out, so getting closer.
All in all, a great fish, very personable.
 
Good trick for copperband feeding

Good trick for copperband feeding

So at first my copperband was not eating and then I got a piece of PVC put two caps on the end and drilled about 12 holes in it just large enough for him to put his mouth in the hole I then pull one cap off and put several different types of food in it I place it in the tank where he likes to hang out and let him slowly pick at the food inside the pipe no other fish can get to the food as they have to large a mouth to fit in the pvc pipe drilled holes. Good Luck
 
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