Copperband Butterflyfish

[Dave VG]

Thinking about getting one of these to eat my aiptasia that is kinda getting out of control. This is a quote from DFS:

They are an excellent fish when used to control aiptasia, or glass anemones, in the reef aquarium.

Would love some feedback form you guys on this. Is there another way to control it? Been using kalk and lemon juice but just can’t keep up. For everyone I kill it seems there are two new ones that pop up.

 

[BSamuelson]

Peppermint shrimp (Lysmata wurdemanni) did the job for me, but I hear they can be hit or miss.

 

[pimpinitup6969]

I have had luck with both peppermint shrimp and copperband..... the copperband is a must if you have any large aiptasia
Matt

 

[Blugobi]

CB............100% effective

Geo

 

[Dave VG]

Picked one up last night. Guess i'll see what happens.

 

[Dave VG]

Day 1 when i dropped him into the tank it did pick at a brissil worm. But it has been mostly lurking behind the rocks.

 

[SIguy]

Give it a few days hopefully it will come out and start eating...

 

[Kent E]

Geo, what's your experience with the copperband and xenia and clams and other corals?

 

[Blugobi]

Kent:

As far as Xenia, clams and other corals, no issues to date. When I first got mine back in December he/she was a Aptasia eating machine, in the last few months I have noticed an increase in aptasia and less frequent eating of them by my CB, I think it is hooked on Rod's food......lol Seriously though over time CB's will loose there taste for Aptasia and glass nems, but if your able to feed the rest of your fish with flake, pellet and or nori for a few days, the CB gets hungry and will start to pound the Aptasia again.

Geo...........hope this helps

Dave.......Mine hid for almost a week before it came out to join it's tankmates.

 

[Dave VG]

Thanks for all the info. Hope all goes well. It was at the LFS for about 3 weeks and was eating. Purple tang is mean. May have to get rid of it.

 

[fordguy1992]

mine was veary well taken care of when i bout mine, but he started eating within hours of being in the tank

kyle

 

[Dave VG]

Kyle I'm sure mine would be to but the tang is relentless and won't leave it alone. It chases it into the back corner behind the rockwork whenever it tries to come out into the open. It is out at night and I have seen it pick at the rock once or twice.

 

[fordguy1992]

im sorry to hear that. i hate when that happens. i hope that the tang warms up to him real soon. good luck

kyle

 

[Dave VG]

Thanks Kyle me to.

 

[Dave VG]

It tries to come out and pick at the rocks but the tang chases it back. Now the Anthias has joined in and is also chasing it. It's looking a little skinny already. Any ideas?

 

[Conesus_Kid]

How likely is it that you can catch either the tang or the butterfly?

If you can get one or the other into the sump or fuge, it might help things for a while. (Either give the purple a "time out" or allow the butterfly to fatten up.)

 

[Dave VG]

Not sure but I guess I'll have to try. The butterfly I think would be easy to catch. Hopefully it will eat now if I can get it out.