Copperbanded Butterfly Fish
- Thread starter joyski58
- Start date
Matt Sable
New member
Actually dwarf angels aren't all that bad. Members from the ''Argi Complex''{e.g, brazilian flameback, cherub angel, etc.] are usually trust-worthy. There are ones that are almost guaranteed to bother clams and LPS corals. One that comes to mind is a Lemonpeel angel. If you wanted to get a larger angel Regals have had many successes in reef tanks. Angels aren't impossible, but there is a small risk for all of them. Good luck with the Copper Band, I love them!!!!
Flatlander
Premium Member
My copperband is almost two years with us now and has always been a model citizen. He eats most frozen foods and even eats from my fingers. However, just like that, he turned and started to pick at one of my crocea clams.
I also keep several lps. Never looked at them but they are frogspawn & hammer types. Corals like brains and the such are pretty hard for pickers to resist, because of the mucus on them. Even tangs have a hard time not slurping on them.
I also keep several lps. Never looked at them but they are frogspawn & hammer types. Corals like brains and the such are pretty hard for pickers to resist, because of the mucus on them. Even tangs have a hard time not slurping on them.
I got two peppermint shrimp and in about a month no more aptasia
I've always wanted a copperband but I liked my coco worm too much to risk it. I ended up getting a nice looking flame angel which I thought was a safer bet and within one day my coco worm was reduced to stubs.
I wish you could get these and other questionable fish "pre-reef-tested". I would definitely pay the extra money.
I wish you could get these and other questionable fish "pre-reef-tested". I would definitely pay the extra money.
F/u to initial post
F/u to initial post
Since the initial post, my copperbanded spent 2 weeks in quarantine, where I rotated a few smaller rocks w/aipstasias from my main tank and he cleaned them up pronto. [I also noted, before I brought him home, that he was cruisin' the rocks in the LFS tank, and was eating shrimp. Good indicator he shipped AOK. First step in aquarium survival.] He's now in the main tank where there's lotsa live rock, and I do have a refugium. Only took him 1 week to clean up almost all the aipstasia (except the area the clowns are tending their eggs). He was apprehensive at first to get in the dinner crowd, but he's now holding his own with the bigger fish. I'm glad to know they like clams and blackworms, since I think a varied diet for most all fish is best. He will eat squid, too. So far he hasn't bothered the corals, although I have seen him pick at snails on the glass. I haven't purchased any any feather duster worms because I have a 6-line wrasse who is a worm eater, too. Another item of note: I tried a couple of years of peppermint shrimp, Joe's Juice, Aipstasia Stop, and kalk injections to eliminate the apistasias. Nothing worked, but Mr. Copperbanded. I love this fish and have high hopes of keeping him for a long time. Joyce Jones
F/u to initial post
Since the initial post, my copperbanded spent 2 weeks in quarantine, where I rotated a few smaller rocks w/aipstasias from my main tank and he cleaned them up pronto. [I also noted, before I brought him home, that he was cruisin' the rocks in the LFS tank, and was eating shrimp. Good indicator he shipped AOK. First step in aquarium survival.] He's now in the main tank where there's lotsa live rock, and I do have a refugium. Only took him 1 week to clean up almost all the aipstasia (except the area the clowns are tending their eggs). He was apprehensive at first to get in the dinner crowd, but he's now holding his own with the bigger fish. I'm glad to know they like clams and blackworms, since I think a varied diet for most all fish is best. He will eat squid, too. So far he hasn't bothered the corals, although I have seen him pick at snails on the glass. I haven't purchased any any feather duster worms because I have a 6-line wrasse who is a worm eater, too. Another item of note: I tried a couple of years of peppermint shrimp, Joe's Juice, Aipstasia Stop, and kalk injections to eliminate the apistasias. Nothing worked, but Mr. Copperbanded. I love this fish and have high hopes of keeping him for a long time. Joyce Jones
delafe
New member
I came VERY close to picking up a red sea copper band yesterday... Broke out in a cold sweat and everything just thinking of everything that could go wrong.
I need some reassurance people. ;-) One of my LFS got a beautiful small Copperband in that is calling to me. But my corals are shouting just as loudly- "Don't do it Alfred, please!"
-Alfred
I need some reassurance people. ;-) One of my LFS got a beautiful small Copperband in that is calling to me. But my corals are shouting just as loudly- "Don't do it Alfred, please!"
-Alfred
delafe
New member
It all depends on whether or not there is an active outbreak of disease. Our reef systems are not sterile environments. A QT tank is as much a place for our new fish to have a low stress environment as it is to manage disease. But a healthy reef system can tolerate quite a bit. Even if the QT had a fullblown ich outbreak, a healthy reeftank would handle it without any problems.
Of course if there was ever "red bug" or some other major problem in the QT there could be a risk of contamination, but that would not be the case most of the time.
-Alfred
Of course if there was ever "red bug" or some other major problem in the QT there could be a risk of contamination, but that would not be the case most of the time.
-Alfred
We just bought our cbb today and have high hopes for his survival. He was eating live brine in the lfs and has been there for 2 weeks. We brought home some of the live brine and we have a ton of microfauna on the live rock as none of the other fish seem to be interested in it. We also have maybe 20 or so aiptasias here and there.
I had always been able to keep the aiptasia population under control with joe's juice so we didn't get the cbb for that specifically, but we hope he'll have plenty to eat between the pods, tons of tiny feather dusters everywhere, and the aiptasia. I worry more about our other fish harassing him as he is kind of small compared to the other fish.
So far he's really not timid about exploring the tank and only the yellow tang has showed any interest in him being there.
And we have already seen him pecking at the rockwork.
So off to a good start, hope all goes well!
I had always been able to keep the aiptasia population under control with joe's juice so we didn't get the cbb for that specifically, but we hope he'll have plenty to eat between the pods, tons of tiny feather dusters everywhere, and the aiptasia. I worry more about our other fish harassing him as he is kind of small compared to the other fish.
So far he's really not timid about exploring the tank and only the yellow tang has showed any interest in him being there.
And we have already seen him pecking at the rockwork.
So off to a good start, hope all goes well!
here's a quick pick of our newest fish.
Thanks for the advice Paul, we have some brine that we brought home from the pet store to try him out on first. The pet store said he was eating it. Although we hadn't actually seen this, this particular lfs has sold us all of our fish lately and has been pretty trustworthy.
Our Yellow Tang seems to be bullying him already though so....I hope that they establish thier place together peacefully??
Here's a quick pic on the first day
Thanks for the advice Paul, we have some brine that we brought home from the pet store to try him out on first. The pet store said he was eating it. Although we hadn't actually seen this, this particular lfs has sold us all of our fish lately and has been pretty trustworthy.
Our Yellow Tang seems to be bullying him already though so....I hope that they establish thier place together peacefully??
Here's a quick pic on the first day
Paul B
Premium Member
They are one of my favorite fish and I have always had one in my reef. Most fish will eat brine shrimp and it is a good starter food but butterflies won't live on it for long. Most of their diet is worms as you can tell by how they find them and pull them out of the sand. I feed live blackworms that I first feed "Selcon" along with the regular mysis and plankton.
Great picture you took there of a beautiful fish. I don't have a close up but here's mine.
Paul
Great picture you took there of a beautiful fish. I don't have a close up but here's mine.
Paul
mrcrab
In Memoriam
Here's my guy...
I've had him about 5 months now, bought him "used" from someone who had him over a year. Eats like a pig! Gets Ocean Nutrition, frozen blood worms twice a day. That's all he'll eat except for what he pics off the rocks. He's very fat and happy. He knows when it's feeding time and is like a dog waiting for me while I get the food ready.
You'll also notice the yellow tang in the background, the tanks oldest inhabitant, thinks it's "his" tank. They had a few matches when the CBB was first introduced. The CBB gave as good as he got and their best buddies now.
I also have a cleaner shrimp, crocea clam, zoos, mushies, rics and sps and he hasn't bother anything.
I've had him about 5 months now, bought him "used" from someone who had him over a year. Eats like a pig! Gets Ocean Nutrition, frozen blood worms twice a day. That's all he'll eat except for what he pics off the rocks. He's very fat and happy. He knows when it's feeding time and is like a dog waiting for me while I get the food ready.
You'll also notice the yellow tang in the background, the tanks oldest inhabitant, thinks it's "his" tank. They had a few matches when the CBB was first introduced. The CBB gave as good as he got and their best buddies now.
I also have a cleaner shrimp, crocea clam, zoos, mushies, rics and sps and he hasn't bother anything.
Similar threads
