wanted to get some input on this idea i've been running through my head. i was looking into a small copperbanded butterfly for my 60 gal reef tank (i know it will grow out of it) and i've gotten mixed reviews in my online research. some say it's easy to feed others say difficult. some so no with corals others say they've never had a problem. just wanted to see what everyone thought about the idea. thanks!
copperbanded butterfly in reef tank?
- Thread starter goldy26
- Start date
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
welcome to RC!
welcome to RC!
tip: research compatibility of species
Copperband Butterflyfish Primer
CBB = Chelmon rostratus (keyword in search)
welcome to RC!
tip: research compatibility of species
Copperband Butterflyfish Primer
CBB = Chelmon rostratus (keyword in search)
thanks! that was actually really helpful!
thanks for the heads up. i got him on tuesday and when i fed the tank that day, he was eating up the mysis shrimp. but he's been picking at the rocks and some of the algae growing on the back wall of the tank.
jimmyj7090
aka John K
If it is being hesitant about taking frozen food, I've had good luck feeding fresh clams from the grocery store to keep CBBs going until they do decide to take frozen. Take whole live clam and tap with hammer until shell breaks, then put the shattered clam in a short glass cup and put that in the tank for a few hours for feeding time, then remove.
I've used "little neck" / "count neck" clams, not sure how common they are on the west coast though?
I've used "little neck" / "count neck" clams, not sure how common they are on the west coast though?
thanks, i'll have to see if the store has any of those. i'm probably going to try and make my own concoction of a variety of stuff to freeze and then feed with that so i can get my tank a range of nutrients. maybe he wasn't hungry, but yesterday he didn't take any of the shrimp. he still picks at the rocks and algae on the back wall though.
dviper150
New member
I have had mine for almost a month now in my Reef and I have yet to see it eat frozen or dry food I feed the tank. I guess it's been eating pods in the tank since it has a full belly. Doesn't bother any of corals and I have a mixed Reef. Just make sure it's eating at the store before you take it home. Mine was supposedly eating at the store but I never asked the guy to feed it in front of me.
so just an update i guess...he stopped eating the mysis, and i put in bloodworms only to watch him investigate and reject, HOWEVER, he LOVES brine shrimp. he has one and turns into the flash speeding around the tank to catch all of them. i've got primarily LPS, but a few others and he hasn't touched any of them. yesterday i saw him nipping at my star, but it was only when one of the arms was up and his little tentacles were out...i think he got confused and thought it was a bristle worm or something, but all is good now. thanks for the help everyone!
jimmyj7090
aka John K
I'd keep offering a variety. Brine is food, but it doesn't have much nutritional value.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
CBB's and Leopard Wrasses benefit a lot from using liverock (not DRY rock) when building your reef aquarium. A refugium helps, too. These fishes hunt prey 24/7 and can starve to death if only eating foods fed occasionally by the aquarist.
lostintheocean
New member
I had one that ate frozen at the store but when I got him home in QT he stopped. i swapped out live rock covered in aptisia for a month or so and offered frozen daily, eventually he started eating frozen. They can be very hard to wean onto eating frozen and are very sensitive.
after getting comfortable in the tank he became the most aggressive feeder in there, made a snapping sound eating the frozen food floating at the top of the water. mysis, brine, blood worms, he ate anything in there. ate all the fan worms as well as a flame scallop.
had him for about 3 years and was an awesome fish, sad to say i lost him when I had to temporary move the tank to put in a floor.
after getting comfortable in the tank he became the most aggressive feeder in there, made a snapping sound eating the frozen food floating at the top of the water. mysis, brine, blood worms, he ate anything in there. ate all the fan worms as well as a flame scallop.
had him for about 3 years and was an awesome fish, sad to say i lost him when I had to temporary move the tank to put in a floor.
