Who has a copperband butterfly in your SPS tank? [Archive]

Justin/TiV

04/12/2007, 02:58 PM

I'm thinking of sticking one in my tank too...I've heard it's a risk...but a low risk if well fed. I've heard they will eat tube worms...so I guess no coco worms. But I've also heard they may eat aptasia...

PUGroyale

04/12/2007, 03:08 PM

Mine gobbled all the mini tube fan worms and aiptasia :D Model citizen beyond that... never touched a coral. VERY IMPORTANT IMO that you get one that has been eating prepared foods [brine/mysis] and is in healthy condition. Make sure your LFS doesn't run copper in their holding tanks too so you can be assured it won't get home and develop ich. It's far more likely you'll lose a CBB to diet issues before it ever becomes a problem for your corals so pick carefully ;)

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b264/PUGroyale/tank12-01-06006_edited.jpg

hobogato

04/12/2007, 03:09 PM

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9709642#post9709642 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Justin/TiV
But I've also heard they may eat aptasia...

just added one last week for this reason. i do know that they will eat all types of feather dusters also.

SueT

04/12/2007, 03:24 PM

I have had my copperband with me for over 7 years. It's been through 2 tanks with me too. It has never shown any interest in aiptasia but I kind of think it may be due to the few that show up and I end up blasting them with kalk/ro water. Mine is a pig for PE mysis shrimp and will also eat enriched brine. My small fan worm population got hit big time and now they are growing in my sump. Good deal this fish is such a beauty...LOL.

It has never touched an sps coral, frag but tried nipping my clams but got over that quick.

louist

04/12/2007, 05:02 PM

Don't bet on a CBB eating aiptasia, especially when there's mysis and other stuff around.

A LFS here has an aipstasia species tank, with a CBB in there :)

MammothReefer

04/12/2007, 05:32 PM

I did, and it ate aptasia.. then I believe (no proof) my bubble coral ate him.

Freed

04/12/2007, 05:38 PM

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9709706#post9709706 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PUGroyale
Make sure your LFS doesn't run copper in their holding tanks too so you can be assured it won't get home and develop ich.
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b264/PUGroyale/tank12-01-06006_edited.jpg

Huh? That doesn't make any sense.

PUGroyale

04/12/2007, 05:56 PM

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9710923#post9710923 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Freed
Huh? That doesn't make any sense.

want me to type slow e r... :D

Freed

04/12/2007, 06:13 PM

Re read what you typed and then you decide. I T DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE.

PUGroyale

04/12/2007, 06:25 PM

Why not?

MammothReefer

04/12/2007, 06:54 PM

copper kills ich.

PUGroyale

04/12/2007, 07:04 PM

Yes, I know :)

However... If the LFS doesn't keep the fish for 6-8 weeks odds are it will still have ich when you get it home. Anyone know of a LFS who holds all their fish for 6+ weeks? You get a fish from a copper treated system in the typical LFS turnover time frame... if it had ich, it still does. But It looks fine... that's my problem. I'd rather get my fish from a LFS that doesn't treat the water and I can watch a fish for a couple weeks... see if it's healthy. My LFS also has a copper quarantine system in back for fish that do have parasites.

Corn

04/12/2007, 11:14 PM

jay24k

04/12/2007, 11:38 PM

I've never seen a copperband get ich but who knows.

Mine is doing well. Mine eats out of my hand which is nice because they are very slow eaters compared to other fish. My last one bit the dust because he could not get the food quick enough and was a picky eater. This one eats brine and mysis and my home made mix. All my fish now except for my royal gramma and blue hippo eat out of my hand. Pretty neat seeing my other 3 tangs coming up to me.

He's a large size one too.
http://www.coralmania.com/March/copperband.jpg

jay24k

04/12/2007, 11:43 PM

to help to deal with LFS should run there tanks at 1.018 for these reason.
1 ich has a hard time living in water that is lower then 1.021
2 other illness out brakes and be prevented with lower salt levels
3 copper is not good for the fish. it messes with there internal systems

There has been no evidence showing that tanks run at 1.018 actually help at all. Most LFS do it because it saves alot on salt and fish can withstand it.

Ich lives perfectly fine in water of 1.010 just fine. So far the magic number shown has been 1.009 where they die.

Copper can harm some fish but others can handle it well if done correctly and is still very effective.

Since you work at a LFS, you might want to do some more research because many of these get spread around and are not completely true.

exhausteve

04/13/2007, 04:13 AM

I've got one in my sps dominated tank as well. A smaller guy, but I made sure he ate at the lfs. Eats like a pig!! He now eats mysis, clams, and other frozen preparations. Very important!! I got it to eat aiptasia, but he hasn't touched it yet. Never touched a coral.

For a while, my purple tang was really beatn him up. I didn't think he was going to make it, but after 3-4 days they are best buds now!! He displayed a great personality at the lfs....he swam around alot and was a very curious fish....not shy at all!!

The advice I have for you is to observe the fish carefully before you purchase, have them feed it and make sure it is eating, and quarantine before putting in display. If you follow through on these procedures, you should be just fine!!

exhausteve

04/13/2007, 04:16 AM

How do you get it to eat out of your hand? I've been trying that, but to no avail. He does look up and get very curious, but never actually ate out of my hand. Guess, I'll just keep trying.

sophiasdad

04/13/2007, 05:27 AM

Most of my fish eat out of my hand:

Vlingi tang
(3) yellow tangs
blue stripe clown
blonde naso
gsm female

some don't:

gsm male
blue hippo
lawnmower blennie

The yellow tangs learned from the bsc and naso.

I used a large syringe with frozen food prep to train them.
Less often feedings with Nori did the trick too.

Not sure with the cbb, but experiment - maybe his favorite food in the syringe?

Wazzel

04/13/2007, 06:51 AM

I have a CBB. It behaves just fine. I picked it up from a LFS because I saw it eat frozen food in the store. It eats like a pig at feeding time. It gets in and mixes it up with my tangs and coral beauty for food. Not shy at all. It was for the first few days tho.

gasman059

04/13/2007, 07:09 AM

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9713730#post9713730 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Corn
to help to deal with LFS should run there tanks at 1.018 for these reason.
1 ich has a hard time living in water that is lower then 1.021
2 other illness out brakes and be prevented with lower salt levels
3 copper is not good for the fish. it messes with there internal systems.

other thing to use instead of copper
MelaFix AKA "fish dope" this is like a velum for fish. this will increases there slime coat and calm them down.

FOOD the best is to feed them a lot of food.

Garlic

selcon there daily vitamin
Yikes where do u get this info?
The only true part about your statements-is the nutrition part(selcon/garlic) the rest is BS. and u work at an lfs?

Reef Pinoy

04/13/2007, 07:21 AM

I have a copperband that eats aptasia, but it is picking on my acans. Just before the lights turn on, it attacks my acans feeding "extensions". Might be due to the similarity in appearance to aptasia when my lords are feeding. At least I don't have any more aptasia.

jay24k

04/13/2007, 08:22 AM

Even garlic is unknown but my personal feelings it does do some good. I'm not sure how this copperband learned to eat from my hand but this is my 3rd and final one. My first one did really well for about 8 months and then stopped eating. My second one never really did well and couldn't get the food fast enough as he took awhile.

This one is eating out of my hand so I'm not worried if he is getting enough food.

Justin/TiV

04/13/2007, 08:39 AM

I just recently purchased a pair of pyramid butterfly, they had a bacterial infection and died almost immediate, and I'm dying to get another bfly, I may try a copperband, sounds like they aren't too much trouble

jay24k

04/13/2007, 09:40 AM

They are very picky. I would definetly make sure they eat at the store and eat well. Then buy the food the store feeds them with.

SueT

04/13/2007, 03:35 PM

I was gonna agree. They are picky and if I had a nickel for every one I have heard of that got one and it didn't do good I have everything I need. They aren't one of the easiest fish to keep but the few that do good seem to do really well.

MammothReefer

04/13/2007, 04:30 PM

when it comes to calcium chloride are they all Reef safe? All I can get locally is "safe step" and "Do It Center" brand.

jay24k

04/13/2007, 06:02 PM

It might be. Personally I will only use peladow or magflake. If you know the exact makeup of the chloride pellets, it is possible they are fine. But, I know these two are fine and were tested. I'd rather not risk it.