Copperband Butterfly fish?

[TimL]

Is this fish reef safe? Are there any people out there with success?

[chrissreef]

90%+ of the time yes - 2% safe w/ clams/feather dusters though

I'd say requires lots of feeding to keep him fat too - does better in established and/or larger reefs due to feeding/pods. Refugium is suggested aswell imo.

[JamesJR]

I had one for three years and worked in the fish industry for about 5 years. I have had 2 myself and neither one picked on any corals, clams or anemones. My second speciment did well on a diet of diced clams meat, mysis, formula one and brine, all fortified. I got rid of mine because my tank eventually seemed to be too confinining for it it and the sailfin tang started to pick on it and I gave it to someone with a bigger tank where it died a year later.

I personally don't recommend that people attempt these. Why? I have seen more than my share of these fish come in and fail to thrive. They are not easy to get in good condition and are very shy feeders.

Many will tell you that they are "easy" but I doubt there are many who had one as long as I had mine and I don't necessarily consider myself to have succeeded with this species.


Yes, they will destroy any type of feather duster, christmas worm or anything like that. I think a 72 would be near the minimum for these. If you have any established tangs or other aggresive fish like that I would pass on one because they will harass it, which will definately make it harder for it to acclimate and decrease your odds of keeping it successfully.

Hate to rain on your parade but I thought you should hear some honest advice.

[Paul B]

I have had many of them and never had any problems with them being reef safe. They should be fed worms as that is their natural diet. I always feed them live black worms along with regular frozen food.
They are not as easy to keep as a lot of marine fish. I have a hard time keeping them past five years.

[JamesJR]

yeah, and paul you have kept a moorish idol longer than anyone else I have ever heard of. CBB are not easy fish at all!

[TimL]

Well thanks all for the info.

All I have in the tank fish wise is a pair of true percula clowns, yellow watchman goby, royal gramma, and long-nose hawk. I have always wanted a CBB but I also want it to be happy and thrive.

[cowboyswife]

The CBB is my absolute favorite fish, but I will never own one. I dont want to take a chance with the success rate. They are as prone to ich as some tangs, and I dont want it to starve eiter =\

[ssavader]

No Butterflyfish are truly reef safe, though like all issues in reefing, what doen't work for one person will work flawlessly for the next person. CBB are suppose to be the least likely of the BFF to pick on corals according to many sources, but if you dissect this statement, "least likely" does not mean "reef safe", though we all wish it did. If you get a CBB, can you return it within 2 weeks, or will your source buy it back from you? Do you have another tank to put it if it starts dining on your favorite coral? Just though these are things to consider before you purchase this beautiful fish. God Luck.

[Pirate@40]

I tried CBBs with no success previously. Then I discovered live California blackworms. I've had one now for ten months and he's doing great. I would even call him pudgy. He also likes clams on the half shell. I also have a Sailfin and Powder Blue Tang who love the worms as well. The Sailfin likes the clams also. The tangs , of course, also get algae based food. I have several gobies and clowns. The only fish that don't go crazy over the worms are my two true perculas.

[Paul B]

I tried CBBs with no success previously. Then I discovered live California blackworms. I've had one now for ten months and he's doing great. I would even call him pudgy.

Pirate, you have discovered one of the biggest, least known about boons to the hobby.
I feed some live blackworms every day and have been for almost fifty years as I used to also use them in fresh water.
They are very common in NY and also cheap. There is a place here where for about $3.00 I can get almost a month supply.
I have found a way to keep them and it's not in the fridge.
(my wife exercises a lot)
If you want to breed anything you really need live worms.
If you want to keep copperband butterflies for years, you should get live black worms. If your LFS don't have any, tell him to get them.
I can't keep my fish from spawning with this diet.
The first blue devils I ever had in the early seventees spawned every few weeks as long as I fed black worms.
Blood worms which are sold dried or frozen are not even worms but insect larva and should not be used as a staple food. They are mostly insect skin or chiten.
In the early times of this hobby live foods were touted as needed to keep certain fish, now we have a wide choice of foods and live foods are not really needed, but I want my fish to thrive and spawn, not just survive. I want them to be free of disease and to live for many years, not two or three but fifteen or twenty.
By the way I don't have any interest in any worm farms and I buy them like anyone else.
They are the best food by far in this hobby. I also feed other things because I feel the worms are too good. :eek1:
Have a great day.
Paul

[DarthSimon]

It's funny, my CBB has eaten Frozen Mysis and Frozen Bloodworms from day one.... Never had a problem....

[Paul B]

Some of them will even eat flakes but a copperband was designed for eating worms. They have the mouth made for it. Of course they will live on other things and I don't just feed worms but worms should be a part of their diet. I have dove with them and thats mostly what they eat.
Bloodworms are not worms, but they look like them.
Good luck with your copperband and have a great day.
Paul

[JamesJR]

Just make sure you get good clean worms and rinse them and change their water every week or so. They can carry lots of bacteria that can cause digestive problems. I will admit that I have used them and fed them to many a hungry butterfly fish. great stuff.