Copper banded butterfly

[ShesEasy]

I'm curious as to what people's story's are if any on housing one of these cute little guys in a full reef tank (mainly sps)

I have been seeing alot of them in tanks yet see so much that says avoid them.for reefs

Any one got an oppinion or insight on these guys

[ShesEasy]

Btw my tank is mostly SPS and is 180, I have hermits and snails, chromis a luitenant tang a royal gramma and a bicolor blenny

[Genera]

They'd eat small anemones such as aiptasia and Callacatis parasitica, tube worms, benthic worms, certain clams, and small mollusks. and possibly little anemones such as Aiptasia and Calliactis parasitica, but not sps, their mouths aren't really designed for crunching coral or picking off tissue, I believe they are made to suck up small fleshy organisms.

[ShesEasy]

Oh okay cool

I have none of the above mentiond so that's perfect

[moondoggy4]

They can be tricky to find the right one Sometimes will not eat in captivity or only eat one type of food. I have enjoyed success with them.

[ShesEasy]

Yeah I'm intrested in the task of taking care of one.... Rewarding

[tkeracer619]

Great fish but they can be hard to get acclimated to captive life. If you have aptasia try to find a well covered rock and once they are eating mysis squirt some in the aptasia. Eventually they get the hang of it and decimate aptasia from then on.

[laga77]

You will need to get some live black worms. Plenty of threads on this site about feeding CBB worms.

[ShesEasy]

Awesome thanks guys.

I heard they live clams to. I doubt I'll get one till this next spring,

[Copperband bt]

I have one for a year now it's really good one never pick on my soft corals
And it's eat everything it's fight with my tangs for the food

[Buzz1329]

Dang, I would love to add one to my tank. But, IME, it's difficult to introduce one to established tank. Most are finicky eaters and easily bullied by established residents, which makes it even more difficult to feed it. If I had do overs, I would likely introduce it as first fish in tank and add other fish after it has settled down.

[tkeracer619]

I've found my butterflies have no issues with even the most aggressive tangs. That is of course after a long QT period and them readily eating. My most aggressive tang ever never did get a hit even though it tried for days, gave up after 2. They have this cool ninja move where they spin up and over.

[Kies1]

I have had mine for just over a year in a mixed reef. Keeps aiptasia in display in check and only eats frozen mysis shrimp soaked in vita chem. it cleaned out all my feather dusters and aiptasia within the first week. Love this fish. First try keeping one. Need to get a healthy one from the start I think is key. Mine was the smallest one they had and most active

[lhm nole]

Had 2 in the last year both ate like pigs and also ate aptasias never touched any sps but loved acans

[kmbyrnes]

I have other butterflies but have not been able to to get a CBB through QT. I've tried 3 times but they either stop eating, or must be terrified of the other fish in QT and fade away.
I'd really like one, but I guess I will have to QT one all by itself.

[nuxx]

I've found my butterflies have no issues with even the most aggressive tangs.

Opposite here...

QTed a CBB for 9 weeks, ate from day one. Had 2 meals a day in QT.

3 days after being in the tank with larger Black, Yellow, YB Blue and Chevron Tangs he was dead.

Just hung out in the top corner of the tank, was never attacked, just nervous.

Basically scared to death... didn't use an acclimation box... pretty sure that's what did it :(

Will try again, since they are my wife's favorite fish. I will get a bigger on though.