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08/30/2006, 05:14 PM | #1 |
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copperband butterflys in reef tanks
I am thinking about adding some small copperbands to my reef. They are completely new to me. Can anyone share their experiances with me, good or bad. Any advanced info would be great. I have read a bunch of stuff in books and on the web.
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08/30/2006, 07:28 PM | #2 |
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They need lots of pods to eat. They will eat all feather dusters first then they will eat the dreaded aptasia.
I have never seen them bother corals or clams. Bill |
08/30/2006, 07:49 PM | #3 |
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Yes they are great if you can find one that eats mysid shrimps! I had one until I had a flat worm outbreak and die...all toxins in my tanks causing several of my fishes to die.
But my CB ate all the featherdusters in the tank and quite a bit of the pods. But they are a great addition I think! |
08/30/2006, 08:28 PM | #4 |
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I agree, they need lots of pods. Mine did a great job cleaning out my aptasia. It picks on the zenias a little, but they spread faster then the copperband eats. It leaves the rest of the corals alone.
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08/31/2006, 09:29 AM | #5 |
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I will let you know, I am going to add one in my 180, I hope is does not eat clams.
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I'm a SaltGeek are You? All LED since 2010. Current Tank Info: 375 Gallon Reef with siporax, all LED lighting, and Red Dragon 3 and Abyzz A200 on 2 closed loops. |
08/31/2006, 09:47 AM | #6 |
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It doesn't touch my clam
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08/31/2006, 10:03 AM | #7 |
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Mine enjoys pods but, he doesnt "need" them. Mine eats frozen and dried foods. As the others said you can kiss featherdusters and fan worms goodbye. He has never bothered any of my coral. For sure a fish you want to see eat at the LFS before you purchase. I love mine and he is the centerpiece of my reef tank. My carpernter wrasses don't bother him nor he they. A friend of mine just lost hers to a newly added powder blue. The tang harrased it and stopped it from feeding. By the time she could get it in a Q tank it was too late. They are a passive fish.
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08/31/2006, 11:23 AM | #8 |
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Thanks for the info. I don't have any feather dusters or aptasia, but I do have an over abundence of pods. I think a cb will make a great addition to my tank
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08/31/2006, 11:25 AM | #9 |
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I have had a different experience. My copperbanded ate all my spagetti worms and aptasia, then kept pestering the clams until they would not come out anymore. It took them 3 months to start bugging them, but I had to remove him, or let the clams die. I removed him.
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08/31/2006, 11:43 AM | #10 |
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My Coperbanded ate my open brain coral he left the clams alone. Did do a great job on all aps
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08/31/2006, 12:17 PM | #11 |
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I bought one a week ago because I am getting aptasia from my refugium... it is infested in there all throughout the chaeto. I havent seen him eat one aptasia but HE BETTER as I wont feed him.
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08/31/2006, 12:19 PM | #12 |
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I added one about a month and half ago for my rampant aiptasia problem. He's doing well so far, he also feeds along with my other fish, he eats mysis, and brine shrimp. But he is making a dent in my aiptasia problem.
My sailfin badgered him for about a day when I put him in, but now they're best buddies. They are certainly a beautiful addition to a reef tank. Charles
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08/31/2006, 12:29 PM | #13 |
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Do you think that there would be an issue if there were a copperband in the same tank as a mandarin, as far as pod abundance and preventing the mandarin from starving? I have a 90 gallon tank and 90+ pounds of live rock and a fuge.
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Chris "A Closed Mouth Gathers No Foot" - Unknown Some people are like Slinkies . . . not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs. Current Tank Info: 120 gallon, Ecosystem 3612, 6X54 TEK light, Tunze Osmolator, Lifereef dual overflow all down |
08/31/2006, 03:02 PM | #14 |
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Mine eats frozen mysis but LOVES little-neck clams from the store. I freeze them and feed one every other day. He tears it apart in minutes. He won't eat anything else... no flakes or pellets. And he's never bothered a coral in the few years I've had him.
He did eat all of the aiptasia and feather dusters in my tank in the first two days he was in there.
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08/31/2006, 03:16 PM | #15 |
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Mine was eating bloodworms at the store, so I decided to buy it and just feed it bloodworms. Now in my tank, it won't eat anything, and is getting thinner. I don't see any luck in keeping this guy alive unless I can somehow catch it and throw it in my fuge, where there's lots of pods.
Doesn't bother the featherdusters either. |
08/31/2006, 03:35 PM | #16 |
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Try the live little-neck clams. He should eat them.
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08/31/2006, 04:14 PM | #17 |
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I am considering one of these for my little aptasia problem as well. Not only that but they are beautiful fish as well.
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08/31/2006, 04:18 PM | #18 |
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Some eye candy
Achilles
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Nature knows no indecencies; man invents them. -Mark Twain Current Tank Info: 90g shallow with H. Barbouri Seahorses |
08/31/2006, 04:19 PM | #19 |
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I have had an ich outbreak in my display before and I worry that adding this fish may spell its doom. I haven't seen any sign of ich in my tank for about 2 months. That doesn't mean it's not in there though.
It seems as though every new fish I add (no matter how well I quarentine) has a small breakout for the first few weeks. It usually subsides though I don't know how a fragile fish such as this would fair. What do you guys think?
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08/31/2006, 04:30 PM | #20 |
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.... sorry for hijacking.... seems like the right place to ask.
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08/31/2006, 04:59 PM | #21 |
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amazing picture xcreonx
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Chris "A Closed Mouth Gathers No Foot" - Unknown Some people are like Slinkies . . . not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs. Current Tank Info: 120 gallon, Ecosystem 3612, 6X54 TEK light, Tunze Osmolator, Lifereef dual overflow all down |
08/31/2006, 05:25 PM | #22 |
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are CBs succebtable to black ich as well?
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08/31/2006, 06:39 PM | #23 |
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I am also thinking of adding a CB but have heard that bigger is better and that smaller ones have a poor success rate. I also noticed, I think on Marinedepot, that they won't guarantee the Smalls only the Med and Large. Anyone with any experience big or small?
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08/31/2006, 06:44 PM | #24 |
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I will let you know in a week, I have a small(1.5in) one in my 300 that I have had for a week, I am getting a 4 inch one for my 180 tomorrow
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I'm a SaltGeek are You? All LED since 2010. Current Tank Info: 375 Gallon Reef with siporax, all LED lighting, and Red Dragon 3 and Abyzz A200 on 2 closed loops. |
08/31/2006, 07:08 PM | #25 |
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Does the small one eat ok? and where did you get him?
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