Copper Band Butterfly

MeTaLMaN1375 · 05/15/2012, 01:54 PM

Tank: 75g
Sump: 20g long
Protein Skimmer: Sealife Style not sure which but it works great.
Rock: About 100lbs live fiji
Sand: Almost 2 inches at its highest point aragonite live sand
Fish: 2 Clowns 1 lemon peel mimic tang 2 blue damsels 1 striped cardinal 1 bicolor blenny 1 peppermint shrimp about 5 hermit crabs 4 snails 1 anenome and a few corals.
Lights: PC 4 96w bulbs 2 white 2 blue
Power Head: 2 of them not sure the name brand but they create very good current.
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: between 0 and 5.0
Ammonia: 0
Alk:10.5
Calcium: 475
Magnesium: 1500
Salinity: .026
PH: 8.2

I been thinking about getting a Copper Band Butterfly fish so I posted the above that tells you what I have and my water levels will it be a good buy.
I know that it may like to pick on Anenomes but the one that I have is a huge BTA dont think it would pick on it and my refugium has been breeding copepods and amphipods which should be a good thing.

If someone thinks I should not get this fish please give me an idea of a colorful fish I could get that would thrive in my tank.

Reef264 · 05/15/2012, 02:08 PM

Copperband's have a low survival rate, and are very difficult for most to keep.I do not recommend trying to keep one.

robs.mark · 05/15/2012, 02:11 PM

If you can get an australian one you should be okay, much hardier. Feed blood and black worms to start with them try introducing other foods, the key, like most difficult marine animals if getting them to eat..

etepperman · 05/15/2012, 03:25 PM

The guy who works at my LFS last week said this: "Anyone that says their Copperband is eating is a liar", and these are the same sales guys notorious for saying anything to make a sale.

Of course there are exception, but in this case, I think they are very very rare.

---

I think a flame angle or coral beauty would be good fish for your setup. They are mostly considered reef safe in my experience.

Also, the long nose butterfly is said to be easier than than the copperband and reef safe, but I have never had good luck with one.

-E

bnumair · 05/15/2012, 03:32 PM

i have a 5" cooperband that eats anything u give it. i have tried small CB and they dont survive. i got this one it was already 4" now 5" and eats everything, mysis, brine ,squid etc.

mph1 · 05/15/2012, 03:58 PM

Mine took a little patience to train how to eat. Clams/oysters on half shell kept him alive during first 1-2 weeks. Black worm fed from baster helped begin target feeding. Freeze dried black worms are now a staple, and very convenient. Started out 2" and skinny, now 3" and fat.

MeTaLMaN1375 · 05/16/2012, 02:33 PM

Ok so I went and got one yesterday and today he seems to be doing just fine he is Australian and he is eating the frozen mysis shrimps that I squirted in his face with the turkey baster lol he is very active swimming around.

snorvich · 05/16/2012, 02:57 PM

How do your damsels feel about the CBB?

MeTaLMaN1375 · 05/16/2012, 08:13 PM

The damsels I have are not aggressive at all at least not so far they havent really looked twice at him.

05/15/2012, 01:54 PM	#1
MeTaLMaN1375 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 229	Copper Band Butterfly Tank: 75g Sump: 20g long Protein Skimmer: Sealife Style not sure which but it works great. Rock: About 100lbs live fiji Sand: Almost 2 inches at its highest point aragonite live sand Fish: 2 Clowns 1 lemon peel mimic tang 2 blue damsels 1 striped cardinal 1 bicolor blenny 1 peppermint shrimp about 5 hermit crabs 4 snails 1 anenome and a few corals. Lights: PC 4 96w bulbs 2 white 2 blue Power Head: 2 of them not sure the name brand but they create very good current. Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: between 0 and 5.0 Ammonia: 0 Alk:10.5 Calcium: 475 Magnesium: 1500 Salinity: .026 PH: 8.2 I been thinking about getting a Copper Band Butterfly fish so I posted the above that tells you what I have and my water levels will it be a good buy. I know that it may like to pick on Anenomes but the one that I have is a huge BTA dont think it would pick on it and my refugium has been breeding copepods and amphipods which should be a good thing. If someone thinks I should not get this fish please give me an idea of a colorful fish I could get that would thrive in my tank. __________________ 75lbs. live fiji rock in DT 2 Ocellaris clowns 2 Blue Damsels 1 Bicolor Blenny 1 Striped Cardinal 1 Lemon Peel Mimic Tang 1 Pep Shrimp 1 BTA, 1 copper banded butterfly and a few corals Current Tank Info: 75g tank, 20 long sump, T5HO x4 54w bulbs 2x white 2x blue, 4 Power Heads, Sealife 120 skimmer.

05/15/2012, 02:11 PM	#3
robs.mark Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 1,301	If you can get an australian one you should be okay, much hardier. Feed blood and black worms to start with them try introducing other foods, the key, like most difficult marine animals if getting them to eat.. __________________ knowledge is power! Current Tank Info: 24g sps nano.

05/15/2012, 03:25 PM	#4
etepperman Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 179	The guy who works at my LFS last week said this: "Anyone that says their Copperband is eating is a liar", and these are the same sales guys notorious for saying anything to make a sale. Of course there are exception, but in this case, I think they are very very rare. --- I think a flame angle or coral beauty would be good fish for your setup. They are mostly considered reef safe in my experience. Also, the long nose butterfly is said to be easier than than the copperband and reef safe, but I have never had good luck with one. -E Last edited by etepperman; 05/15/2012 at 03:31 PM.

05/15/2012, 03:32 PM	#5
bnumair Dr. Reef at ur service Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tulsa, Ok, USA Posts: 5,517 Blog Entries: 10	i have a 5" cooperband that eats anything u give it. i have tried small CB and they dont survive. i got this one it was already 4" now 5" and eats everything, mysis, brine ,squid etc. __________________ Water Quality: NO3 0,Phos 0,Cal 440,Alk 7.5,Mag 1300 "Reef Fast, You Crash, Reef Slow, You Pass" Mike's Reef 3:16 Current Tank Info: 350g DT,95g sump, 50g Frag tank, 4800gph return 4x Sea swirls. 6x AI Vega Color. 200# Pukani rock, dual recirculating skimmer, Biopellet, GFO Carbon rx's, Cal rx. Closed loop. 1.5hp chiller, genesis renew. Apex & RKE

05/16/2012, 02:33 PM	#7
MeTaLMaN1375 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 229	Ok so I went and got one yesterday and today he seems to be doing just fine he is Australian and he is eating the frozen mysis shrimps that I squirted in his face with the turkey baster lol he is very active swimming around. __________________ 75lbs. live fiji rock in DT 2 Ocellaris clowns 2 Blue Damsels 1 Bicolor Blenny 1 Striped Cardinal 1 Lemon Peel Mimic Tang 1 Pep Shrimp 1 BTA, 1 copper banded butterfly and a few corals Current Tank Info: 75g tank, 20 long sump, T5HO x4 54w bulbs 2x white 2x blue, 4 Power Heads, Sealife 120 skimmer.

05/15/2012, 02:08 PM	#2
Reef264 Where's The Reef? Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Southaven, Ms Posts: 2,008	Copperband's have a low survival rate, and are very difficult for most to keep.I do not recommend trying to keep one.

05/15/2012, 03:58 PM	#6
mph1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Raleigh NC Posts: 8	Mine took a little patience to train how to eat. Clams/oysters on half shell kept him alive during first 1-2 weeks. Black worm fed from baster helped begin target feeding. Freeze dried black worms are now a staple, and very convenient. Started out 2" and skinny, now 3" and fat.

05/16/2012, 02:57 PM	#8
snorvich Team RC member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Flatlander Posts: 26,095 Blog Entries: 27	How do your damsels feel about the CBB? __________________ Warmest regards and best wishes, ~Steve~ It is my policy to not respond to those who ask questions not to learn but to be bellicose. Life is a series of decisions serially executed but collectively judged. "Not using a quarantine tank is like playing Russian roulette. Nobody wins the game, some people just get to play longer than others." - Anthony Calfo

05/16/2012, 08:13 PM	#9
MeTaLMaN1375 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 229	The damsels I have are not aggressive at all at least not so far they havent really looked twice at him. __________________ 75lbs. live fiji rock in DT 2 Ocellaris clowns 2 Blue Damsels 1 Bicolor Blenny 1 Striped Cardinal 1 Lemon Peel Mimic Tang 1 Pep Shrimp 1 BTA, 1 copper banded butterfly and a few corals Current Tank Info: 75g tank, 20 long sump, T5HO x4 54w bulbs 2x white 2x blue, 4 Power Heads, Sealife 120 skimmer.