Copperband butterfly and corals?

[hightide1]

looking for experiences with these fish and corals.
LPS and SPS mainly.
also feeding, i have a general idea but any special tips?
thanks
adam

 

[Anonymous]

I have one. Great fish. Didn't want to eat prepared foods for a week or so. It was important that there were no aggressive fish in the tank at the time, or a QT would be more necessary that normal. Mine ate all my aptasia, and started picking on my feather dusters, so I moved them. After about two weeks, it started eating frozen mysis with gusto. To date, it hasn't picked on anything else, but I keep watching.

 

[Anonymous]

I have one in my reef, too. Ate aiptasia but nothing else (coral wise)so far. But, I did have a cool infestation of mysis shrimp that my other fish were not eating. He ate them all! He feeds well on frozen food. He is one of my favorite fish in that tank.

 

[Chubosco]

It is one of my favorite fish. I never bought one for fear of it wiping out my pod population.

I only have a 38 gallon now. Is the fear unbased and is a 38 big enough for a copper?

Always wondered about this...for years actually.

Currently have a dragen face pipefish and small seahorse which feed exclusively on pods.

 

[Anonymous]

I had one, it never picked on anything, at anyting I threw in the tank, then one day it just up and died. It was nice and fat. It looks healthy the day it died.

 

[Bojangles]

I had one for about 4 months just to eat my aiptasia. he did a good job and didn't touch any corals.

 

[FifeReef]

I've had one now for about 4 weeks. Was hoping he would find my aiptasia tasty, but so far, hasn't touched them. He seems to be doing fine although true to reports, is a picky eater. He wouldn't touch mysis shrimp or any other food I have tried so far when the other fish are in a feeding frenzy over them. However, if a few mysis shrimp land on rocks or the bottom and he sees them, he'll suck them down. He just seems to only be interested in food that is on a rock or substrate surface since that is where he's always found his food. I think right now he is mostly surviving on pods and worms.

 

[FifeReef]

Just an Update......My CBB is now eating frozen Mysis but still seems picky about it. AND......FINALLY after about 5 weeks has rid my tank of aiptasia! Atta good boy!

 

[hightide1]

thanks guys,
after all my reading and postings i think i will try one soon when i upgrade my tank.
i am thinking of incorporating some scallop roe and fish roe into the mix of fresh food among other things such as fresh squid, prawn, fish, scallop, oyster, octopus as well as HBH soft’n’moist spirulina marine, and quality flakes. May even buy some snails and crabs to mash up and feed.
Am thinking I will have a dedicated few rocks to mash food into as well as free floating food as well?
Thanks as I really would like to keep one alive for a long time.
A fellow reefer in AUS. Has had one for 11 years!!!
Thankyou!
adam

 

[Anonymous]

I have a copperbanded butterfly in a 180 reef and I don't really have any problems with it. It will not eat any pellet foods foods but readily accepts a wide vareity of frozen prepared foods.

It ate all the aiptasia I had in there but I do see some majano anemones cropping up and it doesn't seem to be touching those unfortunately.

It doesn't bother any of my corals but I do think it may pick on my smaller clams though I have never actually caught it doing so. I have a gigas approaching 24 inches in there and it's unphased but for some reason when I put smaller clams in the system they just don't do well if they're placed in the tank where the butterfly usually spends much of it's time. Once I remove them they do just fine.

HTH