Any sucess with copperband Butterfly?

[oonycxwilloo]

I am having a crazy outbreak with aptasia.

The past shipment I have order 6 peppermints shrimps and threw them in my display, but no help. I just keep seeing the aptasia keep reproducing.

Anyone have a Copperband Butterfly in there reef and doesn't bother sps?

Please chime in

 

[IamRobG]

No experience with SPS, but my softies and LPS he leaves alone. He also loves freeze dried brine shrimp and waits for me to feed him by hand when i get home every afternoon.

 

[Kendall]

I had one that ate them all and was a model citizen as well. I lost him in a tank swap and have had about 3 others that refused to eat at all and died! Even if you do get one to survive it can be hit ot miss when it comes to aptasia.

 

[albano]

The past shipment I have order 6 peppermints shrimps and threw them in my display, but no help. I just keep seeing the aptasia keep reproducing.

Will, they have to be Caribbean peps!
I have had great success with them, but even better with a bristletail filefish.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

matted filefish are hardy and won't bother anything else, but the aiptasia is hit or miss. Though, I do think they have a better chance of eating the anemones than the copperbands. The best fish I ever had that ate all my aiptasia and I'm pretty sure got rid of my white monti eating nudibranchs, was an auriga butterfly. I only had SPS and a few cool mushrooms in the tank and while he tortured my SPS for about a month (no visible polyp extensions for about 5 weeks) it only took him a few days to eradicate the aiptasia and after the 5 weeks all the SPS were fully extended and he was eating frozen foods. I didn't lose a single coral to the butterfly and when he was done I just left him in he was great. I just wouldn't use them if you have LPS you like or clams.

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

i have one for 2 weeks and all aiptasia still there. Pretty fish but not doing the job i wanted it to do.Some others told me they had good success with them and aiptasia

 

[loneracer05]

I have a leather jacket file fish that hasent tounched my aptaisa,he nits at my sails though

 

[D1J8Z]

I had great success with all the copperbands I have tried until they die out of no where.

So yeah they eat aptasia and are generally safe in a reef but there survival rate sucks and they are a species best left in the ocean.

 

[TRUKINGNY]

That's weird I put 6 peppermint in my tank didn't feed for 2 days and boom all aptasia gone


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[Jzhou]

I always did well with the royal gamma and coral banded shrimp duo.

 

[Tykhe]

My peppermint shrimp ate my aptasia so by the time I added the copperband he didn't have anymore to eat but mine is a model citizen. Never bothers any corals. He eats mysis and blackworms like a pig. He just charges at me with an angry look on his face whenever I look him in the eye.

 

[jerl77]

mine has been great and he dont even look at my corals lol

 

[albano]

I always did well with the royal gamma and coral banded shrimp duo.

did well?... in regards to what?

 

[Jzhou]

Clearing Aptasia. I find the smaller coral bands are more active. They are also less of a gamble than a copperband when it comes to being reef safe and survival.

 

[ClosetFishGeek]

My Coperband was a model citizen and cleared my display of any and all Aptasia. He never nipped anything. However, it did take over a month for him to start in on the Aptasia. After that he cleared up my Aptasia in no time. With that said i recently lost him due too....well i have no idea.....:irked:

 

[albano]

Clearing Aptasia. I find the smaller coral bands are more active. They are also less of a gamble than a copperband when it comes to being reef safe and survival.

IMO, a CB shrimp has a very slight chance of eating aptasia.
And the royal gramma????

 

[Jzhou]

Like i said, the coral banded are great for this when they are smaller and more mobile. And yes the royal gramma.

 

[oonycxwilloo]

Will, they have to be Caribbean peps!
I have had great success with them, but even better with a bristletail filefish.

Yea the ones I put in were from the carribean

 

[oonycxwilloo]

Thanks all for your input.

For those who has a copperband for aptasia in there tank:

Do you have to starve them first for a couple of days for them to go searching for aptasia? Wouldn't this be a better idea since if the fish are regularly fed, they won't go and find the aptasia to eat?

 

[dnyce78]

I have a CBB. Actually I took some of your aptasia the other day. He hasn't bothered anything of mine other than small feather dusters and aptasia. It took about a month for him to start eating the aptasia though. I have a feeling he's in his way out though. Most days I find him just circling the powerhead. . I tried peppermints and berghia nudis too with no luck. (I think the nudis were too small).