A Copperband with Tangs?? Can it be successful

[vetteguy53081]

Ive always had copperbands with tangs and do in two of my tanks.

 

[vanpire]

I have 3 yellows, 2 purples, 1 blond naso, 1 sailfin, 1 powder blue, 2 blues and 1 yellow eye kole. All tangs were added before the butterfly, except the kole and naso. All tangs are larger than the CBB. CBB holds its own when fighting for food. Actually the CBB is pretty aggressive and gets to the food first when I feed. Key is to get it to eat, but once it does, it is a pig. This is my second one. The first one acted exactly the same but died suddenly one day. Had this CBB for almost 2 years now.

At first, CBB ate only mysis and black worms but now, eats all frozen food. Won’t eat pellets or flakes though.

 

[Brian Saxby]

Thanks for the input! I’m gonna put a cbb down on my list and keep an eye out for one.

 

[sam.veilleux30]

You should ask longnose and tangs...
My cbb is with tangs since the start (+- 1 year) with no troubles.
I had to remove my yellow tang because he was going to kill the angels.
The main concern beside agression might be related to feeding: tangs are agressive feeders and cbb tend to be shy (at the start), he may face issues getting enough.

 

[suta4242]

Having just finished reading all this, I’ll go against the flow and add my 2c.

Yeah it can be done. But I think it’s important to try and minimise losses to the butterflys. Lots of CBB have died because of bad welcoming committees in a new tank and it’s a pretty ugly thing to watch.

If you’re new to this and you have established tangs, especially an aggressive yellow, a minimalist scape and can’t guarantee access to enough food, I would either not bother or at least try to limit risk. How you do that varies with individual systems and inhabitants. Eg buy a really large one get it eating voraciously in a separate tank, set up a feeder only a snout can access etc.. This at least gives you a confident healthy fish going in who stands a chance of making it in the long run.

JMO
Angie

 

[roberthu526]

I have a pretty big copper and in the 300G with a lot of tangs and angels without problem. I did put the copper and in first. There is some aggression towards the copper and but no damage was done and the copper and doesn’t really give a dang because of its size.

 

[Ike]

If you have a similarly sized Zebrasima tang it will be risky. Try to get a copper band that’s smaller than the rest by a noticeable amount. I recently added another CBB to my tank with a chevron and powder brown that I’ve had for going on 8 years and there was only mild aggression. It being a bigger tank with plenty of places to get out of site helps as well.

Aggressive fish with no place to hide that isn’t already stake by another fish is a recipe for certain death with these guys.

 

[bblumberg]

I put mine in an acclimation box for a few hours, but it was definitely unhappy to I put in into the main tank. When I released it into the tank, there was considerable harassment by the yellow tang, so much so that the CBB hid among the rocks and did not come out much for a few days. There is still some harassment, but the CBB is a very aggressive eater and stays out of the way of the tangs. The tank has been running for ~2.5 years with the tangs in from the beginning. The CBB has been in there for about 3 months.

 

[Brian Saxby]

I love reading success storys

 

[jkentfite]

Hearing a lot of aggression from yellow tangs... I have a purple and sailfin zebrasoma. A blue hippo, square tail bristletooth tang, and powder brown. All 3-5 inches.
Should all zebrasoma be considered risky for CBB?

 

[OrionN]

My CBB does not get or give aggression from the tangs in my 320 gal DT. I have PBT, Purple and Yellow tangs.

 

[JMM744]

20 gallon long[emoji23] just kidding. 6foot 30inch deep bowfront.

I agree about adding it first. Some butterflies can hold their own but CCB are very shy fish. Once it’s eating well and feels comfortable in the tank I think it will be able to compete but you never know.

 

[Brian Saxby]

Well I’m going for it. No local fish store within 100 miles so I’m waiting on divers den to post one

 

[Brian Saxby]

Received my CBB this morning and he’s already eating PE mysis. The CBB and a swallowtail angel are in QT together.

 

[merkmerk73]

My bristletooth kole tang mostly ignores my new CBB other than a minor chase here or there but doesn't seem to realy be assaulting it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

My bristletooth kole tang mostly ignores my new CBB other than a minor chase here or there but doesn't seem to realy be assaulting it.

Ive never had an issue with tangs and my CBB and were talking a couple dozen of them.

 

[reefsUP2]

In my tang gang I have a kole (3”) a purple (3”) and a powder blue (5 1/2”). All get along great! I want to add some more fish and a copperband is on my wish list but I’m not sure how it will do with the tangs. Was wondering if anyone would like to share their experience. I have read yellow tangs and cbb don’t do well together so I’m on the fence at the moment

I have a copperband with 1 kole 1 scopas 2 6 lines no issues with any

 

[merkmerk73]

Ive never had an issue with tangs and my CBB and were talking a couple dozen of them.

This may be because your population is so high, to be honest.

Just like Cichlids and Tiger barbs in freshwater - diffused aggression.

One tang and one CBB might be a different story - and CBB and yellow tangs in paritcular are reported to be problematic.

 

[vetteguy53081]

This may be because your population is so high, to be honest.

Just like Cichlids and Tiger barbs in freshwater - diffused aggression.

One tang and one CBB might be a different story - and CBB and yellow tangs in paritcular are reported to be problematic.

This goes back even to when I had 3 tangs and a CBB along with 2 angels a while back

 

[Oldreefer44]

Have the exact same tangs as you in a 180. Added a CBB with several other fish at the same time and and two years later all are healthy. I do believe that if it had only been the CBB there would have been trouble as the Purple rules the roost.