Copper band butterfly compatibility

[gabesreef]

I’m thinking about a copper band butterfly for aiptasia control. I heard they don’t get along well with yellow tangs. Does anyone have experience with this?

 

[SaltyT]

Yellow tangs frequently have a problem with copper bands because they have a similar body shape.

 

[nano_ryan]

Do you have corals? Copperbands will eat every coral in your tank.

 

[gabesreef]

Yes I do... I’ve heard that they are the most reef safe of the butterfly fish

 

[gabesreef]

Yellow tangs frequently have a problem with copper bands because they have a similar body shape.

Thank you

 

[ApoIsland]

I’m thinking about a copper band butterfly for aiptasia control. I heard they don’t get along well with yellow tangs. Does anyone have experience with this?

I have had a few copperbands with yellow tangs. The tang will show aggression for the first couple hours or half day maybe. After that it’s no issue at all. But they are all relatively close in size. Might be different if the YT is significantly bigger.

regarding corals - the 3 CBB I have had were model citizens for 3 - 6 months and then either started picking at my baby rock flower nems (always leaves the big ones alone) or my clams so they had to go. I am on number 4 now. I got the smallest one I could find hoping that it had never tasted a clam before.

one thing to note is that every CBB I have had will destroy the small aiptasia but none will eat the bigger aiptasia greater than 1.5 inches or so in diameter. I still have to use F-Aiptasia on those. The F-aiptasia worked very well.

 

[gabesreef]

I have had a few copperbands with yellow tangs. The tang will show aggression for the first couple hours or half day maybe. After that it’s no issue at all. But they are all relatively close in size. Might be different if the YT is significantly bigger.

regarding corals - the 3 CBB I have had were model citizens for 3 - 6 months and then either started picking at my baby rock flower nems (always leaves the big ones alone) or my clams so they had to go. I am on number 4 now. I got the smallest one I could find hoping that it had never tasted a clam before.

one thing to note is that every CBB I have had will destroy the small aiptasia but none will eat the bigger aiptasia greater than 1.5 inches or so in diameter. I still have to use F-Aiptasia on those. The F-aiptasia worked very well.

Thank you I will try F aiptasia. Might do a aiptasia file fish instead due to the aggression with the yellow tang. Also if they start eating coral I imagine since the file fish is smaller he’ll cause less damage.

 

[ApoIsland]

Thank you I will try F aiptasia. Might do a aiptasia file fish instead due to the aggression with the yellow tang. Also if they start eating coral I imagine since the file fish is smaller he’ll cause less damage.

The F Aiptasia is a great product if used correctly. I would avoid the file fish. There are a lot more threads about them destroying corals than there are the CBB.

 

[Bj’s Reef]

Copper bands are great for aptasia control. Yes the yellow tang can be a jerk sometimes. My yellow tang was a bully for a hour or two. However I kept him busy eating and soon he forgot about it. Now he and the copper band swim together. I admit that occasionally the yellow tang does a half hearted tail slap at the copper band, who returns the favor. I would stay away from the file fish. I had two in my tank.After they ate the aptasia they started on the zoas and every lps they could find.

 

[Uncle99]

I’m thinking about a copper band butterfly for aiptasia control. I heard they don’t get along well with yellow tangs. Does anyone have experience with this?

The CBB can be finicky in its eating habits and will peck at corals. Compatibility is a hit or miss as with many pairings, there’s usually two many factors that are different in every system to give good guidance in that respect.

Berghia Nudi are the safest introduction to a reef system to remove Aptasia IMM.