Copper Band Butterfly

[Humblefish]

IME; they are "ich magnets", similar to Acanthurus tangs in that regard. They also are very prone to Lymphocystis.

So when you add it all up: ich prone, finicky eaters, unable to handle aggression/food competition from other fish. Yes, they can be very challenging to keep. Over the years, I've had better success with other butterflyfish, Moorish Idols, batfish, etc.

My current one is a trooper. He's in a 150 gal with an ornery PBT; does well to stay out of her way and competes for food aggressively. I haven't decided if I'm leaving here in there in an effort to "condition him" or moving him into a tank of his own.

 

[mfinn]

. They also are very prone to Lymphocystis.

My CBB developed 2 spots that looked like lymphocystis about 2 days into quarantine. On the thin membrane of it's fin.
About the time I started a 2 week chloroquine phosphate treatment.
Within about a week the spots were gone.
Can't say the cp had anything to do with it or not, but, it hasn't come back.

 

[goldy26]

IME; they are "ich magnets", similar to Acanthurus tangs in that regard. They also are very prone to Lymphocystis.

So when you add it all up: ich prone, finicky eaters, unable to handle aggression/food competition from other fish. Yes, they can be very challenging to keep. Over the years, I've had better success with other butterflyfish, Moorish Idols, batfish, etc.

My current one is a trooper. He's in a 150 gal with an ornery PBT; does well to stay out of her way and competes for food aggressively. I haven't decided if I'm leaving here in there in an effort to "condition him" or moving him into a tank of his own.

I'm curious what it is you've done to have better success with a Moorish Idol?

 

[4FordFamily]

Live black worms and live brine are the key. I keep lots of "tough to get eating" fish: moorish idol, Red Sea regal angel, potters angel, Rock beauty angel, 5 types of leopard wrasse (9 total fish), and Achilles tang but I don't know that I would count them as that hard they eat nori pretty readily. But Blackworms are great supplement to nori.

 

[Humblefish]

I'm curious what it is you've done to have better success with a Moorish Idol?

Well, for one I've never had a MI that wouldn't eat. If nothing else, they'll always eat live blackworms and eventually even learn to accept pellets & flake. I've had CBB that literally starved to death in QT no matter what I offered. The ones I do get to eat nowadays only accept blackworms or frozen - although 20+ years ago I was able to source CBB from Australia that would eventually eat pellets & flakes. Now Aussie specimens have become too cost prohibitive IMO.

MI are also more aggressive eaters, able to compete with other fish, and will even eat nori and other herbivore preparations. CBB are strictly carnivores, and will often just sit there looking around as all the other fish gobble up all the food. You have to target feed them or put their food in a specialized feeding apparatus until they learn to compete.

Neither fish handles aggression well. But I will say this for CBB, they will continue to eat even if being bullied. If a MI gets too much heat from another fish, they will sometimes go sulk in a corner and never eat again. :sad:

 

[4FordFamily]

My biggest feeding struggle ever has been my Red Sea regal angel. It only eats Blackworms, occasionally bloodworms, and sponges off of live rock. It's interested in other stuff but never eats it. Very strange fish, but it's eating. Once it's in the display I'm sure it will eat better. Or when cupramine treatment is over.

Also, my moorish idol does NOT eat Blackworms. He eats literally everything else but has always refused them.

 

[Humblefish]

Also, my moorish idol does NOT eat Blackworms. He eats literally everything else but has always refused them.

Very strange. I've seen them refuse everything (including blackworms) for the first week or so. But after that, they always come around. Blackworms are usually the first food they'll eat and after that it just keeps getting easier. Same goes for batfish. I've had 3 CBB (that I can think of) literally starve to death and refuse to eat anything. One even lasted 6 weeks somehow.

 

[4FordFamily]

Very strange. I've seen them refuse everything (including blackworms) for the first week or so. But after that, they always come around. Blackworms are usually the first food they'll eat and after that it just keeps getting easier. Same goes for batfish. I've had 3 CBB (that I can think of) literally starve to death and refuse to eat anything. One even lasted 6 weeks somehow.

Wow. Sounds like a war I don't wish to fight. I've had my fair share of battles this regal would not eat for almost a week and came thin. Heart attack kid

 

[Humblefish]

Wow. Sounds like a war I don't wish to fight. I've had my fair share of battles this regal would not eat for almost a week and came thin. Heart attack kid

What's weird is at least IME, no other butterfly is quite as finicky as the CBB. At least not the mainstream ones. Longnose I've owned were never this bad. Raccoon Butterflys can be downright aggressive.

 

[4FordFamily]

What's weird is at least IME, no other butterfly is quite as finicky as the CBB. At least not the mainstream ones. Longnose I've owned were never this bad. Raccoon Butterflys can be downright aggressive.

The only butterflies I've owned at any length are pearlscale. Do fine for 3-12 months then die randomly without apparent reason

 

[Prozium]

this tread makes me love my CBB even more. I have had him for 3.5+ years! he is the first or second to eat every time, and not shy about it, did I mention he has been in there the entire time with a melanurus wrasse and 5 (five) zebrasoma tangs!? He follows me all around the tank too... Yeah, I'm lucky.

 

[Humblefish]

The only butterflies I've owned at any length are pearlscale. Do fine for 3-12 months then die randomly without apparent reason

Many years ago I got into keeping batfish and setup a custom 350-400 gal for this purpose. I found butterflies had similar feeding requirements and made the perfect tankmates. So, I had one of just about every kind of commonly available butterfly in this tank. Plus a MI. How I miss this tank. Lost it all to Katrina.

this tread makes me love my CBB even more. I have had him for 3.5+ years! he is the first or second to eat every time, and not shy about it, did I mention he has been in there the entire time with a melanurus wrasse and 5 (five) zebrasoma tangs!? He follows me all around the tank too... Yeah, I'm lucky.

This is what I'm shooting for with my current CBB. I'm conditioning him with just one Acanthurus tang. Hoping she'll de-sissify him.

 

[wangspeed]

I just trained a CBB to eat live blackworms. He wanted nothing to do with them at first, but now he eats every single one. He's had a tough start though.

I saw him eat bloodworms at the LFS. Brought him home and he was bullied in my tank by a yellow tang. I had no idea that could even be an issue, so I caught the CBB and moved him to a small section of my sump. Maybe only 3 gallons in what used to be a refugium. This gave him a chance to rest and stop swimming frantically while he learned to eat.

I tried everything. First live blackworms, adult and baby brine shrimp, whole clams, LRS, mysis, bloodworms, and more. I finally went back to blackworms and he caught on.

Fattened him up with 2-3 meals a day and watched him get more and more aggressive about eating and then just yesterday I caught and moved the tang to a new home and moved my CBB to the display. Crossing my fingers! He ate last night but didn't want to eat with all the wrasses.

https://youtu.be/mvCmy0DNg0c

 

[pickupman66]

sorry to hear of the sudden loss of this fish. sounds like some mis-handling in the catching process such as cyanide if it perished that fast. I had one for the longest time. took him a few months to eat frozen mysis. fortunately I had a plethora of aptasia in my tank. once the aptasia here gone, he went after worms and pods. then started taking mysis. overtime he got to become a very aggerssive feeder. I sold him a few months ago as I had downsized and feeding that fat turn mysis was killing my tank due to having to feed so much frozen.

 

[Humblefish]

Just to add ... the below feeding apparatus can really help when it comes to a stubborn CBB that refuses to eat. It simulates their natural eating habits, by allowing the CBB to stick it's snout inside and pull the food out. I've had the best luck using the first one, sticking frozen food inside.

 

[Triggreef]

Mine started off well with live black worm and I feel lbw are key for getting many stubborn fish to eat. He soon learned to eat mysis but still not as voraciously as lbws. It hasn't attacked any corals at all, but it did attack a new maxima clam voraciously as soon as I added it. Had to get rid of the clam.

I agree they are sissies but can get used to the other fish. I introduced mine into a 200g with 6 established tangs. Did not go well. I had to sell off all 6 tangs. I since added 3 new tangs with no issues at all. A pvt, a Chevron, and a purple tang. The key is the order that you add the fish to the tank.

One tip for feeding them, use a turkey baster to deliver the live black worms. After getting used to the worms, it's easy to get the cbb to eat them right from the baster. The cbb will get used to the baster fast, and other fish will be less trusting, giving the cbb first dibs at feeding time and a full belly every time...

 

[Humblefish]

Have any of you had issues with them going after your snails? My previous ones didn't, but I'm thinking this latest one is developing a taste for escargot. :wink:

 

[pickupman66]

Mine liked snails in my smaller tank. Mainly because lack of forage

 

[Oscaror]

I got a new one today, guy at my LFS (this is a different LFS) has had it for a week and a half and it eats mysis! It's really active unlike the last one and looks really healthy
Hope it does good!

 

[Oscaror]

New guy seems to be doing good, and is at least looking at the aiptaisas.