Copperband Butterflies

[aslmx]

If you want to rid yourself of aptasia - https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3352+6697+3555&pcatid=3555

After about a week these guys are like lawnmowers towards aptasia

I just got one of these. I am over run with aptasia. It’s to the point that if this guy doesn’t work then I am going to restart the tank. I hope he works. He’s been in the tank 2 days and has only nipped at some frozen food I’ve fed the tank with. He needs to get started because he’s got a lot of work to do.

 

[midwifehellie]

Hi Paul B it seems like you are some kind of CBB expert, at least according to Hal3134
I'm considering one b/c first of all they're gorgeous but also for aiptasia control. I have a fairly new tank though (since mid March) and want to make sure I'm ready to give him the best chance. I have a few easy soft corals and some zoas - if I feed a CBB right can I be reasonably sure he won't eat my corals? I have just used aiptasia x on the ones I can see and the guy at the LFS told me to get a CBB plus a filefish to clean up the rest of the aiptasia. I'd prefer to just get a CBB and a yellow tang for algae control (but also b/c I love them). I thought if I added them together that would be best to avoid any aggression issues. I also have 3 yellow tail damsels, 4 clowns, a marine betta, a royal gramma, a long spine black urchin, a pincushion urchin, a sand sifting star, 2 hermit crabs, a bunch of trochus snails and 3 sand sifting snails. It's a 90G tank. I'd appreciate your input re the CBB, I'm mostly just nervous re a CBB nipping at corals. I know peppermint shrimp are also a good option but I've seen the betta go for snails so I suspect he would want to eat the shrimp...

 

[tehmadreefer]

Hi Paul B it seems like you are some kind of CBB expert, at least according to Hal3134
I'm considering one b/c first of all they're gorgeous but also for aiptasia control. I have a fairly new tank though (since mid March) and want to make sure I'm ready to give him the best chance. I have a few easy soft corals and some zoas - if I feed a CBB right can I be reasonably sure he won't eat my corals? I have just used aiptasia x on the ones I can see and the guy at the LFS told me to get a CBB plus a filefish to clean up the rest of the aiptasia. I'd prefer to just get a CBB and a yellow tang for algae control (but also b/c I love them). I thought if I added them together that would be best to avoid any aggression issues. I also have 3 yellow tail damsels, 4 clowns, a marine betta, a royal gramma, a long spine black urchin, a pincushion urchin, a sand sifting star, 2 hermit crabs, a bunch of trochus snails and 3 sand sifting snails. It's a 90G tank. I'd appreciate your input re the CBB, I'm mostly just nervous re a CBB nipping at corals. I know peppermint shrimp are also a good option but I've seen the betta go for snails so I suspect he would want to eat the shrimp...

First cbb's are very delicate, a newly setup tank is not a good choice.
Second, not all of them will eat aiptaisa.there is no guarantee.
Third, no, it will not eat your other corals at all, they pick at pods and feather duster on the rock most of the day.
Fourth, they a VERY poor choice of a fish for someone new.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Hey @midwifehellie ,

Awesome putting in the research first before making a move to get the CBB. As mentioned it would be best if you get some experience under the belt so to speak. They are a slow deliberate eaters so food just can’t be dropped in. Some even spot feed them direct. Feeding is usually the biggest challenge to overcome

Also true, there is no guarantee they will work to control. Usually yes, but not a guarantee.
Peppermint are also not a guarantee but could not hurt. Or maybe a nudibrach, I used aptaisa x and liked it.

There at a lot of thread on aptaisia. I actually don’t mind them so much since they are a filter feeders, but if not vigilant they can take over a tank.

 

[Paul B]

Midwifehelle, I don't know if I am an expert on copperbands but I have always had them in my tank since the 70s as you can see by my log page.
They are a little more delicate than many fish especially if you subject them to quarantine as it is usually downhill from there. Some fish such as copperbands just don't do well in those situations. I also find that copperbands have a personality more than most fish. If you keep fish long enough you can tell which fish seem to know what they are doing and the ones that swim around looking up out of the water searching for pictures of Nancy Pelosi saying "Doot Da Do, Doot Da Do" for most of the day.

But Copperbands seem smarter. If they had thumbs they would do well on standardized tests.
Most of them also do not eat aiptasia but a small number of them will pick at them and just annoy them.
Of all of them that I have had, none of them hurt any corals. Their teeth, if they have any are too tiny to do anything which is why they eat worms, clam meat and all squishy food. They also can't bite you or another fish.

They are beautiful but I feel your tank may be too new for one.

 

[Hal3134]

I just got one of these. I am over run with aptasia. It’s to the point that if this guy doesn’t work then I am going to restart the tank. I hope he works. He’s been in the tank 2 days and has only nipped at some frozen food I’ve fed the tank with. He needs to get started because he’s got a lot of work to do.

In my experience, when your tank has a lot of aiptasia it can be several weeks or even a few months before you notice any improvement. I don't know if that meant that my CBB didn't start for awhile or if I just didn't notice which aiptasia he was eating. I had wall to wall aiptasia on my rock and after about 3-4 months I couldn't see any.