Copperband Butterfly Attempt #1

[inktomi]

I got a Copperband a few months ago, and quarentined it like any fish. It was very hesitant to start eating - but after buying live blackworms online and some live mussles in the grocery store it started to eat. The mussles seemed to be its favorite, as the blackworms didn't live long in the saltwater. Now it eats mysis and all sorts of things like that with my other fish.

I think the value of a QT for a fish like this is that you CAN offer all sorts of food to see what it'll eat. Shipping or even the stress of a car ride home could be enough to have it not eat for a couple days, and a QT is much easier to clean, etc.

 

[guylaga]

All of the above is great advice and you should be successful IF you get a healthy fish from the LFS. I Also find that the bigger the specimen the more likely you are to success.

I have been 50% on success with CBB's. Out of the two that where healthy both where purchased from the same store. One was pretty big about 3 inches not including the nose and eagerly ate frozen in the holding tank, and the other I got straight out of the LFS shipment box after checking how it looked. That one ate frozen the next day in my sump which I used as a modified QT.

The two that died both where purchased from a different LFS, and on the smaller side. One was very malnourished but I hoped that I could nurse it back, but alas I found it dead two days later despite it pecking at live rock and frozen. The other was in my sump for about ten days eating live black worms but one day stopped eating and started breathing very heavy - it died the next day.

Also like Glenners Reef advised, tangs are much more aggressive eaters and will outcompete your CBB. I built three feeding stations out of spare PVC parts that let the CBB pick mysis and worms out but other fish cannot reach and end up ignoring.

 

[fishgutz]

All of the above is great advice and you should be successful IF you get a healthy fish from the LFS. I Also find that the bigger the specimen the more likely you are to success.

I have been 50% on success with CBB's. Out of the two that where healthy both where purchased from the same store. One was pretty big about 3 inches not including the nose and eagerly ate frozen in the holding tank, and the other I got straight out of the LFS shipment box after checking how it looked. That one ate frozen the next day in my sump which I used as a modified QT.

The two that died both where purchased from a different LFS, and on the smaller side. One was very malnourished but I hoped that I could nurse it back, but alas I found it dead two days later despite it pecking at live rock and frozen. The other was in my sump for about ten days eating live black worms but one day stopped eating and started breathing very heavy - it died the next day.

Also like Glenners Reef advised, tangs are much more aggressive eaters and will outcompete your CBB. I built three feeding stations out of spare PVC parts that let the CBB pick mysis and worms out but other fish cannot reach and end up ignoring.

 

[fishgutz]

Put a previously frozen thawed half mussel in an algae clip. The mesh will keep other fish from getting to it. The CB will eat it 90% of the time. This will increase your chances of success considerably.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Death Dealer Tangs (aka yellow & sailfin). Made plan for Copperband Butterfly TRY #2:
- redo right third of tank to make another cave for CBB sleeping
---- planning build underway
- order from TSM Aquatics (once tank rebuild complete)
---- size medium to large
---- QTd/HTd by TSM
--------- arrives already eating
- use SHU acclimation box from Octo Aquatics
---- move into different territories of tank over several days (minimum)
-------- fish meet & greet in each fish's individual territories
- build CBB feeder
---- done

Emotionally, me and family will not be able to endure try #3 and would be too mean to fish, so my next try MUST be successful as there cannot be try #3 (unless try #2 dies of old age 20 years from now...)

TSM Aquatics - The Largest Saltwaterfish Store In The Country!

Welcome to the new TSM Aquatics forum on Reef2Reef. We were formerly known as TSM Corals founded by Ray Casper. TSM Aquatics is located at 1 Enterprise Court Sewell, NJ 08080 and is the largest retail store open to the public that sells saltwaterfish and corals in the country! TSM operates...

www.reef2reef.com

The SHU™ - Acclimation Box

Simply put.... THE BEST multi-purpose aquatics container has been over a year in the making and I’m happy to finally announce it’s ready for orders! This container can be used for – anemones, mushrooms, acclimating new livestock, putting naughty livestock in time out, holding livestock for sale...

www.reef2reef.com

Copperband Butterfly Feeding Device

Going on my second Copperband due to the first one not taking clams/mussels on the half shell, and the other feeding device being ignored completely, I figured I would make a DIY feeding device that's effective and almost guaranteed to have them feeding. Materials: (1) 3/4" PVC Socket Cap (1)...

www.reef2reef.com

My first try had
- small CBB
- picky eater in QT.
---- tried EVERYTHING including local seafood store mussels, clams and snails
---- live California black worms from Pennsylvania
--------- then found DFW TX LFSs stock if I just make enough phone calls.....
---- fish eggs thawed broke the ice on eating
---- LRS Reef Frenzy, many types of frozen cubes (7" stack still in freezer...)
- CBB was moved from QT to DT sooner than expected on LFS recommendation
---- more access to pods and feather duster in main tank, etc...
---- may have been CBB watching existing fish eat fish eggs that got CBB eating
- acclimated to DT in hang on side box
---- old fish wanted new fish ONLY where hang on side box had been.
---- mirrors used on tangs (and flame angel) when introduced
---- new fish wanted to explore whole tank and not just stay in upper side corner
---- Killed

My next try may be Summer or Fall 2021... considering even removing yellow & sailfin tangs to QT & sump when CBB introduced then after couple weeks using acclimation box on yellow and sailfin tangs to reintroduce back into DT... fingers crossed... not in hurry...

 

[Conrad Noto]

So this should be interesting... I’m going to have my attempt with the infamous Copperband Butterfly within the next few weeks and I want things to be prepared because I really want this fish to survive. I was planning on getting a brine hatchery and feeding live brine daily and eventually mixing frozen brine into the live brine. How long would you drip acclimate this guy and obviously QT is not an option so how do I prevent disease? Are there any suggestions of what I could do to increase its chances of survival?

I would definitely find a way to QT, they are prove to marine velvet. If buying from local pet store maybe you can arrange for them to QT and even Copper treat. The ones I've had in the past all ate fine, I did a 2 hr drip. If you have other aggressive fish maybe box him awhile before you release. It might eat your sps or nip clams if you have either.

 

[Rtaylor]

Hopefully this isn’t my case... would a brine hatchery be beneficial?

They don’t seem that interested in bbs from my experience. Fresh clams and live black worms or white worms seem to catch their attention most.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Death Dealer Tangs (aka yellow & sailfin). Made plan for Copperband Butterfly TRY #2:
- redo right third of tank to make another cave for CBB sleeping
---- planning build underway
- order from TSM Aquatics (once tank rebuild complete)
---- size medium to large
---- QTd/HTd by TSM
--------- arrives already eating
- use SHU acclimation box from Octo Aquatics
---- move into different territories of tank over several days (minimum)
-------- fish meet & greet in each fish's individual territories
- build CBB feeder
---- done

Emotionally, me and family will not be able to endure try #3 and would be too mean to fish, so my next try MUST be successful as there cannot be try #3 (unless try #2 dies of old age 20 years from now...)

TSM Aquatics - The Largest Saltwaterfish Store In The Country!

Welcome to the new TSM Aquatics forum on Reef2Reef. We were formerly known as TSM Corals founded by Ray Casper. TSM Aquatics is located at 1 Enterprise Court Sewell, NJ 08080 and is the largest retail store open to the public that sells saltwaterfish and corals in the country! TSM operates...

www.reef2reef.com

The SHU™ - Acclimation Box

Simply put.... THE BEST multi-purpose aquatics container has been over a year in the making and I’m happy to finally announce it’s ready for orders! This container can be used for – anemones, mushrooms, acclimating new livestock, putting naughty livestock in time out, holding livestock for sale...

www.reef2reef.com

Copperband Butterfly Feeding Device

Going on my second Copperband due to the first one not taking clams/mussels on the half shell, and the other feeding device being ignored completely, I figured I would make a DIY feeding device that's effective and almost guaranteed to have them feeding. Materials: (1) 3/4" PVC Socket Cap (1)...

www.reef2reef.com

My first try had
- small CBB
- picky eater in QT.
---- tried EVERYTHING including local seafood store mussels, clams and snails
---- live California black worms from Pennsylvania
--------- then found DFW TX LFSs stock if I just make enough phone calls.....
---- fish eggs thawed broke the ice on eating
---- LRS Reef Frenzy, many types of frozen cubes (7" stack still in freezer...)
- CBB was moved from QT to DT sooner than expected on LFS recommendation
---- more access to pods and feather duster in main tank, etc...
---- may have been CBB watching existing fish eat fish eggs that got CBB eating
- acclimated to DT in hang on side box
---- old fish wanted new fish ONLY where hang on side box had been.
---- mirrors used on tangs (and flame angel) when introduced
---- new fish wanted to explore whole tank and not just stay in upper side corner
---- Killed

My next try may be Summer or Fall 2021... considering even removing yellow & sailfin tangs to QT & sump when CBB introduced then after couple weeks using acclimation box on yellow and sailfin tangs to reintroduce back into DT... fingers crossed... not in hurry...

CBB try #2 underway
- redid aquascape on right side
- received and using my Octo Aquatics The Shu acclimation box
- eating at LFS CBB

Haven't yet moved tangs to sump/QT out of DT so CBB can have DT. Here is CBB being attacked in acclimation box yesterday. Video would have been scarier and sadder. Currently Shu is higher in DT and no fish noticing it (CBB can rest), so having magnets to move lower is really key to seeing how (badly) my existing fish will accept new fish



Fingers crossed