Copperband butterfly thread

[kozzy]

I just got one and started eating mysis today so let's here all your experiences and what you did to keep them healthy. Some pics would be nice too
What diet should you feed to keep them healthy.

 

[ReefMadScientist]

I just got one and started eating mysis today so let's here all your experiences and what you did to keep them healthy. Some pics would be nice too
What diet should you feed to keep them healthy.

Awesome fish. I am thinking of buying another one and nearly did today.

So the pros and cons of the fish. Once you buy one that is eating Mysis, I suggest you toughen it up by allowing it to hunt. What I mean by that is to drop a half cube or whatever in the tank and make him go get it with the powerheads on. New fish rarely eat on the first day but he should get the hang of it. You may need to use a baster and kill the powerheads though. Some are finicky.

I had two Copperbands in the past. One was great and I had him for over 6 months but he decided to stop eating and give up in life once I introduced a Clown Tang in the tank. He was never picked on, but he was always intimidated by how fast the Clown Tang swam.

My second Copperband never made it. He refused to eat even after I watched him eat at the LFS.

So the Pros would be they are awesome and like my first one, they CAN eat Aiptasia. But it is a hit or miss.

Cons - They are bipolar and can all of a sudden stop eating whenever they want.

Hope I am not rambling too much, my son is crying for me. Gotta go.

 

[cameronh]

I just got one and started eating mysis today so let's here all your experiences and what you did to keep them healthy. Some pics would be nice too
What diet should you feed to keep them healthy.

There ya go man! Good idea

 

[kozzy]

Awesome fish. I am thinking of buying another one and nearly did today.

So the pros and cons of the fish. Once you buy one that is eating Mysis, I suggest you toughen it up by allowing it to hunt. What I mean by that is to drop a half cube or whatever in the tank and make him go get it with the powerheads on. New fish rarely eat on the first day but he should get the hang of it. You may need to use a baster and kill the powerheads though. Some are finicky.

I had two Copperbands in the past. One was great and I had him for over 6 months but he decided to stop eating and give up in life once I introduced a Clown Tang in the tank. He was never picked on, but he was always intimidated by how fast the Clown Tang swam.

My second Copperband never made it. He refused to eat even after I watched him eat at the LFS.

So the Pros would be they are awesome and like my first one, they CAN eat Aiptasia. But it is a hit or miss.

Cons - They are bipolar and can all of a sudden stop eating whenever they want.

Hope I am not rambling too much, my son is crying for me. Gotta go.

Having troubles getting him a good amount of food. I've had him since Sunday and he only gets a few pieces a meal. What should I do? He's always picking at the rocks and there's plenty of aiptasia which is kinda why I got him.

 

[kozzy]

There ya go man! Good idea

Haha thanks.

 

[Humblefish]

They are definitely one of the hardest fish to get eating. You'll have better odds with a specimen from Australia, but you'll also pay a lot more for that. It took my last one 5-6 months before he started competing well with all my other fish. So I had to baby him until he got his man card (see video below). Luckily I found him a great new home before we move.

 

[kozzy]

They are definitely one of the hardest fish to get eating. You'll have better odds with a specimen from Australia, but you'll also pay a lot more for that. It took my last one 5-6 months before he started competing well with all my other fish. So I had to baby him until he got his man card (see video below). Luckily I found him a great new home before we move.

There's no way mine would go in a net. He gets scared when I spray the food in the tank. What else do you suggest. Out of the two feelings today he probably ate 4 pieces. Guessing that not enough lol, nice tank by the way

 

[Triggreef]

Live black worms = golden

Great fish. I went through he'll trying to get mine established even after he ate and went through qt. I had 6 tangs previously and had to remove all 6. They wanted him dead. I was ably to add 4 tangs back after letting the cbb get established though.

Aside from tangs my tank is very busy. I had great luck getting the cbb to eat Lbw's from a turkey baster directly. All the other fish would scatter so he could sit there and eat as long as I felt like feeding him. Now he goes into a frenzy at feeding time just like everyone else.

I also feed mysis. I find he eats the smaller hikari mysis better/faster. When I feed larger pe mysis, I feed only a dozen at a time because it takes him so long to eat one. So I might feed every 5 minutes for a half hour sometimes, when I have the time.

 

[Humblefish]

There's no way mine would go in a net. He gets scared when I spray the food in the tank. What else do you suggest. Out of the two feelings today he probably ate 4 pieces. Guessing that not enough lol, nice tank by the way

Live blackworms, littleneck clams & black mussels (both available at most grocery store's seafood section), frozen bloodworms, slivers of raw shrimp, raw oyster, PE Mysis, Rod's or LRS.

 

[kozzy]

Live blackworms, littleneck clams & black mussels (both available at most grocery store's seafood section), frozen bloodworms, slivers of raw shrimp, raw oyster, PE Mysis, Rod's or LRS.

I have clams but my other fish eat it so quick. I could get blood worms fursure but my fish stores don't get in live black worms. Where else could you get it.

 

[Triggreef]

Live blackworms, littleneck clams & black mussels (both available at most grocery store's seafood section), frozen bloodworms, slivers of raw shrimp, raw oyster, PE Mysis, Rod's or LRS.

Just freeze anything from supermarket before feeding, otherwise could intro parasites or who knows what. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I only use that stuff if I freeze it first.

 

[Triggreef]

I have clams but my other fish eat it so quick. I could get blood worms fursure but my fish stores don't get in live black worms. Where else could you get it.

california black worms but its $30. however that can last you a very ridiculously long time. Could even start a culture of them.

 

[kozzy]

california black worms but its $30. however that can last you a very ridiculously long time. Could even start a culture of them.

Would blood worms work good? He seems to test alpt of the food i put in but I think I gotta find something he's interested in. Are they heathy for fish? He even tried some flake earlier.

 

[Humblefish]

california black worms but its $30. however that can last you a very ridiculously long time. Could even start a culture of them.

http://www.aquaticfoods.com/worms.html

 

[saltyhog]

Here's Humblefish's CB in his new home. Amazing fish, unbelievably tame and trusting. I cup my hand against the glass with LRS or mysis in it and he swims in and eats without any interference (well except for the yellow flanked wrasse who also does that).

Thank you Bobby!

 

[kozzy]

Here's Humblefish's CB in his new home. Amazing fish, unbelievably tame and trusting. I cup my hand against the glass with LRS or mysis in it and he swims in and eats without any interference (well except for the yellow flanked wrasse who also does that).

Thank you Bobby!

Wow nice. How big is he? And what size tank do you have him in. Mine seems to become less shy now too

 

[Humblefish]

Thank you Bobby!

You're very welcome. Couldn't have found him a better home.

 

[kozzy]

Love your pyramid butterfly by the way.

 

[Triggreef]

Would blood worms work good? He seems to test alpt of the food i put in but I think I gotta find something he's interested in. Are they heathy for fish? He even tried some flake earlier.

none of my fish ever seemed to like bloodworms ever.

 

[kozzy]

none of my fish ever seemed to like bloodworms ever.

Oh wow