Copperband butterfly

[Jl330]

I've read mixed reviews on these guys saying they don't always live in tanks.

My lfs got 3 in and they are beautiful, very large fish. My desire is my aiptasia outbreak. I've been battling it with aiptasia x and it keeps getting worse.

What are the pros and cons to these guys and should I get one?

 

[alton]

Great fish if you have natural food to start and with aptasia it sounds like you do. Mine was always reef safe never bothered anything except aptasia and feather dusters corals. Out of the three I have owned, only one ate aptasia.

 

[Fin]

They can sometimes be difficult to get to start accepting food and they can pick at corals, but - I have one that is now around 10 years old. He does well on mysis, soaked in SelCon and a multi-marine vitamin. He will eat a variety of meaty foods now, but doesn't even look at flake or pellet foods to this day. They love to eat feather dusters, but that is all that mine has messed with in the tank. That tank was torn down 7-8 months ago and the CBB is in a temporary holding tank waiting on my new tank to get running. There was literally zero aiptasia visible in my display for 10 years. They were all over in the overflow and sump, but none in the display. I also had one in an old 75 for 6-7 years and had the same result with aiptasia. That has been my experience with them anyway.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Before you buy make sure its eating well. Not just picking around at rocks but actually eating some meaty foods.

Inspect it closely. Pass on any fish that has any mouth damage or any bruising or other marks on the body. Also dont buy one that looks thin.

Once you get one, have live blackworms, clams on the halfshell and NFG on hand.

Cbb are great fish and quite hearty once they are settled in and eating well. Until then they can be challenging. Go for it!

 

[Jl330]

Before you buy make sure its eating well. Not just picking around at rocks but actually eating some meaty foods.

Inspect it closely. Pass on any fish that has any mouth damage or any bruising or other marks on the body. Also dont buy one that looks thin.

Once you get one, have live blackworms, clams on the halfshell and NFG on hand.

Cbb are great fish and quite hearty once they are settled in and eating well. Until then they can be challenging. Go for it!

If my lfs can keep them a week they should be g2g.