Manda0597
Active Member
Just added a Copper Banded Butterfly to my DT about an hour ago and he isn't swimming around interested like they're supposed to. Should I be worried so soon or be worried in a couple days if he's still not?
Copperbanded Help!
- Thread starter Manda0597
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I would give it time. Is it brand new or did you run it through quarantine first?
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Manda0597
Active Member
No it's brand new but the store does a QT supposedly. Unfortunately I don't have space for a proper QT yet
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Manda0597
Active Member
Yeah I've saw a lot of people say if you want a fish that just dies mysteriously out of nowhere he's your guy. I really enjoy him so hopefully he works out
LRT
10K Club member
I have 1 in 2 seperate systems.
Did you temp and drip acclimate?
These where very shy fish at first. The newest one is still a little sketchy but came around in a few days.
My wife hand feeds them both with frozen mysis shrimp now.
Give it time I'm sure the fish will be fine.
Did you temp and drip acclimate?
These where very shy fish at first. The newest one is still a little sketchy but came around in a few days.
My wife hand feeds them both with frozen mysis shrimp now.
Give it time I'm sure the fish will be fine.
LRT
10K Club member
Not sure about Nori.
Sound like it's just taking time to acclimate. Took our bigger one closer to a week to not be shy and come out.
They are cool fish, but I think the way they are collected might have something to do with it. Would be cool if everyone picked one particular type of fish and perfected breeding. So far I suck at breeding saltwater, but I'm pretty good at koi, actually too good.
U
User1
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Just added a Copper Banded Butterfly to my DT about an hour ago and he isn't swimming around interested like they're supposed to. Should I be worried so soon or be worried in a couple days if he's still not?
Purchase source? LFS? Online? If online then shipping comes into play. My kids ordered one for me online without me knowing for Father's Day. Nice surprise but I probably wouldn't have. It is on my stocking list but probably would have waited another 4 to 6 months if I was being honest. It arrived well packaged, cool packs, and probably a little smaller than yours at 2 - 2 1/2 " in size. I gave a 15 minute Methylene blue dip, then drip acclimate, and then into the display. This is my procedure for difficult and/or advanced fish which I place this in.
Mine was immediately assaulted by my Lavender Tang. Not what I was expecting because it has been a model citizen. Whatever reason it decided to become a murderous poo head. Couldn't do anything so had to let Mother Nature work it out. It made it through the evening and next day a fellow hobbyist here recommended a mirror to try and break the attention away. That worked and now we are on day two with the Copperband finding an area that it could use for refuge without constant harassment. Didn't see it eat but then again it is only 24 hours after introducing. Enter the 4th day and it is a lot better. It still hasn't eaten the food everybody else eats (mysis, brine both frozen and another mix) but it is constantly foraging. I also see it eating spaghetti and bristle worms both of which I have plenty.
Here are my concerns with yours though. The image you displayed above looks recently set up. If it starts to forage there isn't going to be anything there for it. Mix that without eating what you have on hand, well, it is going to get weak. You don't really want that. My suggestion is hit up the store and get a oyster or clam and place it on a half shell in your tank. See if it picks at that. While expensive and not something you would do every day you want to see what it will eat and that is a good option. The next day hit up your LFS and see about some worms. Whatever they have just get a pinch to test with. If it eats those then you can go back and work on more. Check also if they have LRS frozen food. Best food on the market and usually works.
The smaller guys we have the main issue is getting them to eat prepared food(s). Provided the tank is mature enough the food they get by foraging gives time to work on prepared. My tank is 2 years and I still feel it isn't ready...
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Manda0597
Active Member
Yes it is recently set up. I also don't do corals at all yet. Too new to the hobby. I saw the clam on half shell. I will try that and see what he does. For him at LFS and he was picking around. Hopefully the pbt doesn't harass him too much. Thanks for the advice. Do they eat copepods at all because I have a TON of those
ca1ore
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Copperband isn’t really a fish for the novice reefer. Very delicate and does not do well with aggressive fish (like tangs). I havent tried to keep one for over 20 years because I like tangs too much. Keep an eye out for aggression as that will put the kibosh on any eating. Cowering under the rocks or up in a corner isn’t good either. Powder blue tang is on the nasty end of the tang spectrum.
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User1
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I'm not sure but do not believe so. All I can say based on my experience keeping one in another tank is that they will forage but mostly for worms and aptasia. You have a new tank and some advanced level fish I hate to say it. The powder blue can also be difficult and very aggressive. What size tank are these in?
In any case try live food(s) for the copperband and the clam on half shell.
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Manda0597
Active Member
This is my second tank but first larger tank. I have a 36G also. This is a 90G. I turned the light out and he started swimming around and coming out. I am definitely going to get some live food when I am at the fish store tomorrow. Honestly didn't think they were that delicate but I'm quickly learning they are.
They don't just die for no reason. They either starve to death or get stressed to death because of the environment you put them in.
Just about everyone I know who puts the effort in has good success with these fish. The ones who dont either dump the fish in the tank straight off or fail to have an adequate quarantine.
The fish we used to get also came from the Philippines, which everyone says is a bad because of collection practices. That's just an excuse for personal failure. Not true at all.
Teach the fish to eat prepared foods and make sure it gets enough. Then put it in an environment where it is not too stressed and you will be fine.
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Manda0597
Active Member
Thank you for some positivity! Lights are out now and he is swimming around more. I did see him swimming around and eating at the LFS so hopefully he just needs a little time. I'm going to try the clam on a half shell and I feed Nori Mysis and Brine normally. Thank you! The powder blue and yellow Tang have messed with him very minimally because he was under their rock they like to swim through. Hopefully it stays that way.
LRT
10K Club member
Do you have Tongs? My wife uses chopsticks lol.
When your feeding your other fish offer the butterfly a little on the side for next couple days. It should come around. Like said one of mine stayed shy for almost a week. I just kept dropping a little food around him and she came out.
Now she comes right to the surface at feeding time. I have one in with my clowns and blenny. And one in the sump by itself.
When it starts picking at the rocks you know it's starting to get comfortable.
Best working fish I have in my system.
They eat aiptasia. Fan worms and just about anything they see on the rock. Always at work. Your going to be happy you added this fish I know I am.
When your feeding your other fish offer the butterfly a little on the side for next couple days. It should come around. Like said one of mine stayed shy for almost a week. I just kept dropping a little food around him and she came out.
Now she comes right to the surface at feeding time. I have one in with my clowns and blenny. And one in the sump by itself.
When it starts picking at the rocks you know it's starting to get comfortable.
Best working fish I have in my system.
They eat aiptasia. Fan worms and just about anything they see on the rock. Always at work. Your going to be happy you added this fish I know I am.
I would've suggested to wait a year or so for your tank to establish but thats out the window. I have 3 of these in separate systems. The hardest part is getting them eating and keeping them eating enough.
Live blackworms is the best as it is the easiest to get them started on. It is also a food that they can solely live on. The hard part is keeping them on hand. It may take a week or 2 to get them eating but continue throwing the blackworms at them at least once a day and they will catch on. Also frozen mysis. I like the hikari as it is smaller and cleaner than the larger pe mysis. The larger one they tend to bite and spit but the hikari they actually eat better in my experience. Iwould suggest feeding both everyday and once you get it eating, you'll need to feed twice a day for several months to get it healthy again. After a few months you can transition to once a day if needed. But understand these guys probably go 3 weeks without any food from time of capture to the pet store. Which is why many people have a difficult time with them.
I have several threads about feeding these guys including some with a simple how to for a feeder that will allow these guys more chances to get food when the other fish are faster eaters.
Live blackworms is the best as it is the easiest to get them started on. It is also a food that they can solely live on. The hard part is keeping them on hand. It may take a week or 2 to get them eating but continue throwing the blackworms at them at least once a day and they will catch on. Also frozen mysis. I like the hikari as it is smaller and cleaner than the larger pe mysis. The larger one they tend to bite and spit but the hikari they actually eat better in my experience. Iwould suggest feeding both everyday and once you get it eating, you'll need to feed twice a day for several months to get it healthy again. After a few months you can transition to once a day if needed. But understand these guys probably go 3 weeks without any food from time of capture to the pet store. Which is why many people have a difficult time with them.
I have several threads about feeding these guys including some with a simple how to for a feeder that will allow these guys more chances to get food when the other fish are faster eaters.
