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copperband in a reef?

C

calaxa

I know of myself, concept3 and smcooler. I'm sure there are others as they are a very attractive fish and they eat aiptasia.

Hardest part of a copperband is getting a feeding specimen. It's not natural for them to take food from water column (think it's because they cannot aim their snout at the food while it is moving). If you find one that does, then the hardest part is over. The second hardest part is weaning them onto other foods. If you look at concept3's post, he prepares a good seafood mix of clams, mussels, squids, etc. Mine will take live blackworms like a pig (I suspect he is faster than my hippo tang, but they are not in the same tank). He'll take other stuff such as bloodworms, brine, mysis, but those he will be very very reluctant about and will continue to "beg" me for something else by nudging his nose at glass or surface.

The only problem with a CBB in a reef is he will eat every single feather duster you have. He might nip at some polyps and clams but generally this is rare. More likely it's because some food has landed there. They are very intelligent as fish go and not as hard to keep as people lead you to believe. I'm almost at a point where I can hand feed him if I want to (I don't cause I don't want to touch live blackworms).
 
N

nyfireman3097

I just got one the other day. And today I received my live blackworms in the mail. How do you keep your worms ? I was told to rinse them everyday and keep in a container in the fridge w/ enough water to just cover them
 
C

calaxa

That's exactly how. I get them local so I don't worry about having to keep them long. If they die, my aggressive eaters eat them anyway so no worries on keeping them very long. Culturing is not worth it at all. Most LFS sell them. Should not have a need to mail order them.
 
Nickjr000

Nickjr000

I have plenty of aiptasia I'd like them to eat and I love their looks. But..... I can't trust one in my reef and once a fish goes in it's way too hard to get out!
 
C

concept3

Nickjr000 said:
I have plenty of aiptasia I'd like them to eat and I love their looks. But..... I can't trust one in my reef and once a fish goes in it's way too hard to get out!
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They are the "safer" of the butterfly species. But I agree if you have reservations. You should see what I just got in my tank~ talk about me being scared.....
 
M

mott768

copperbands are the safest but make sure it's eating before you buy, not that it makes much difference. I tried one and it was eating at the store but once acclimated to my tank it stopped, I tried feeding many differant things with no luck. Now I'm contemplating adding a Orange Butterfly in hopes it will eat just mushrooms and ric's, I'm just nervous that it will go after my SPS and clams.
 
B

BobCReef

I had one before i took down the tank. Ate like a big mysis, brine, blood worms. I had the exact opposite experience. Mine would not eat at the store. The store manager said take it home and if he doesn't make i didn't need to pay for him. Brought him hone and the next day he started eating.
 
C

calaxa

reeferwanabe said:
I tried one also like mott's was eating in store. but it may have been because my tangs chased him around the tank
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They need to go in before tangs. These weren't zebrasoma tangs (ie yellow, purple, etc.) I hope. That CBB had no chance if it was.
 
C

calaxa

mott768 said:
copperbands are the safest....
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I think they are one of the safest but not the absolute safest. Think it's pearlscale or some other one that has no corals/clams in diet. Don't mind me...just nitpicking on you mott.
 
jimroth

jimroth

Loving mine (see avatar) and it's not my first, though the first in this reef. Never had a problem with them bothering anything, and my previous one ate all my aptasia. More pix in my tank build thread.

My next fish is going to be a yellow longnose, I hope it goes as well.

The pyramid 'fly is supposed to be a good reef citizen, sez Charles Delbeek in the last Marine and Reef Annual. He has a good article on good and bad butterflies, sadly the good ones are usually expensive...
 
M

mott768

calaxa said:
mott768 said:
copperbands are the safest....
Click to expand...

I think they are one of the safest but not the absolute safest. Think it's pearlscale or some other one that has no corals/clams in diet. Don't mind me...just nitpicking on you mott.
Click to expand...

Don't know why you would nitpick ??? safest doesn't mean 100% safe ;) never said they were absolute safest either but if he's getting one for aiptasia controll they are the safest ones to get.
 
C

calaxa

reeferwanabe said:
no yellow or purple tang
1 scopas 1 yellow eye kole 1 naso
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Naso is probably the boss there. Even koles, who have a rep of being peaceful, who harass newcomers. The stocking plan really has to have butterfly and angels going in before tangs with a scalpel on their tails.
 
R

reeferwanabe

actually the naso is the most peaceful one for now. also the smallest but growing fast.they have been in there for months your right.took a chance on intrducing the copperband.but I don't think that was the main problem.
 
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