Copper band butterfly eating

[exnisstech]

+1 on observation tank. I’ve had the most success with starting them in an observation tank with low stress and activity. I think you can be successful introducing directly to the DT, but it has to be mature with lots of worms, aptasia, etc so the fish has stuff to pick at until it learns to eat from the water column.

I totally agree. My observation is in the basement with no traffic and I also black out the ends and back of the tank at the beginning. I think another important factor are tank mates in the DT. For a CBB to survive in a tank full of aggressive eaters they have to be willing to get in there and compete or they will eventually starve over time. I have a hunch the one's successfully added directly to a DT may be stocked with smaller less aggressive eaters vs larger hungry fish like the tangs in my tank above.
Another thing I've found very helpful is when they are ready to be introduced is to place them in an acclimation box. I use a reptile carrier that I put holes in. The holes are large enough to let food fall through. I feed the box so the CBB gets plenty of food. All the other fish go after the food coming out of the holes and it gives the CBB the illusion it is competing with those fish for the food. I think it helps build confidence. All just speculation on my part based on my limited experience. After reading about so many of these beautiful fish dying by being placed straight into a medicated QT or a populated DT I decided to try my hardest not to let that happen.
Im not a fan of white pvc like so many use. I add some of the rock from observation to the acclimation box to help make it a more natural settings.

I probably over think it but I've been keeping some type of animals my entire life and I feel I am responsible for their wellbeing if I bring them into my home. If im not able or willing to provide that care I will choose an easier to care for fish. JMO

EDIT to add a pic of my last observation tank.

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

I totally agree. My observation is in the basement with no traffic and I also black out the ends and back of the tank at the beginning. I think another important factor are tank mates in the DT. For a CBB to survive in a tank full of aggressive eaters they have to be willing to get in there and compete or they will eventually starve over time. I have a hunch the one's successfully added directly to a DT may be stocked with smaller less aggressive eaters vs larger hungry fish like the tangs in my tank above.
Another thing I've found very helpful is when they are ready to be introduced is to place them in an acclimation box. I use a reptile carrier that I put holes in. The holes are large enough to let food fall through. I feed the box so the CBB gets plenty of food. All the other fish go after the food coming out of the holes and it gives thr CBB the illusion it is competing with those fish for the food. I think it helps build confidence. All just speculation on my part based on my limited experience. After reading about so many of these beautiful fish dying by being placed straight into a medicated QT or a populated DT I decided to try my hardest not to let that happen.
Im not a fan of white pvc like so many use. I add some of the rock from observation to the acclimation box to help make it a more natural settings.

I probably over think it but I've been keeping some type of animals my entire life and I feel I am responsible for their wellbeing if I bring them into my home. If im not able or willing to provide that care I will choose an easier to care for fish. JMO

Agree 100%. I’ve been in the hobby 21 years now and just got my first copperband in 2021 due to their reputation as difficult. I’m not into being the fish executioner. When I get a fish my expectation is that it’s going to die of old age in my tank.

I wish they would captive breed these fish. So many people get them for aptasia control, when there are a lot of easier options to take care of aptasia imo.

 

[W31Olds]

I agree, always better to initially house difficult species by themselves. Copperbands, Moorish Idols, and Regal Angels come to mind. They are picky eaters and need to inspect their food and competition in a small QT Tank usually spells disaster.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Well I appreciate everyone’s advice and kind words here. Unfortunately he didn’t not make it. I had a gut feeling he wouldn’t last over night. Yesterday he was constantly sticking his snout out the water and looked real sunken in. I tried entice with clams, mysis, the whole kitchen sink of foood I had. Nothing. He lost interest in even inspecting the rock work. I hadn’t even had time to call and look for live worms. That was next on the list. This sucks man. I thought I did enough reading and looking into how to get them to eat that I felt confident it wouldn’t go this way. I thought I picked out a good specimen to. I guess I need to be more critical of choosing what fish I get. I know what to look for now due to the unfortunate circumstances. Curious behavior and what they look like when malnourished. It’s hard to see the sunken in sides but I think I can spot it now. For a “qt” or observation tank I have an old empty 10 gallon cube sitting here I can utilize for that. I don’t the fish in the tank now are agressive eaters but being in a smaller tank I think it would be easier to work with in trying to get to eat.

This is not at all what I wanted to happen. My wife is even upset and just doesn’t get why a fish would willing starve.

I don’t think I’m going to give up yet though. Me and the wife did fall in love with him. I think the aptasia control is a nice benifit but they are just some flat out gorgeous fish and I can tell once get settled in can be quirky to. How they move around looking for things is so fascinating.

 

[threebuoys]

They are absolutely beautiful! I hope your next experience is more positive.

At a certain point, some fish will stop eating completely (or never start eating as in your case) but survive for several days before death. When I get a fish with a reputation as a picky eater, I begin the QT protocol without adding Copper until after I am certain the fish is eating (unless illness such as ich is obvious). I was able to get my CBB to eat thawed frozen blood worms immediately. Others have reported live white worms to be the ticket.

Once I got the CBB eating, I followed the 30 day copper protocol plus 2 cycles of prazipro before moving him to the display tank. While every other fish I have chow down on NLS pellets, the CBB swims around looking for something else. So now, all my fish chow down on the minced live clams I prepare because of the CBB.

I got the CBB originally to attack an aptasia infestation. He cleaned the 125 gallon tank in a little more than a week. Recently, I moved several coral frags from the DT to a coral only grow out tank. Within a week, aptasia appeared in the grow out tank. I've had the CBB for over a year now. Aptasia control, plus a beauty to watch. Couldn't be happier. OH, added bonus is the CBB does not appear to be attracted to corals in the DT.

Good luck.

 

[Reef Wizard]

Did you ever try mincing the live clam? From the very moment I first fed my CBB, I chopped/minced fresh little neck clams. Every fish in the tank love it. The CBB has an easier time eating the smaller portions given his beak. When I used clam-on-the-half-shell approach I was less successful. The other fish in the tank would crowd out the CBB.

Now, I mince a couple of dozen clams at a time then freeze the resulting pieces in a flexible silicone tray with cubes about the size of the commercial food cubes. I thaw a couple cubes before putting into the tank.

Hey do you have a link to that tray?

Hey real quick, just wanted to ask. Everyone says to get a picky Copper band to eat is to start with live muscles. In my area I don’t seem to have access to that but I do have access to live Manila clams. Is that okay to try? I’m about to leave to the store I just didn’t know if that was suitable or not.

I got mine eating LRS and Bloodworms and then Unfortunately I got ich put him in a tank with my foxface and the foxface became super food aggressive and he slowly starved to death :(

I was so mad.
I have a CBB coming friday so fingers crossed

They really love garlic guard and selcon vitamin mixture IME.

I used a coral feeder to get him used to the food I was offering Slowly squirted the worms and stuff in front of him (basically spoon feeding for a few weeks) then I would let him see me squirt the food in a rock crevice with same coral feeder. Did that for a few weeks. then eventually he saw it in water column

 

[KrisReef]

My CB decided that torches are tasty and hammers are delightful. It ate the hammers first and then started destroying torches. I guess it misses all the glass anemones?

 

[threebuoys]

Hey do you have a link to that tray?

I got mine eating LRS and Bloodworms and then Unfortunately I got ich put him in a tank with my foxface and the foxface became super food aggressive and he slowly starved to death :(

I was so mad.
I have a CBB coming friday so fingers crossed

They really love garlic guard and selcon vitamin mixture IME.

I used a coral feeder to get him used to the food I was offering Slowly squirted the worms and stuff in front of him (basically spoon feeding for a few weeks) then I would let him see me squirt the food in a rock crevice with same coral feeder. Did that for a few weeks. then eventually he saw it in water column

Amazon product ASIN B08DFQ2QR2
not sure why the image is not displaying,. Click on the gray square and the link should open
I cover the tray with plastic wrap until it's frozen.

 

[Reef Wizard]

Amazon product ASIN B08DFQ2QR2
not sure why the image is not displaying,. Click on the gray square and the link should open
I cover the tray with plastic wrap until it's frozen.

Thank you!