Copperband Butterfly

[steve 1965]

I would like to add a Copperband Butterfly into my reef tank to battle some Aptasia. My tanks 60”x26”x24”. I do have a Sailfin Tang small to Med size. I have a choice of adding either a smaller Butterfly or a medium to Large. Both are eating mysis. My question is. Do I need to worry about aggression with the sailfin. I have a mimic and nasa tang but they are very docile. But Sailfins have a reputation. So what’s the best way to add the copperband?

 

[Darstar301]

isolation box is best incase of aggression. I have a cobberband in a box now in my DT since I have a sailfin that would kill that fish in a couple of days. You can also try 3d printed tangs and the mirror trick.

 

[steve 1965]

So do you think your sailfin would go after the copperband? I plan on putting the copperband in an acclimation box to see how they interact.

 

[steve 1965]

isolation box is best incase of aggression. I have a cobberband in a box now in my DT since I have a sailfin that would kill that fish in a couple of days. You can also try 3d printed tangs and the mirror trick.

I plan on putting him in an isolation box to watch how the sailfin reacts. I could if messers take the sailfin out for a couple days but catching him with minimal stress to him or the other fish is my worry. So I’m really hoping I can acclimate them

 

[ZoWhat]

SF Tangs don't see CBB as a threat. Not a similar body style with their long pointy mouth.

CBB eat critters in and on the LR...SF Tangs graze on algae.

Two different feeding style.

Never seen a SF Tang get mad that a CBB is in the community in my 20yr experience

 

[Darstar301]

Yeah, my sailing fin is a A******. He just goes around and keeps picking. I want to rehome him but it is my son's fish.

 

[steve 1965]

SF Tangs don't see CBB as a threat. Not a similar body style with their long pointy mouth.

CBB eat critters in and on the LR...SF Tangs graze on algae.

Two different feeding style.

Never seen a SF Tang get mad that a CBB is in the community in my 20yr experience

Ok awesome I had read that yellow purple and sailfin tangs could pick on these fish. Thanks for the info.
Should I get a small to Medium or medium to large copper band ? What would you recommend ?

 

[exnisstech]

The problem with adding a CBB to a display is getting them to compete for food even tho they were eating in the store. I recently added a second to my tank so I have a pair. I keep them alone for a while to make sure they are eating well and also to put on weight as some come in thin. When adding to the tank I used a reptile carrier with holes burned
in it as an acclimation box. I would feed the acclimation box first. The CBB would get food and the tangs and other fish would come up and try to get food and did get some that came out of the holes. The CBB was able to get food without actual competition but all the other fish trying to get food gave the impression they were competing. I think this really helped the new guy to go after food when it was released in to the DT. Neither of mine will eat pellet or flake food.
The box

And whe when I removed the lid

I think the biggest mistake people make with a sensitive fish like CBB is just adding them to the DT and expecting them to compete for food. Sometime it works but often it doesn't

 

[steve 1965]

The problem with adding a CBB to a display is getting them to compete for food even tho they were eating in the store. I recently added a second to my tank so I have a pair. I keep them alone for a while to make sure they are eating well and also to put on weight as some come in thin. When adding to the tank I used a reptile carrier with holes burned
in it as an acclimation box. I would feed the acclimation box first. The CBB would get food and the tangs and other fish would come up and try to get food and did get some that came out of the holes. The CBB was able to get food without actual competition but all the other fish trying to get food gave the impression they were competing. I think this really helped the new guy to go after food when it was released in to the DT. Neither of mine will eat pellet or flake food.
The box

And whe when I removed the lid

I think the biggest mistake people make with a sensitive fish like CBB is just adding them to the DT and expecting them to compete for food. Sometime it works but often it doesn't

Yes I have a huge acclimation box. The store that I use I trust for many yrs. They have had them for two weeks and are both eating well. I was thinking about getting them both. Maybe that’s the better idea. I’ll leave them in acclimation box and would place some of the macro later that have Aptasia to see if they will eat it. And feed them without being harassed. And to see how the Tangs especially the sailfin reacts. Do you think this is a good plan?

 

[exnisstech]

I would not get both unless you are positive they are male and female. They do not transition into a different sex like many fish so if you get two males or two female the chances of keeping both together are slim. I had my female for over a year before I decided to introduce what I thought was a male.
This is the thread I used to help determine the sex of each.

Sexual dimorphism identification of Chelmon rostratus, the Copperband Butterfly,

From the horse mouth, people who successfully pair, breed and raised Copperband Butterflies Jirayuth Ruensirikul, Mavit Assava-aree, Atra Chaimongkol, Sirawan Bunchai, and Khwantana Ongart of Coastal Aquaculture Research Institute and Nakhonsithammarat Coastal Fisheries Research and Development...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[steve 1965]

I would not get both unless you are positive they are male and female. They do not transition into a different sex like many fish so if you get two males or two female the chances of keeping both together are slim. I had my female for over a year before I decided to introduce what I thought was a male.
This is the thread I used to help determine the sex of each.

Sexual dimorphism identification of Chelmon rostratus, the Copperband Butterfly,

From the horse mouth, people who successfully pair, breed and raised Copperband Butterflies Jirayuth Ruensirikul, Mavit Assava-aree, Atra Chaimongkol, Sirawan Bunchai, and Khwantana Ongart of Coastal Aquaculture Research Institute and Nakhonsithammarat Coastal Fisheries Research and Development...

www.reef2reef.com

So they have been together now for a few weeks and have been getting along great. As far as knowing their sex I’m not sure. But I’m glad you sent me this info so I can add this to my decision making before I purchase.

 

[BryanM]

I want a copperband. cool looking, 50/50 eats aptasia which would be a win.

Too many stories of not eating, to me its not worth the headache.... at least not at this time in my journey

 

[steve 1965]

I want a copperband. cool looking, 50/50 eats aptasia which would be a win.

Too many stories of not eating, to me its not worth the headache.... at least not at this time in my journey

Yeah that’s why I have not had one. But these are both eating mysis ones eating pellets. They have been together awhile now. So I’m thinking I may get both if they are getting along well and both eating. Aclimating them slowly over a few days also is something that makes the success rate much better before adding them in with other fish.

 

[Uncle99]

So they have been together now for a few weeks and have been getting along great. As far as knowing their sex I’m not sure. But I’m glad you sent me this info so I can add this to my decision making before I purchase.

My CB and Sailfin get along well with a yellow and a blue 7”

 

[jrmailo]

I would definitely get the Cbb on the larger end. Cbb by nature are shy and timid. I have yet to see cbb as an aggressor on smaller fish.

If you get a smaller cbb, The tang may attack him purely based on territory.

If you get a larger cbb, it is unlikely that it will get bullied. Meaning a less stressed and happy Cbb.

My Achilles tang essentially killed a healthy and eating cbb by stressing it to death…

 

[steve 1965]

My CB and Sailfin get along well with a yellow and a blue 7”

That’s good. My sailfin is still small so I’m hoping no aggression

 

[Uncle99]

That’s good. My sailfin is still small so I’m hoping no aggression

My copper band has no issue showing he’s not scared of my Sailfin which is now 8”

He takes nothing from nobody but starts nothing either.

Turned out he was the easiest fish added to my group.

Good luck for me, bad luck Aptasia.

 

[steve 1965]

Yeah I’m hoping they eat the Aptasia. They have two of them and was thinking of getting both. But I keep hearing different opinions. These two are together and have been for a few weeks now with no aggression.

 

[steve 1965]

So I went with the bigger CCB. After reading and even though the two were getting along I decided not to risk two of them. Now he’s in my acclimation box and watching how the Sailfin reacts to him.
So how long does everyone recommend using the acclimation box before releasing ?

 

[ninjamyst]

2 weeks is my recommendation.

Also keep a close eye on your meaty corals. Acans, scolys, plates, etc. Copperband often will limit the kind of corals you can keep....