Our new Copperband

Aparker2005 · Jan 20, 2023

Mibu said:
100% i got used to it.

I am so sorry to hear all this. Sadly, a lot of fish are probably dying due to cyanide capture. Their livers slowly turn to mush over a couple of months. Hopefully not the case with this one.

Well in good news our yellow longnose is doing great. Haven't seen it eat but it is definitely picking even with the foxface still harassing it some

Aparker2005 · Jan 21, 2023

And this morning it's laying on its side trying to swim. Frustrating is all I can say

Tamberav · Jan 21, 2023

Aparker2005 said:
And this morning it's laying on its side trying to swim. Frustrating is all I can say

the copperband or the long nose?

Sorry to hear.

Aparker2005 · Jan 21, 2023

Tamberav said:
the copperband or the long nose?

Sorry to hear.

Cbb. That's 3 we've lost now. This one being sickly acting from the time it got into the tank

Tcook · Jan 21, 2023

Aparker2005 said:
Cbb. That's 3 we've lost now. This one being sickly acting from the time it got into the tank

Are these all from the lfs? Perhaps they use the same supplier with cbb caught with cyanide. I see nothing that you are doing wrong. Sorry to hear.

THESTRZA · Jan 21, 2023

I've had mine almost a year in a 66 gallon 3 year established tank. I did not do any QT process because I felt like I would kill him that way. I feed almost exclusively Hikari mysis and some pellets. He struggles mightly to see the pellets lol

He was a rabid eater in the pet store when I bought him. He is in the tank with a tiny hippo, 2 clowns, two small chromis, and a watchman goby. I agree with @Tcook it could be a supplier issue.

I just wanted to post bc you shouldn't give up! I am not an expert fish keeper by any means

djf91 · Jan 21, 2023

Sad to read all of this. I wouldn’t try a 4th one. I think for the most part these are better left in the ocean.

exnisstech · Jan 21, 2023

Sorry to hear the CBB is not doing well. I've had similar luck with powder blues. I use the 3 strike rule but should probably go to 2 strikes to save some fish. My CBB on the other hand is doing great so far after 9 months. The problem I have is it is in a 24x20x20 tank and the CBB is the dominant fish as others are small. Eventually I will have to move it out. The original plan was to move it to my 180g but with all the large tangs I have in there I'm scared to move him in. I think I'll eventually set up a 75g and move everything into that and let the CBB stay the dominant fish.

coral reeftank · Jan 21, 2023

Sorry to hear about your copperband. They are a fish many people struggle with. In my experience, I've gotten copperbands to eat right away by providing them fresh feather dusters and aptasia. My system is very mature and there are tons of mini feather dusters growing in my sump and overflow. When I first got mine I would scrape a bunch of feather dusters, mix them with frozen food and pile them in a corner. Once the CBB wanders to that corner they can't help themselves and start picking at the dusters. Eventually they'll nip at some frozen food and start to realize that it is edible.

This is how I've weened mine to eat frozen in the past and it works pretty often as long as you can find a healthy specimen that is. I recently got a CBB from Austrailia as I heard that they're much more hardy and he began to eat one day after his long journey from Austrailia

Aparker2005 · Jan 26, 2023

So at not my best judgment, I'm really thinking about trying ONE Last time with a cbb.

The last 2 I ordered were medium sized. The first of the 2, did absolutely perfect and died completely randomly overnight. The 2nd, it seemed off from day 1.

Our first one though was small. It lasted the longest, and did the best until our Bellus Angel killed it. So I'm wondering if trying one last small one would be okay. Decisions, decisions

Tcook · Jan 26, 2023

Aparker2005 said:
So at not my best judgment, I'm really thinking about trying ONE Last time with a cbb.

The last 2 I ordered were medium sized. The first of the 2, did absolutely perfect and died completely randomly overnight. The 2nd, it seemed off from day 1.

Our first one though was small. It lasted the longest, and did the best until our Bellus Angel killed it. So I'm wondering if trying one last small one would be okay. Decisions, decisions

I would order from a different supplier.

LaloJ · Jan 26, 2023

Aparker2005 said:
So at not my best judgment, I'm really thinking about trying ONE Last time with a cbb.

The last 2 I ordered were medium sized. The first of the 2, did absolutely perfect and died completely randomly overnight. The 2nd, it seemed off from day 1.

Our first one though was small. It lasted the longest, and did the best until our Bellus Angel killed it. So I'm wondering if trying one last small one would be okay. Decisions, decisions

I haven't read this thread completely, I'm sorry for your losses, CBB is an awesome fish but a bit difficult, it's probably best to try another provider, I'm in Mexico and a few years ago we could get quality marine fish here, great quality, and with no doubts I would try fishes from there (specially difficult species) if I had the opportunity.

Cthulukelele · Jan 26, 2023

I appreciate the honesty in this post. It's important to share the goods and the bads. I feel like most don't talk much about the challenging fish they lost getting the one that does well, and I think it gives new folks the idea that challenging fish aren't actually challenging it's just a perception people have. Sorry for your losses.

coral reeftank · Jan 27, 2023

I'm not sure how true it is, but my last CBB came direct from Australia and they ate frozen food and flakes within two days. I was told the Australian variety is much hardier, but they do cost more than your normal CBB.

Tamberav · Jan 27, 2023

Aparker2005 said:
So at not my best judgment, I'm really thinking about trying ONE Last time with a cbb.

The last 2 I ordered were medium sized. The first of the 2, did absolutely perfect and died completely randomly overnight. The 2nd, it seemed off from day 1.

Our first one though was small. It lasted the longest, and did the best until our Bellus Angel killed it. So I'm wondering if trying one last small one would be okay. Decisions, decisions

I have always been under the impression that over all the small ones come in worse shape as they have no fat reserves through the chain.

I know when I got mine from TSM, I ordered a small because that is all they had in stock, they even contacted me saying that they had trouble keeping the small ones alive and asked if they could send a larger one.

When you say order? Online or the LFS? Do they not normally stock them so you can just pick out a healthy looking one they have in stock at the time?

Why not just buy one from a supplier who conditions them and gets them eating?

Aparker2005 · Jan 27, 2023

Tamberav said:
I have always been under the impression that over all the small ones come in worse shape as they have no fat reserves through the chain.

I know when I got mine from TSM, I ordered a small because that is all they had in stock, they even contacted me saying that they had trouble keeping the small ones alive and asked if they could send a larger one.

When you say order? Online or the LFS? Do they not normally stock them so you can just pick out a healthy looking one they have in stock at the time?

Why not just buy one from a supplier who conditions them and gets them eating?

We've gotten most all of our fish lately from reef beauties. Absolutely wonderful condition. Only losses we've had have been the cbb. I'm beginning to think it's either just us or their supplier of them.

Aparker2005 · Feb 4, 2023

Alright folks, trying one last one from @NYAquatic . Hopefully this one is the winner and will eat aips as our other 2 out of 3 did

Aparker2005 · Feb 7, 2023

Amazing copperband from @NYAquatic just arrived. Extremely healthy looking. Fingers crossed this one does better than the previous ones. I'm optimistic. Saw them eating on their live stream Sunday. Have the same food.

jtf74 · Feb 7, 2023

Aparker2005 said:
Ours has already become my wife's favorite. If I can get it to start going to town on this aiptasia that's taking over, I'll be even happier. If we continue to have success with it, it's definitely a fish we will always have one of

Took mine about 3 weeks to notice- (sorry edit noticed this was old and had already said this)

Aparker2005 · Feb 7, 2023

Good thing is this new copperband is so big, it has had zero aggression from our foxface who usually chases new copperbands. I think that has stressed 2 of our previous 3 out to where they wouldn't hardly eat at first. This one is doing great so far, just exploring the tank.