YES or NO: The Beautiful Copperband Butterfly Fish for Your Reef Tank?

[Reefer Reboot]

When I first got mine, he was a picky shy eater. Although I saw him eat in the LFS when he was with other CBBs, he was a little intimidated at first in my DT. I used to rotate different types of food for my other fish but found that the only thing he would eat was Mysis shrimp. Trying to feed him, and only him, with Mysis shrimp was impossible. The others would just swarm in and take it all. Well that just wasn't going to do. How do you take a vacation with fish that won't eat flakes and pellets out of an automatic feeder?
So to make sure he got his fair share of food I made a typical CBB feeder out of a clear closed bottom plastic tube that has several small holes melted through it (soldering iron for no sharp edges) just big enough that only he can get into the feeder. Then I mixed all the different fish foods I had (frozen, flake, pellet, Masstick,) along with some fresh chopped up mixed seafood (which included clams, squid, shrimp, mussels, oysters, scallops)..... just anything I could think of. I even put in some Reef Roids, Reef Chili and other coral foods for good measure. Ground it up into small enough bite sized pieces for the CBB and froze it into cubes.
Now when I drop one of these into the feeding tube the other fish know they have to wait for the CBB to come pull it from the tube. So now he's everyone's best friend.;Drool The best part is that now he will eat flakes from an automatic feeder. So vacation here I come....(DANG you Covid!;Mask)... well maybe not yet.

Awaiting the "Lord and Master" to arise from the deep.

"May we have another bite sir?"

 

[FishPersonFL]

I must have gotten lucky with mine. He eats bigger pieces of frozen food from water column, and more than any of my other fish. He wasnt that way at all when I got him. I got him to eat fresh clams, then live black worms and he just started going crazy for a certain frozen food when the day before he didn't care for it too much other than occasional taste.
I would say not for beginners at all. Only advanced maybe 'intermediate'. As I did have to do some tricking to get him to eat it seems. And he did get a disease that he got passed, etc. THis is also not my first one. I lost a few others before !. Due to disease from seller mainly.

 

[mvbrandt]

LFS tried to sell me one as my first fish in the new build, because they knew I understood husbandry and they had a specimen who'd been there two months and was fat / happy / eating flakes and pellets.

I chickened out. I regret that I did, because he ended up at one of their service accounts and is doing great, and my tank's been a model situation. But I also don't think you could ever convince me to "try" one that didn't exist in a similar state - eating frozen AND prepared foods, fat, calm, and months-store-quarantined.

 

[VetReefer]

I went with other Because if you find one that Eats well you're good to go. Doesn't take a expert if the fish is already eating

 

[mindme]

I would love to have one, but I didn't pull the trigger because I have a lot of LPS and at this point my tangs would likely kill it.

 

[lba4590]

I bought my CBB when my tank was only 3 months old - first saltwater tank BTW! More important than the experience level of the keeper is the health of the fish, good QT, and patience.

Mine was eating at the LFS but I had to “train” him to really eat aggressively vs just picking at the food. Spent 2 months in quarantine battling a bad bacterial infection, almost lost him. But he’s now thriving (had him about 5 months now) and is a super aggressive eater. I do have to feed him frequently and he does pick on corals, definitely my most demanding fish in terms of care, but my very favorite fish I own!

 

[N1Husker]

I’ve had my CBB for about 4 yea and I have never had any problems with him eating, he’s a pig. He wiped out all of my aiptasia and those little white feather dusters that we taking over the tank. He has been the boss of the tank fot more than four years. He survived a bout of ich and a low oxygen event, but he’s a great fish. I know not all of them are successful in an aquarium, but I was lucky and got a good one.

 

[Curleymon]

 

[Larz_1]

I’ve had my copperband (Penny) for 4-5yrs now.
She is my favorite fish in the tank.
(But don’t tell the others.)

The #1 thing to succeed with them is to get one that is already eating.

I tried 2 others from my LFS before without success .... they just never ate.
I told myself - One more try and that’s it. The last one I ordered from Divers Den and she was eating frozen brine two minutes after going into the tank.

Here she is with my Regal Angel (Louie).

 

[Ratsinmyhead]

Shout out to @New Wave Aquaria I got my cbb from them over a year ago. Don’t know where they source from but they said the cbb’s were eating frozen, and no doubts showed me in store. I guess I would say available for anyone as long as they are eating. I did have white worms on hand because I also like to feed some live food, but they were never needed. Model citizen that is first in line when any food hits the water and not shy at all. I had to make a choice between the fish or getting a clam. Figured I would have better luck with the fish. But still would love a clam. Just think it would be an expensive treat.

 

[speedstar]

I loved mine but he was short lived, he was eating pretty well but I assume not very strong. Went to sleep below this pump and I woke up to him like this. I want another but they seem pretty hard to come by in my area eating. The only reason I have a pic is cause I was at work and my wife sent it, not sure what to do.

 

[Willylumplump]

You can keep one, but will probably kill a couple before you get one that you have to hand feed daily. Beautiful fish. Expect it to be a chore, if it’s not count yourself lucky.

 

[Sherwin]

I had a Copperband juvenile in my "new" tank along with a Yellow Hawk, and a Gem Tang. At first it seemed very happy and was actively swimming around. Then I noticed it wasn't eating and stayed on the other side of the tank while my other fish ate. I tried everything. Finally got live blackworms from a shop 40 min away and I watched him eat 2. Or at least I think he did. The next day, he wouldn't eat the worms and it was painful watching him deteriorate over the following week. But while he was in my tank, I really loved the fish.

 

[Bigdog12b]

I have tried a couple over the years without success. I recently decided to try one more time and have had great luck with this one so far. I’ve had it about 8 weeks and it’s doing well and eats like a pig. I have 4 large tangs in the tank that I have had for years. It did take a week for him to try even a mussel with me feeding by hand as he hung out in the corner by the overflow. After a couple more days he started to eat LRS out of my hand and then frozen mysis. He’ll now grab small pellets and even try flakes. He loves to be hand feed and I can’t put my hand in the tank without him nipping me even when I’m just doing maintenance. It’s not the norm and I’ve been doing this for years. I hand feed him evtday to make sure he is not missing out to the more aggressive eaters in my tank. If you want one it’s a commitment.

 

[Fish man]

I would say they are not for the beginner. I've had mine for a couple of years. If you don't normally quarantine you should with this fish, if for no other reason then to get it eating well before you introduce it to you DT. I started mine on live black worms. I started introducing frozen mysis and eventually he converted. Only after he was fully content with mysis did I put it in my main display tank. At first he stayed on the back during the usual feeding frenzy so I would turn off all my pumps, feed the rest of the mob in the front of the tank and then target feed it in the back with a turkey baster. Eventually he came around and now he's right in the pack with the rest of 'em. I get clams on the half shell and rubber band a screen over them so the other fish can't get at it. Clam's are like Copperband crack! Aside from the diet they seem pretty hardy. It never bothers any corals

 

[Curleymon]

I got my current CB as a small juvenile from my LFS. When I watched it interact in the tank it was in, I knew it was a keeper. The CB was very curious and would actually come towards you and did not shy away when approaching. It was the first fish in my tank. I started it on clams but quickly moved to frozen Mysis Shrimp and then to dried Mysis. CB is with other fish that are twice its size and it stills competes for food. My family loves that CB and has some of the best personality towards all of us. No fear. Not all CBs are that way and my best advice is find one with the right personality and preferably small. I think that is part of what is meant by Expert. You have to know a good fish when you see it.

 

[Splee]

I don't think you need to be an expert to care for one, you just need to be willing to put in the time to care for it. I work in a fish store and have cared for dozens in the short term, I've only kept one long term in my home aquarium. You just have to experiment with the batches you get and find something that particular one likes. The most success I've had is with clams and mysis shrimp but different worms are also worth trying. Putting them into a tank with other healthy active eaters is a good way to entice them to eat, seeing other fish eating and shredding the clams into smaller pieces makes it easier for them. Stay away from fish that are going to be bullies like large tangs. Tangs smaller than the CBB are usually fine in my experience.

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

My two cents:

Getting a Copperband Butterfly Fish to Eat

Hey All, I've been really enjoying getting back into this hobby. I do like a challenge. Probably why my wife isn't on board, lol. Anyway, copperbands are definitely my favorite fish of all time! I had one about 20 years ago for about ten years. That one took to eating frozen mysis and after a...

www.reef2reef.com

Basically anyone can have a good chance of success with these if they are willing to try a variety of foods these fish are known to eat (live and/frozen black worms, live grocery store clams, frozen mysis, etc), if buying a big enough one (but not too big either, if wild), and if not throwing in a tank of crazed tang murderers or other bullies...

 

[landlubber]

I went with other Because if you find one that Eats well you're good to go. Doesn't take a expert if the fish is already eating

exactly.
i'm also other as if its readily taking mysis and isn't emaciated i don't see why it wouldn't succeed.

 

[Abhishek]

These were my rare bonded pair . Lost them in the big tank move last year after keeping for 3-4 years . Took me a lot of trial and error to pair them and was featured in masstick videos by Coralvue

You never ever keep a reef tank with a butterfly !!!

I remember turning down an offer for a trade of JF Jolt and JF Homewrecker colonies for theM .. I would have never ever traded them