Copperband Butterfly -yes or no??

[gasman059]

Considering one for aiptasia control-(have tried pepps).
Anyways just to get a feel for what some others have tried and their succes with this guys. Nipping-feeding etc Thx in adavnce!

[thor32766]

my copperband has never looked twice at aptasia in 2 years. great in my reef tank, never had a problem with corals or clams.

[gasman059]

thx-anybody else

[BrianD]

My copperband (australian) picked my aquarium free of aiptasia and kept it clean.

[pnsnowboard]

my copperband ate every aptasia in my tank and he is very reef safe too i have 2 clams and he has never come close to nipping them or any corals

[Serioussnaps]

My copperband(who at 3 yrs. met his fate with a tunze) ate NO aiptasia.....peppermints did. I wouldnt get this fish for this reason, only because you want this particular fish.

Start with a smaller/smallish medium one, big ones may have developed habits in the wild of pecking at just about anything.

If you do decide to get one and it eats aiptasia, dont count on it surviving like this.

Piscene energetics mysis shirmp enriched with selcon

[jda]

Mine never at any. I had to use kalk on the bigger ones and all that I could see and the peps took care of the rest and kept them gone.

[BrianD]

I have a muelleri now, and it is also an aptasia hound.

[gasman059]

Well mixed reviews ahh. Anyways some of my club members have used them with succes, I'm still debating it- perhaps longer nights will help those lazy pep's to take care of the problem.

[gasman059]

My copperband (australian) picked my aquarium free of aiptasia and kept it clean.
No casualties! sps, zoos,clams
I have a muelleri now, and it is also an aptasia hound.
hey brian do u have any pics-and did u get them juvis?
I wouldnt get this fish for this reason, only because you want this particular fish.
Is there any other reason to have a CBB than aitasia, lol only kidding.
:p

[jda]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9637181#post9637181 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gasman059
Well mixed reviews ahh. Anyways some of my club members have used them with succes, I'm still debating it- perhaps longer nights will help those lazy pep's to take care of the problem.

Did you kill all of the big ones by hand? Sometimes they won't get to the bigger ones until last, if at all. There can also be many that you cannot see that they will get to first and stay hidden. It can take a while, especially if you only have a few.

[Doglover_50]

Don't own one, but looking, and I hear the big problem is starving on entry to tank. Sources on the ground (tank) tell me try to buy one already eating at an LFS.

[bigloggerhead]

I've heard that's the key as well. Make sure the one you purchase at you LFS is eating well. If you can get one that eats prepared foods he should survive. I love that fish too.

[b_mattias]

mine did not eat at the lfs, took 1,5 weeks to get it to eat from my hand. Ate all aiptasia also nips at my tubo snails alot but leaves all corals alone (sps, zoo....). I read somewhere that they nip less as they get older.

[gasman059]

^

[xravenzx]

Do they also eat tiny feather dusters? I'm considering getting one, but have a ton of tiny feather dusters that I'd hate to see get eaten.

[BrianD]

They will eat feather dusters like popcorn.

[BrianD]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9638227#post9638227 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Doglover_50
Don't own one, but looking, and I hear the big problem is starving on entry to tank. Sources on the ground (tank) tell me try to buy one already eating at an LFS.

I may have mentioned this on another thread, but the Australian variety is much easier to keep.

[BrianD]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9637208#post9637208 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gasman059
No casualties! sps, zoos,clams


I don't have any sps or clams. I haven't seen it pick at zoos, but I suspect it might have bothered some of them.

hey brian do u have any pics-and did u get them juvis?

No pics, it moves too fast :) I will try, however. It was probably 3-4 inches when I bought it, I don't know how old.

[HookedOnCoral]

Mine loves to eat aptasia... Id say yes but watch him closley

[Asuran]

mine was purchased not for aptasia control but i liked the fish... i picked the most aggresive one in the tank as it was going to be housed with tangs... it didnt eat and fortunately my tangs didnt car about it either.

after about 2 weeks it cleaned out all my feather dusters and then started to eat frozen mysis but left aptasia alone i took some joes juice to them... they came back but are gone now... so i assume its the CB.

also leaves all my other corals alone but will steal food from donuts, sun coral, blastos, brain, if not covered. and clams are left alone as well.

[gasman059]

No pics, it moves too fast I will try, however. It was probably 3-4 inches when I bought it, I don't know how old.
Thx man Looking forward!

[Sigmund]

Mine eats aipistai and is completely reef safe. Also have the Aussie version, pay the extra money for one, it's worth it to make sure you get a healthy specimin...

[grouper25]

I put a large one in my 220 with a purple tang and rock beauty. They both bullied him and I ended up returning him to the LFS. Dont dare if you have any territorial fish. I was just lucky to net mine as he cowered near the surface.

[Lo0seR]

Love mine, ate all my aptasia as well. He does nip a lot at everything coral wise but never really keeps going at the same piece I think it's more of a nervous habit type of thing. As far as getting him for just aptasia, you'll find if all goes well and he makes it in your tank this guy will be one of your favorite fish. O ya like someone said feed him Piscene energetics mysis shirmp and watch him "FREAK OUT", it's like a drug for these guys they never get enough.

[gasman059]

Tnx I'll wait for an aussie one then-
BTW Piscene energetics mysis shirmp where can I get some?

[gasman059]

^