copperbanded butterfly in reef tank?

goldy26 · 06/03/2013, 08:07 PM

wanted to get some input on this idea i've been running through my head. i was looking into a small copperbanded butterfly for my 60 gal reef tank (i know it will grow out of it) and i've gotten mixed reviews in my online research. some say it's easy to feed others say difficult. some so no with corals others say they've never had a problem. just wanted to see what everyone thought about the idea. thanks!

Gary Majchrzak · 06/03/2013, 08:12 PM

tip: research compatibility of species

Copperband Butterflyfish Primer

CBB = Chelmon rostratus (keyword in search)

goldy26 · 06/03/2013, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary Majchrzak

tip: research compatibility of species

Copperband Butterflyfish Primer

CBB = Chelmon rostratus (keyword in search)

thanks! that was actually really helpful!

CT Reefer · 06/06/2013, 04:34 AM

CBB's happen to be one of my favorites. Make sure you're getting one that is already eating Mysis or brine shrimp. Mine eats both, but live black worms send him into an eating frenzy.

Good luck

goldy26 · 06/06/2013, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CT Reefer

CBB's happen to be one of my favorites. Make sure you're getting one that is already eating Mysis or brine shrimp. Mine eats both, but live black worms send him into an eating frenzy.

Good luck

thanks for the heads up. i got him on tuesday and when i fed the tank that day, he was eating up the mysis shrimp. but he's been picking at the rocks and some of the algae growing on the back wall of the tank.

jimmyj7090 · 06/06/2013, 06:23 PM

If it is being hesitant about taking frozen food, I've had good luck feeding fresh clams from the grocery store to keep CBBs going until they do decide to take frozen. Take whole live clam and tap with hammer until shell breaks, then put the shattered clam in a short glass cup and put that in the tank for a few hours for feeding time, then remove.

I've used "little neck" / "count neck" clams, not sure how common they are on the west coast though?

goldy26 · 06/07/2013, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmyj7090

If it is being hesitant about taking frozen food, I've had good luck feeding fresh clams from the grocery store to keep CBBs going until they do decide to take frozen. Take whole live clam and tap with hammer until shell breaks, then put the shattered clam in a short glass cup and put that in the tank for a few hours for feeding time, then remove.

I've used "little neck" / "count neck" clams, not sure how common they are on the west coast though?

thanks, i'll have to see if the store has any of those. i'm probably going to try and make my own concoction of a variety of stuff to freeze and then feed with that so i can get my tank a range of nutrients. maybe he wasn't hungry, but yesterday he didn't take any of the shrimp. he still picks at the rocks and algae on the back wall though.

Hal · 06/08/2013, 04:45 PM

Try to feed him live blackworms regularly. CBB's are primarily worm eaters, and live blackworms are nutritionally fantastic for them. Keep him fat and happy with the blackworms and supplement with the other stuff as needed.

It's good news that he's eating mysis.

dviper150 · 06/08/2013, 05:36 PM

I have had mine for almost a month now in my Reef and I have yet to see it eat frozen or dry food I feed the tank. I guess it's been eating pods in the tank since it has a full belly. Doesn't bother any of corals and I have a mixed Reef. Just make sure it's eating at the store before you take it home. Mine was supposedly eating at the store but I never asked the guy to feed it in front of me.

goldy26 · 06/09/2013, 11:35 AM

so just an update i guess...he stopped eating the mysis, and i put in bloodworms only to watch him investigate and reject, HOWEVER, he LOVES brine shrimp. he has one and turns into the flash speeding around the tank to catch all of them. i've got primarily LPS, but a few others and he hasn't touched any of them. yesterday i saw him nipping at my star, but it was only when one of the arms was up and his little tentacles were out...i think he got confused and thought it was a bristle worm or something, but all is good now. thanks for the help everyone!

jimmyj7090 · 06/09/2013, 11:56 AM

I'd keep offering a variety. Brine is food, but it doesn't have much nutritional value.

goldy26 · 06/09/2013, 01:30 PM

yeah, i've got a mix that i feed the tank and all the other fish seem to enjoy it.

Gary Majchrzak · 06/09/2013, 03:13 PM

CBB's and Leopard Wrasses benefit a lot from using liverock (not DRY rock) when building your reef aquarium. A refugium helps, too. These fishes hunt prey 24/7 and can starve to death if only eating foods fed occasionally by the aquarist.

lostintheocean · 06/13/2013, 09:39 AM

I had one that ate frozen at the store but when I got him home in QT he stopped. i swapped out live rock covered in aptisia for a month or so and offered frozen daily, eventually he started eating frozen. They can be very hard to wean onto eating frozen and are very sensitive.

after getting comfortable in the tank he became the most aggressive feeder in there, made a snapping sound eating the frozen food floating at the top of the water. mysis, brine, blood worms, he ate anything in there. ate all the fan worms as well as a flame scallop.

had him for about 3 years and was an awesome fish, sad to say i lost him when I had to temporary move the tank to put in a floor.

06/03/2013, 08:07 PM	#1
goldy26 Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 33	copperbanded butterfly in reef tank? wanted to get some input on this idea i've been running through my head. i was looking into a small copperbanded butterfly for my 60 gal reef tank (i know it will grow out of it) and i've gotten mixed reviews in my online research. some say it's easy to feed others say difficult. some so no with corals others say they've never had a problem. just wanted to see what everyone thought about the idea. thanks!

06/03/2013, 08:12 PM	#2
Gary Majchrzak Team RC Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 41,560	welcome to RC! tip: research compatibility of species Copperband Butterflyfish Primer CBB = Chelmon rostratus (keyword in search) __________________ over 24 years experience with multiple types of marine aquarium systems see Upstate Reef Society Forum on RC and FB GOOGLE JUNIOR'S REEF Current Tank Info: 84x24x30 265g reef past TOTM honors

06/06/2013, 04:34 AM	#4
CT Reefer CTARS Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: In front of my tank Posts: 352	CBB's happen to be one of my favorites. Make sure you're getting one that is already eating Mysis or brine shrimp. Mine eats both, but live black worms send him into an eating frenzy. Good luck __________________ --------- 140 Gallon mixed reef. ACAN LEDs, Bubble King skimmer, GFO reactor, Tunze 7095 Controller w/turbelle pumps, Tunze Osmolator ATO w/kalk, 2 part doser (BRS), Digital Aquatics RKE. Current Tank Info: 140 gallon mixed reef, various grow out tanks

06/06/2013, 06:23 PM	#6
jimmyj7090 aka John K Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Sudbury Posts: 2,367	If it is being hesitant about taking frozen food, I've had good luck feeding fresh clams from the grocery store to keep CBBs going until they do decide to take frozen. Take whole live clam and tap with hammer until shell breaks, then put the shattered clam in a short glass cup and put that in the tank for a few hours for feeding time, then remove. I've used "little neck" / "count neck" clams, not sure how common they are on the west coast though? __________________ my reef ate my wallet Current Tank Info: 57G, RBTA's Zoa's and softies

06/08/2013, 04:45 PM	#8
Hal Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Longmont, CO Posts: 1,889	Try to feed him live blackworms regularly. CBB's are primarily worm eaters, and live blackworms are nutritionally fantastic for them. Keep him fat and happy with the blackworms and supplement with the other stuff as needed. It's good news that he's eating mysis. __________________ Some days it's not even worth chewing through the restraints. Current Tank Info: 250g starphire: 72x28x30, BeanAnimal drain with an oversized non-durso emergency drain, 4 inch DSB, 3x Reefbreeders Value LED fixtures, SWC/MSX 300A skimmer, Geo kalk reactor, 3 Vortechs w/bb, carbon reactor, and a RKL

06/08/2013, 05:36 PM	#9
dviper150 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: College Station, TX Posts: 2,799	I have had mine for almost a month now in my Reef and I have yet to see it eat frozen or dry food I feed the tank. I guess it's been eating pods in the tank since it has a full belly. Doesn't bother any of corals and I have a mixed Reef. Just make sure it's eating at the store before you take it home. Mine was supposedly eating at the store but I never asked the guy to feed it in front of me. __________________ When in doubt, always have a way out.

06/09/2013, 11:35 AM	#10
goldy26 Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 33	so just an update i guess...he stopped eating the mysis, and i put in bloodworms only to watch him investigate and reject, HOWEVER, he LOVES brine shrimp. he has one and turns into the flash speeding around the tank to catch all of them. i've got primarily LPS, but a few others and he hasn't touched any of them. yesterday i saw him nipping at my star, but it was only when one of the arms was up and his little tentacles were out...i think he got confused and thought it was a bristle worm or something, but all is good now. thanks for the help everyone!

06/09/2013, 11:56 AM	#11
jimmyj7090 aka John K Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Sudbury Posts: 2,367	I'd keep offering a variety. Brine is food, but it doesn't have much nutritional value. __________________ my reef ate my wallet Current Tank Info: 57G, RBTA's Zoa's and softies

06/09/2013, 01:30 PM	#12
goldy26 Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 33	yeah, i've got a mix that i feed the tank and all the other fish seem to enjoy it.

06/09/2013, 03:13 PM	#13
Gary Majchrzak Team RC Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 41,560	CBB's and Leopard Wrasses benefit a lot from using liverock (not DRY rock) when building your reef aquarium. A refugium helps, too. These fishes hunt prey 24/7 and can starve to death if only eating foods fed occasionally by the aquarist. __________________ over 24 years experience with multiple types of marine aquarium systems see Upstate Reef Society Forum on RC and FB GOOGLE JUNIOR'S REEF Current Tank Info: 84x24x30 265g reef past TOTM honors

06/13/2013, 09:39 AM	#14
lostintheocean Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: deep blue Posts: 467	I had one that ate frozen at the store but when I got him home in QT he stopped. i swapped out live rock covered in aptisia for a month or so and offered frozen daily, eventually he started eating frozen. They can be very hard to wean onto eating frozen and are very sensitive. after getting comfortable in the tank he became the most aggressive feeder in there, made a snapping sound eating the frozen food floating at the top of the water. mysis, brine, blood worms, he ate anything in there. ate all the fan worms as well as a flame scallop. had him for about 3 years and was an awesome fish, sad to say i lost him when I had to temporary move the tank to put in a floor.