"Reef Safe" butterflies

Engloid

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The only time I have lost a cover band butterfly was when I tried to put one in a frag tank. I dont think I had enough copepods to keep it alive.
 
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The only time I have lost a cover band butterfly was when I tried to put one in a frag tank. I dont think I had enough copepods to keep it alive.
Yea for sure I always make sure all my fish are eating at the store before I get them. I also am aware they should be fed multiple times a day too thrive. In general I usually feed in the morning when the lights come on (11am) then again around 2, then 4, then 6 then lastly at 8 or so. Therefore they get fed 4-5 times a day!
 

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if the fish were to depend solely on shrimp and human feedings, I dont know how many yimes a day it would need feeding. I know pet stores typically feed often and my lfs said they usually only live a few weeks if they dont get sold. Good luck. I think you have enough info to be able to keep one healthy.
 

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You can always try using some Masstick to help supplement feedings or possibly get a reluctant eater feeding. It's great because you can stick it to a rock and put it in a location that the fish feel more comfortable feeding. My fish love it. I don't have a copperband, but lots of people swear by it to get them to start eating.
 

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Or You Can get this one Like me, but you must be OK with a little harmless nipping

32966924771_995864a91d_h.jpg

Had one. Within 20 minutes in the tank he ate every last zoa I had.
 
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Had one. Within 20 minutes in the tank he ate every last zoa I had.

Yea after doing more research, I've decided on a Copperband Butterfly.
It will work best in my tank size, and be best with the other fish and corals I have. From what I've heard/read copperbands are one of the safest butterfly's for a reef tank.

That being said I've heard they do especially love to eat Scolies and other types of brains. Which I currently don't have any type of those LPS! My tank is 75% SPS, the other coral consists of a small Zoathind rock, small Mushroom rock, and 2 frogspawn.

My LFS has a copperband I'm going to check out sometime this week. Fingers crossed it's a good eater! I'm also going to be putting it through QT until I'm 100% sure it's eating good before I put it in the DT.

As it goes for other fish I currently have a royal Gramma, and 2 ocellaris clowns. I do plan on adding a few small gobies, a tailspot blennie and probably 1-2 other types of smaller species. From my experience with these other fish they're not aggressive eaters so that should help the copperband with eating habits.

If anyone has any other suggestions for me, or experience with copperbands I'd love to hear it!
 

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Yea after doing more research, I've decided on a Copperband Butterfly.
It will work best in my tank size, and be best with the other fish and corals I have. From what I've heard/read copperbands are one of the safest butterfly's for a reef tank.

That being said I've heard they do especially love to eat Scolies and other types of brains. Which I currently don't have any type of those LPS! My tank is 75% SPS, the other coral consists of a small Zoathind rock, small Mushroom rock, and 2 frogspawn.

My LFS has a copperband I'm going to check out sometime this week. Fingers crossed it's a good eater! I'm also going to be putting it through QT until I'm 100% sure it's eating good before I put it in the DT.

As it goes for other fish I currently have a royal Gramma, and 2 ocellaris clowns. I do plan on adding a few small gobies, a tailspot blennie and probably 1-2 other types of smaller species. From my experience with these other fish they're not aggressive eaters so that should help the copperband with eating habits.

If anyone has any other suggestions for me, or experience with copperbands I'd love to hear it!

Ironaically. I just bought one today. A very large one. He's about 6". He was eating at the store, so I put him in QT with a bunch of royal grammas I also bought. I've had several in the past, unfortunately, a parasite took them all out. They do like to graze a lot and it copepods.
 
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Ironaically. I just bought one today. A very large one. He's about 6". He was eating at the store, so I put him in QT with a bunch of royal grammas I also bought. I've had several in the past, unfortunately, a parasite took them all out. They do like to graze a lot and it copepods.
Good luck with yours! Let me know how it does for you. I do usually feed multiple times a day so that side of things should be good. I also am positive I have a TON of pods throughout my system!
 

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You don't have to have pods for CBB if you can get them eating well. Mine holds his own against a bunch of boisterous wrasse and gets plenty to eat. Due to the wrasse pods in my tank are rarer than honest politicians.

You can build devices that take advantage of their long mouth parts to allow them to get to food the other fish can't if your worried.
 
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You don't have to have pods for CBB if you can get them eating well. Mine holds his own against a bunch of boisterous wrasse and gets plenty to eat. Due to the wrasse pods in my tank are rarer than honest politicians.

You can build devices that take advantage of their long mouth parts to allow them to get to food the other fish can't if your worried.
Thanks for the info!
I have had a yellow long nose in a fish only tank in the past (so I'm used to feeding requirements on butterflies with longer mouths), and kept it super fat and healthy for 2 years until I lost almost every fish to a very bad outbreak of ick...
 

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Yea after doing more research, I've decided on a Copperband Butterfly.
It will work best in my tank size, and be best with the other fish and corals I have. From what I've heard/read copperbands are one of the safest butterfly's for a reef tank.

That being said I've heard they do especially love to eat Scolies and other types of brains. Which I currently don't have any type of those LPS! My tank is 75% SPS, the other coral consists of a small Zoathind rock, small Mushroom rock, and 2 frogspawn.

My LFS has a copperband I'm going to check out sometime this week. Fingers crossed it's a good eater! I'm also going to be putting it through QT until I'm 100% sure it's eating good before I put it in the DT.

As it goes for other fish I currently have a royal Gramma, and 2 ocellaris clowns. I do plan on adding a few small gobies, a tailspot blennie and probably 1-2 other types of smaller species. From my experience with these other fish they're not aggressive eaters so that should help the copperband with eating habits.

If anyone has any other suggestions for me, or experience with copperbands I'd love to hear it!

Good Luck With the copperband and please update us when you get it. I have seen many in full blown reefs without any issues
 

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I've had a CBB in a 90G reef for about 6 months at this point and she's been a model citizen. That said, as others have indicated, the key is finding one that's eating good and giving them time to adjust. I put mine through QT and the extra alone time has really helped, she's now a voracious eater and even holds her own with the others at dinner time (which is one a day by the way). good luck! ;)
 

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I know for sure I can have 2 butterfly's in a 60 gallon. I'd like to have more but I'm not sure if that's possible.

I am not sure how you "know for sure" you can have 2 butterflies in a 60 gallon - but that is not true.

I don't know of any Butterfly really (other than a Pealscale that requires a 75 gallon) that requires less than a 125 gallon.

A Copperband requires a 125 gallon for a reason - they are extremely shy fish and are difficult to maintain - the extra added room gives it room to be by itself.

Do not get any butterfly and stick it in a 60 gallon tank - period!
 
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ncaldwell

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I had a CB that was eating mysis well in Qt bit when I put him in the display he started eating the pods and forgot he liked mysis. I had to retrain him with blood worms and brine so look out for that
 
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I am not sure how you "know for sure" you can have 2 butterflies in a 60 gallon - but that is not true.

I don't know of any Butterfly really (other than a Pealscale that requires a 75 gallon) that requires less than a 125 gallon.

A Copperband requires a 125 gallon for a reason - they are extremely shy fish and are difficult to maintain - the extra added room gives it room to be by itself.

Do not get any butterfly and stick it in a 60 gallon tank - period!
A copperband will be good in a 60 Gallon... and I meant I know I can for sure have 1 not 2. I've put in a ton of time researching this fish and have seen many people successfully keep them in 50-60 gallon tanks.
I'm also not going to be keeping aggressive along with it that force it to hide and not eat....
 

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A copperband will be good in a 60 Gallon... and I meant I know I can for sure have 1 not 2. I've put in a ton of time researching this fish and have seen many people successfully keep them in 50-60 gallon tanks.
I'm also not going to be keeping aggressive along with it that force it to hide and not eat....

Wrong!

If you actually did to a ton of research you would know that every reputable place states that the Copperband needs at least a 125 gallon tank.

AT LEAST/AT A MINIMUM!

Just because you may have seen some people "successfully" keep them in a 50-60 gallon tank - does NOT make it right - nor is it in the best interest of the fish.

These are not stamps - these are living animals with feelings, etc.

Listen to the people who know - and not some self-serving people to did the wrong thing and put these fish in a too small aquarium.
 

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