My copperband and his dorsal fin raising attitude!

[Nordy]

I have this copperband and I really appreciate him. He’s pretty typical for a copperband, greets you at the front of the tank, follows you laterally to each side, and always acts hungry. Definitely gives you that warm feeling of having a new puppy. He’s got 4 roommates that swim his domain and they all just do their own thing. There’s plenty of room, frequent feedings, and a reefer whom is proactive to there care. I’ve done a little too much online browsing, and I’ve carefully chosen some corals that I feel I can successfully keep. I recently received a croc island button Scoly, it is hot pink magenta with cool electric lines of blue, dabs of purple and some green markings. After 2 days, it became my favorite coral, but the copperband likes it too. He hovers over it and takes a bite of it with his tweezer mouth, often. He enjoys to pick at certain snails in the tank too. After a meal I prepare him that doesn’t delight his finicky eating habits, ill watch him do this, as he arrogantly swims to another snail, despite my hands waving all over to dissuade an another attack. Should I get a bully fish to get on his nerves? Introduce some aptasia to stimulate his poking nature? He roams the entire tank, and he’s a good addition to what I keep. I’m just critical to his Scoly chomping and barely tolerant of his snail picking. Anyways, I’m mostly facetious and felt like some forum time after watching the copperband take a few too many Scoly bites as I finished all my Coronas today. But in all seriousness, besides removing a rebellious nuisance to the reef, is there anything I could do to help the Scoly and preoccupy the assailant?

 

[Fenral]

Long ago, I had one. I Ended up having to grow aphasia in my sump for him. But he/she might get distracted by live food long enough for the others to escape—at least mine did. To this day the tradition of the snacrafice continues - though I don't have anything so picky anymore.

 

[Nordy]

Long ago, I had one. I Ended up having to grow aphasia in my sump for him. But he/she might get distracted by live food long enough for the others to escape—at least mine did. To this day the tradition of the snacrafice continues - though I don't have anything so picky anymore.

Yea, sometimes I just want a varietal harem tank of clowns. There not jumpers, fun to watch, and hardy. Next go around.

 

[JoJosReef]

Happy to know as well!

 

[smitten with ocean life]

i took an extra guard for one of my power heads and pushed it down in the sand over the coral i wanted to save.(mine was a cynarina) . that way the light and flow could still get to it but the fish couldnt

 

[Seascapes]

i took an extra guard for one of my power heads and pushed it down in the sand over the coral i wanted to save.(mine was a cynarina) . that way the light and flow could still get to it but the fish couldnt

I just had to that with my prize cynarina. I just so happen to have a coral feeder i put on top. I've been feeding live black worms and mysis. I have noticed he's eating mysis pellets off the sandbed and pods. I don't see anymore aphasia which is a plus. I have another cynarina that was dying which he picks at. I lifted it off the sandbed. Trying to feed more putting food in the feeder waving it around so the butterfly will see the worms fall out. Mixing with frozen mysis he does pick out of the water column with the worms. I want to take the cover off the prize cynaria but I'm hesitant. He's also been eyeing my lobo. And he better not touch my scolys. Trying to get this copperband trained but if he doesn't come around I do have a fish trap to rehome

 

[Fenral]

I just had to that with my prize cynarina. I just so happen to have a coral feeder i put on top. I've been feeding live black worms and mysis. I have noticed he's eating mysis pellets off the sand bed and pods. I don't see anymore aphasia which is a plus. I have another cynarina that was dying which he picks at. I lifted it off the sandbead. Trying to feed more putting food in the feeder waving it around so the butterfly will see the worms fall out. Mixing with frozen mysis he does pick out of the water column with the worms. I want to take the cover off the prize cynaria but I'm hesitant. He's also been eyeing my lobo. Trying to get this copperband trained but if he doesn't come around I do have a fish trap to rehome

They are wonderful, awesome-looking fish. But it's not one I'd keep again Unless you feel like running an Aiptasia farm... as that and live brine where all I could get mine to eat... or my corals....

 

[Nordy]

Definitely enjoy how much my copperband swims in the front of my tank and interacts to what I do around him. He has backed off from Scoly nipping, but really gets worked up at feeding time. Goes after a lot of food, then spits most of it out, then goes to pick on the snails in his arrogant dissatisfaction of my food offerings. PE Mysis seems to be his preferred choice to sate his appetite and calm his ways.

 

[JoJosReef]

Definitely enjoy how much my copperband swims in the front of my tank and interacts to what I do around him. He has backed off from Scoly nipping, but really gets worked up at feeding time. Goes after a lot of food, then spits most of it out, then goes to pick on the snails in his arrogant dissatisfaction of my food offerings. PE Mysis seems to be his preferred choice to sate his appetite and calm his ways.

OMG, is that snail graveyard all your CBB?

 

[Nordy]

OMG, is that snail graveyard all your CBB?

lol, well some snails I’ve added have perished, but I kinda have a thing for Hermit crabs, and gave them lots of choices for future housing needs, and most of the shells seen are empties I purchased.

 

[simplety]

Long ago, I had one. I Ended up having to grow aphasia in my sump for him. But he/she might get distracted by live food long enough for the others to escape—at least mine did. To this day the tradition of the snacrafice continues - though I don't have anything so picky anymore.

 

[Seascapes]

Definitely enjoy how much my copperband swims in the front of my tank and interacts to what I do around him. He has backed off from Scoly nipping, but really gets worked up at feeding time. Goes after a lot of food, then spits most of it out, then goes to pick on the snails in his arrogant dissatisfaction of my food offerings. PE Mysis seems to be his preferred choice to sate his appetite and calm his ways.

Mine is eating black worms and starting to eat mysis from the feeder. Going to get him off the black worms. It still picking at my cynarina. And randomly messes with the snails. I don't want to rehome but I like my corals to live. I have to keep the cynarina under a coral cover which is getting annoying. He looks at the scolys but hasn't nipped at those while I'm around. Other than that it's a beautiful fish

 

[Nordy]

My copperband is a d*#+, I offer so many varieties of frozen food, my freezer is stuffed, and nothing sates his appetite like blood worms or Mysis. So I first get a couple varieties of premium fish food out and thaw the pieces in garlic and a vitamin supplement for all fishies. Turn off the pumps, toss it in so the copperband can get a nutritious bite to spit out, then I run up stairs to grab his preferred fair. Then I have to toss in his cube in the defroster feeder to preoccupy him, because the attraction and smell of food drives him nuts and he goes right to snail picking mode with previous food added. Luckily the food defroster is big enough for him to get his snail snipping mouth into the feeder and snip his appetite appeasing food preference I can readily provide. Other than being an angry fish to get fed, he is really great to watch in his tank. His coral picking has mostly stopped, but he does love to bite a snail, hover over it while it’s displaced, arrogantly display his dorsal fin as a message to me that my offerings need to be improved, and hastily swim in retreat to devise another snail assault. I’ve definitely had a few different experiences with copperbands, some readily eat, others need enticing tricks to take some food. I’m definitely trying my best to keep this finicky, petulant fish happy in his

reef!