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copper banded butterfly fish/apistasia(sp)
- Thread starter amber
- Start date
Amber -
I had a similar experience to Bob. My copperband wiped out the aiptasia but wouldn't accept other offerings, including fresh clams, shrimp, and scallops, and he eventually starved. I've heard of others having success with them but generally they seem to be pretty finicky eaters and a very risky purchase at best.
And Bob - I think my raving about my raccoon butterfly is getting excessive but if you're looking for an aiptasia eater, I'd highly recommend a raccoon over a copperband. They have a hardier reputation.
I had a similar experience to Bob. My copperband wiped out the aiptasia but wouldn't accept other offerings, including fresh clams, shrimp, and scallops, and he eventually starved. I've heard of others having success with them but generally they seem to be pretty finicky eaters and a very risky purchase at best.
And Bob - I think my raving about my raccoon butterfly is getting excessive but if you're looking for an aiptasia eater, I'd highly recommend a raccoon over a copperband. They have a hardier reputation.
I bought a copperband to deal with my aptaisia, he's been with me for about three months - finicky eater though he will eat clams mussels and brine shrimp + what he finds on the rock (it's a 240 gallon tank so he finds a lot) But, and it's a big but - he has never touched the aptaisia so I guess - not an ideal solution - I like him anyway so he's a keeper - any idea if a racoon and a copperband will co-habit? I tried the kalk thing and it's not going well, the aptaisia is too near a BTA and some prized corals.
My experience is about the opposite. My copperband wouldn't touch the aiptasia, but eats like a pig. Although the only food it loves is frozen mysis. I got this copperband a year ago last December and it was about the size of a quarter. Now it's bigger than my hand and my sailfin tang. The one or two aiptasia that pop up I blast with turbo calcium as the copperband doesn't seem to know what to do with them. I think that may be due to the small size it came in at my LFS. Mine too hunts all over the 180 and only once have I seen it take a bite at my derasa clam. The clam went back to the 120 and all is well.
my 180 ecosystem sps tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html
www.marshreef.org/members
my 180 ecosystem sps tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html
www.marshreef.org/members
Mine was similar. The first few days I didn't try any special feeding and it only at my pods. Then I tried live clam which it started eating. After 3 or 4 days of the clam it started eating blood worms, brine, and tubiflex worms. It is now starting to get the taste for mysis shrimp and hopefuly plankton down the road. I have had it for almost a month now.
It also eats the aiptasias.
It also eats the aiptasias.
Well, My experience is a little different I guess. I picked mine out at a LFS. I had them keep him for a week in the tank and I watched him eat on a couple occasions. I brought him home and he didn't want to eat for a couple days. He did however watch my Atlantic Blue Tang which was about his same size while he ate. Couple days and he was doing the same thing. I am sure he learned from the tang although I can't "teach" him to eat flake. He does eat mysis, brine and blood worms. I even have pictures of him eating right out of the turkey baster. Aside from all this he ate all the aiptasia in a little over a week. I have been happy with mine and think he is doing pretty well. He is freindly and if I put the baster in to blow things around he thinks he is going to get fed.
Good luck!
Good luck!
I bought a copper band about a year ago to take care of my aptasia and he did just that. I had I would guess about 100 and in about 6 weeks he had eaten them all. At first I did not think he was eating them but slowly they were gone. He seemed to be doing well for 6 months but all of a sudden quit eating and died. Right now I am looking to buy one locally as this is the type of fish I'd want to check out carefully rather than buy it over the internet. The reason I'm looking is that the aptasia is back again. Good luck!
Peppermint shrimp DO NOT work every time.
I have a copperband in my 135G SPS reef, and he's a great fish. It is not a fish for everyone however. It was very difficult to wean him onto frozen foods. He will eat frozen brine and mysis shrimp. He gets the bulk of his food from critters living in my live rock. I encourage aiptasia to grow in a 10 gallon tank, and put rocks in the 135 occasionally as a 'treat'.
I have a copperband in my 135G SPS reef, and he's a great fish. It is not a fish for everyone however. It was very difficult to wean him onto frozen foods. He will eat frozen brine and mysis shrimp. He gets the bulk of his food from critters living in my live rock. I encourage aiptasia to grow in a 10 gallon tank, and put rocks in the 135 occasionally as a 'treat'.
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