Too small of a Copperband?

[Mike Murphy]

LFS has a very small Copperband Butterfly for sale that is about 2 inches from snout to tail. They have had it for about 1.5 weeks and it is very active and eating.

Should I be concerned with one this small? My gut tells me take a chance.

My bio load is minimal and my 55 is an established reef tank that is about 2.2 years old, lots of Caulerpa and live rock.

Tank mates would be 1 blue damsel, two percula, 2 manderin gobies.

Only inhabitant I might be concerned with is the damsel if he decides to bully him or the serpent star which has a central disk about the size of a 50 cent piece and I have had some small fish several months back that dissapeared.

Comments?

[Hop]

With two mandarins in a 55, I would absolutely say no. They CBB is hard enough to keep without giving it that type of food competition... Plus the damsel may harass it into hiding until it dies.

[crvz]

Like Hop says, this fish is notorious for not feeding in captivity. If there is not a lot of live food available, your likelihood of success drops quickly. And another risk is that you'll starve out the mandarins as they compete with the copperband (though I don't know that they necessarily eat the same critters).

[Mike Murphy]

I'm more worried about the damsel than the manderins. I have actually seen them eat frozen brine shrimp after it settles to the bottom. They are not waht I would call fat but they are healthy and I have had them for 1.5 years.

Probably should not hurry things though. Getting the 125 ready for setup anyway.