copperband butterfly compatibility

[netafish]

My tanks been going well now for quite a while and Im now starting to toy around with new additions... I've always liked the copperband butterfly. Ive been to a few sites and they each seem to have a different opinion from reef safe, to not reef safe. I have read that they can sometimes eat polyps and was wondering what type they will eat (I have a button polyp over population problem hehe) and if they will pick at/eat my flowerpot, maze brain, toadstool, or inverts. Anyways Ive noticed a few members on this forum have copperbands so I know it is possible and I really like them so my fingers are crossed here
If anyone has any advice or experiance with these fish including tank mates that are not compatible I would sure appreciate it .

camel shrimp
purple lobster
flowerpot coral
maze brain
toadstool
cinnamon clownfish
yellow tang
lawnmower blenny
hermits
lots of button polyps
xenia
all I can think of right now

cheers

[Brooke]

Hey netafish-

We've had a copperband since April. It is doing quite well..eating frozen seafood mush, mysis, and our LPS corals (possibly), bristle worms, aiptasia, and fan worms. Butterflies are reef safe to the extent that you put up with them eating what comes naturally. I didn't mind him eating the worms...that much. But I do suspect he is eating or nibbling at our LPS...but I've yet to really catch him in the act. That really bothers me, so he will be finding a new home in the FO as soon as we can catch him. Copperbands usually do quite poorly and acclimate slowly. Some never accept frozen foods.

I see a potential problem with the yellow tang in the tank. The colors and shape are close enough that the tang might not appreciate the similar company. An aggresive tang would drive the butterfly to hide and not eat..and that's not a good thing. We have a sailfin tang, who let the butterfly know that he was boss. Our tank is big enough that the butterfly had room to find its own territory. They still "play" chase occasionally, but that is it.

HTH...let me know if you have any further questions!

Brooke

[Sue Truett]

I have had a copperband in my 180 2 years come December. It was about the size of a quarter when I got it and it is the only one that made in this order from my LFS. Anyway, it will not touch my aiptasia so I blast them, it will eat the tiny fan worms, I have learned to give them up BUT it has not touch a sps coral and that makes it have a home for life. I have my clams also in this tank and as long as they are in the rocks they're ok but I can't place any clams on the sand bed or it'll hit them as soon as my hand is out of the tank.

The tank mates it has and has had are a sailfin tang, kole tang, a foxface{very yellow but diff. body shape}, a maroon clown a Potters angel and 4 blue reef chromis. These have always gotten along even after the recent addition of the foxface. HTH..

Forgot, mine eats and loves mysis shrimp and will eat frozen enriched brine shrimp. No flakes.

my 180 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html

[netafish]

the only real main concern for me would be my maze brain, flowerpot, fish, and my feather duster. If the copperband were to eat some of my polyps or mushrooms I wouldnt be that dissapointed, at all lol (the friggen things multiply like rabbits). as far as feeding them, Ive read that they can be picky and its sometimes hard to get them on frozen food, also what type of frozen food do they prefer?

Cheers

[Sue Truett]

Mine eats only frozen mysis shrimp, in fact that is what it was eating when I got it as a very tiny baby. Now it is easily the size of my hand excluding the snout. Mine also eats frozen enriched brine shrimp. It will not eats flake food of any kind. If you are going to try a copperband do be sure it is getting enough to eat. They are such a beautiful fish and can be stubborn to get to eat.

my 180 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html

[netafish]

well with all the biological stuff going on in the tank I think I would have to put the fish on a weight loss program lol I have pods galore, some aiptasia, possibly some camel shrimp larvae, bristle worms and then some polyps to boot. I think the only big concern about the fish would be about its slow accimilation to the water and the captive enviroment. As far as I know the copperband are all wild and there isnt anyone who breeds them (which sucks) oh one more quick question..... would a copperband get along with a flame angel cause I want to eventually get one.

cheers

[Brooke]

Our copperband eats mysis and frozen homemade mush (do a search for jerel's seafood mush) Ours is a mix of cod, shrimp, scallops, nori, etc, etc.

The butterfly should not bother a flame angel..keep in mind the flame angel is also questionable on it "reef-safeness". (is that a word?)

One tip...make sure you see the LFS feed the butterfly before you buy it. Ask them to feed it frozen mysis if they have it. If you see one that eats frozen mysis...buy it. If none of them eat, be prepared for a hunger strike.

Brooke

[Sue Truett]

I so agree with Brooke, DO make sure the LFS will feed the fish in front of you and make sure the fish eats, possibly every single mysis they put in the tank. I actually would count the copperband a bit safer in a reef than the flame angel. Although I have had great success with dwarf angels not nibbling on clams or sps corals. The compatibility between a copperband and flame should be no problem. My copperband came with a Potters angel and they are buds to the end.

my 180 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html

[Eddie G]

Hi Sue.
I've seen some compatibility charts that say the foxface is reef safe and some that say it is NOT reef safe.
Do you know if the foxface is reef safe?
Will it kill snails, crabs or shrimp?
Does it do a good job on algaes, including hair algae?
Thanks.
Eddie G

[netafish]

Eddie

from what Ive found, there are only 2 butterfly fish that can be kept with caution in the reef tank, the yellow longnose and the copperband all the other butterflys Ive seen are not reef safe. This is just from my experiance could be wrong.

Cheers

[Sue Truett]

Eddie, yes, the foxface is a cousin to the tangs/surgeon fish and in my experience is reef safe. I have 2, one in each tank so I have 2 times the norm. The one in my 180 is absolutely awesome in any kind of algae control. The one in my 120 is a bit different in that it only has some of the red turf algae and it won't touch that. I don't blame it. I am only saying that IME with these 2 foxface nothing has gone MIA and no sps or clams have been hurt in the addition of these 2 fish. They have not bothered any crabs, snails or anything. They both are model reef citizens. HTH.. let me know...

my 180 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html

[Alice]

Very good info about the copperbands, nothing I can add as I've never kept one.

What struck me was that you have a lobster. How big is it? I've seen a lobster that had grown to good size in someone's tank and then started munching on it's tankmates. I saw it eat an eel and a small lion fish first hand.

Alice

[netafish]

Ive got a purple lobster hes about 4.5 inches or so seems pretty mellow just hangs out in his cave doesnt seem to bother the other fish. The worst thing he really does is chase a fish out of his cave. There could be more to it but I doubt it. Just like shrimp there could be different temperments not too sure though. My lobster has never eaten a fish before but he did take a nice chunk out of the original owner when he tried to pick it up LOL.

Cheers

[Alice]

Ouch!

A little butter, a little garlic....