Copperband Butterfly

[Timur]

I have an out of control aiptasia problem and I'm sick and tired of injecting kalk. My coralline is dying because of the paste. They are everywhere on the rock, glass even in sump. Yesterday I counted like 50 on one single rock
I cant find peppermints and berghia's here and no one wants to send them overseas. I have easy access to copperband (chelmon rostratus). Does anyone tried this fish for aiptasia in a reef. Can you share your experiences.
Thanks

By the way does anyone knows a good place that sells resting rotifers, phytoplankton culture and accessories on the net

[FLHT]

Timur,
www.garf.org
these folks recommend the copperband and
have some good info on the fish. You may want
to visit the site.
I too have an out of control aiptasia problem.
So I'm moving my main reef to the family room
and starting over.
I also gave up on the kalk paste, it killed all my
coraline algae, in fact I swear the more I use
the paste the more the aiptasia spread.
Good luck.

[julieanne399]

Hello, just wanted to say that I too had tried everything and what worked in the end was the Copper banded butterfly. It worked wonderfully and is a beautiful fish. I have had no trouble with it and I think I will keep it forever. It has been in my 100 gallon for just about a year now. The trick is to find one that will eat. I had to go through three before I got a good one. Good luck, Julie

[MontanaRocknReefer]

Julie you might be right about going through three to get a good one! My first copperband did not make it so may try a nudibranch instead. Johnny

[Timur]

Thanks for the replies. I hope the first copperband I buy starts eating aiptasias. No time to wait

[Doug1]

Another possibility is Cheatodon lunula, the racoon butterfly, reportedly eats aptasia and generaly a lot hardier than Copperbands, YMMV, just another option

[Timur]

Hey Doug, I never heard of them. But I'll make a research for it.
Thanks

[Doug1]

Check out http://www.ffexpress.com/setfish.htm
that should give you a pic and minimal adata to go on HTH

[npaden]

Doug,

I thought the racoon butterflies had a much higher disposition to eating LPS & clams than the copperbands. One of my LFS had one in their reef display tank and it ate several brain corals.

FWIW, Nathan

[Emprr_Angl]

i had a real bad infestation myself about 2yrs ago. i tried the kalk method, the tobasco sauce method, a copperbanded butterfly, a peppermint shrimp to no luck, nothing was killing them.

i ended up using the manual method, hehe. this meant everyday for about a week, i was using a screwdriver to grind them out from whereever they were and using a turkey baster or siphon so the gunk(eggs) didnt spread. right now i have one medium sized one under a huge sarcophyton. it hasnt spread, isnt damaging anything so he can stay there for teh time being.

[Allyson]

Luckily a peppermint shrimp worked for me ! On the other issue you might try these guys http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com

Good Luck!