Cooperband butterfly in a reef?

[hawk]

Originally Posted by littlesilvermax

Mine will attack clams with gusto!

So did you get rid of the clams or the fish?

[littlesilvermax]

Originally Posted by hawk

So did you get rid of the clams or the fish?

Had CBB in QT, put a clam in to see what would happen, within 4 secs he was trying to eat it, not just nip!

Took clam out and put under halide in my sump, then took rest of clams out of display and put in sump.

Then put CBB in display.

[michika]

Mine CCB is fine with clams, all of the giant types so far. It is also good with sps and lps. Mine eats frozin, flake, pellet, even nips at the nori. Sadly it can't be bothered to try the aptasia so he seems to be a dud in that department. Overally really beautiful fish!

[trilinearmipmap]

My CBB wiped out all my Aiptasia in short order. He then proceeded to eradicate all the pods in my tank. I feel this had a bad effect on the overall health of the tank. If I were doing it again I would't get a CBB.

He has not bothered any of my hard or soft corals or my anemones.

[michika]

Originally Posted by trilinearmipmap

My CBB wiped out all my Aiptasia in short order. He then proceeded to eradicate all the pods in my tank. I feel this had a bad effect on the overall health of the tank.

What happened? Did you see a visual difference? Can you describe the bad effects you saw?

[Doug]

Mine, {the one Ben now has}, cleaned out all my aiptasia. He also ate and type of fanworms and I would assume pods. I know this because my fat old mandarin started to lose weight.

The copperband also ate frozen mysis and other frozen foods. Then one day, {after 2 almost 2 yrs.} he started to nip at my crocea mantles. Never ate them that I could see. I ended up trading away, 4 of the most beautiful clams you have seen.

I then, {on the advise of several very experienced aquarists}, started to feed the copperband the supermarket fresh Manila clams. He ate them with gusto and it became his main food, besides some frozen. Those that have done this in their large show tanks, said this kept them happy and they lefy the ornamentals alone, {which I had a hard time understanding how it could tell the diff.}

When Ben was looking for a copperband, I gave him mine, {yes, he knew about its appetite for clams}, but we figured since these other aquarists had luck, he may leave Ben,s clams alone. As you can see, thats not the case, which is what I figured it would do. To me, a clam, is a clam, is a clam.

Would I put one in a reef aquarium again. I think not. Mine was a beautiful fish though and a superb fish to have. He was always in my hand, eating mysis or something and criused around in the open. As mentioned, I traded 4 beauties {clams}, so as to keep him. However just to hard on many of the tanks creatures. So I guess it depends on what ones wishes to keep. Mine never bothered any lps I had, by the way, only clams.

[trilinearmipmap]

Originally Posted by michika

What happened? Did you see a visual difference? Can you describe the bad effects you saw?

First of all my mandarin died. I had had the mandarin for about a year. It was eating pods and frozen mysis. I can't prove that the CBB caused the mandarin's death but a few months after getting the CBB my mandarin died for no apparent reason. I suspect starvation. Besides eating the pods the CBB is quite aggressive with the frozen mysis and the mandarin was a slow methodical eater.

Second of all my bubble coral died. The bubble coral was a 12" showpiece coral, my favourite coral in the tank. It was healthy and thriving. However I noticed the Copperband stealing mysis whenever I tried to feed the bubble coral. After a few months of this the bubble coral started to gradually recede and then die. Tank parameters and water conditions were fine, all the other corals were fine, and the bubble coral is a very non-demanding coral. Again I can't prove that the CBB is responsible.

I have also notice that over the past year my octobubble coral is in a slow decline and recession.

I used to see lots of pods in my tank, now I can only find them in the refugium. I feel that the pods are an important part of the clean-up crew. Coinciding with the loss of pods in my tank, I had an outbreak of a nuisance Anthelia infestation on my live rock. I suspect that the lack of pods contributed to an accumulation of nutrients and junk on the rock that encouraged the Anthelia growth.

Overall within 6 months or so of adding my Copperband I had a dead mandarin, a dead bubble coral and an Anthelia outbreak.

If the Copperband weren't so gorgeous I would get rid of him.

[michika]

Good stuff to note and watch out for.

Can I ask how big your CBB is?