Copperbands not for me

[sully08]

I guess I should listen and leave this fish to the reef pros. Tried to put one in my 8 month old tank and it died about 7 days into quarentine. Couple months later I tried another one and quarentined it for 2 weeks. He ate Mysis, looked really good, no signs of disease. I put him in my D.T and he was dead in 2 days, no idea why. I heard they were really hard to keep. Anyone had similar problems like this? All tank water tests were good.

[Reef Pilot]

What other fish do you have in your DT?

[Raven34]

Counting the ones lost at the lfs and in our tanks bet ya five out of a hundred make it to 3 years. 8 months or even a year is nothing to be proud about. I tried a couple and lost them dont feel bad. Expert fish to say the least and mostly a ocean fish.

[toytech]

Im in the same boat , had one it ate , and then it died in a few hours one day after having it for a few weeks. Ive got another small one in qt and hes yet to start eating well but hes starting to come around.

[intarsiabox]

I had one years ago, he was murdered (stabbed) by a yellow tang.

[Spiny]

same experience here. I had one for more than 6 months eating prepared food, and then one day he was nowhere to be found. As much as I love these fishes, they're best left in the ocean

[mike31154]

I purchased one as a newb as well. Watched him starve slowly. Sad. No idea why these are even for sale any more. Sure there are a few that make it, but the ratio is so insane, it's just not right.

[Mrfish55]

Not that I'm any expert but that is the one fish that won't survive past 6 months for me, and I think I provide pretty decent accommodations for them, I finally gave up, I'll go visit Marie's or Lances once a year to get my fix.

[Reef Pilot]

Sad to hear about the deaths. I have had three Copperbands now, and none have died on me. Currently I just have one, and he is happy as can be in my 100g with the other fish. He is just over a year old now.

The secret, I think, is quarantine for a long time (at least 2 months), and get them feeding well on a variety of foods. I got mine trained over to dry foods, and that's mostly all my current one eats right now. Still won't eat pellet or flake food, but loves his freeze dried Mysis and Plankton foods.

Yellow Tangs are especially nasty to new fish, and that was the toughest hurdle mine had to overcome when put in the display tank. But by strengthening him on food while in quarantine, he met the challenge quite well, and adapted quickly to the big tank and his new mates.

I have a few other butterflys in the same tank, and I think they seem to give each other some comfort, and he lost his timidity pretty fast with them around.

The Copperband is definitely my favorite fish.

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

Yellow Tangs are especially nasty to new fish, and that was the toughest hurdle mine had to overcome when put in the display tank. But by strengthening him on food while in quarantine, he met the challenge quite well, and adapted quickly to the big tank and his new mates.
.

You're yellow tang must not have been as ambitious as mine. Within 5 minutes of being introduced into the DT my copper band had over a dozen stab wounds from the tang and was dead before I could get him out. I guess they're called surgeonfish for a reason. That was the last yellow tang I ever or will ever own.