Copperband Butterfly Help

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Hi everyone,

I recently baught a CBB and put him in my display. He was really active from the start swimming everywhere and nipping things off the rocks. This went on for a few days but now he is glass surfing. Just one spot where he swims up and down up and down.

Is this a sign of stress? Should I take him out and put him in a QT tank, treat it with stress quard and make sure he is eating properly first?

Any other advice?
 
Hmmm I saw some white spots on his two transparent fins, guess I am looking at a WS situation as well. Preparing water for a WC and QT setup
 
No not as far as i can tell. I have had him for two days. He has made frieds with the foxface and goes everywhere he goes. I put some brine in and the fax ate it. I think he might have gotten one shrimp. I actually turned my skimmer off and added some stressgaurd to the tank. He returned to normal behaviour for an hour or so and then he started glass surfing again on the same spot.
 
Getting him eating should be a priority. A starving fish can't fight off disease and infection.

Live brine shrimp isn't very nutritious, but is better than nothing and can be mixed with a little other food once you get him eating it. You might have to feed a bit more than usual to make sure the foxface doesn't eat everything. And then up your maintenance to make sure your water quality stays good.

I QT new fish not so much for disease (although it helps I guess) but rather to make sure the new fish eats without worrying about competition. It also helps getting them used to you and your routine.

Catching a fish once it's in the display is stressful to it and the other fish, but if doesn't start eating something you could consider as a last resort. Or if he definitely starts showing signs of disease. Preparing a QT tank in the mean time might be a good idea, even if (hopefully) it's not needed.
 
Remember, the last time he had a proper meal, could very likely be when he was still in the ocean. So he might not have eaten properly for a long time.
 
Ok I tried Seachem's Entice to maybe get him to eat. Nothing. He is picking at the rocks the whole time and then he goes back to his fav pane of glass and does the up down mamba. Takes a break to go hunt then back again. Esp with the lights on.

The LFS that sold him to me said he was eating brine but also distroys aptasia. So they braught me some aptasia. My question is: Since I am struggling my ass off to catch him and put in a QT tank. Is it worth introducing aptasia into the sup as a food source for him?

I feel this is not justified becuase that might end up endroducing aptasia and he dies or just doesnt eat it.

Thaughts?
 
I've tried Entice a few times, but no fish I tried it with was ever more interested in what I'm feeding them because of it. Fish have very different diets, so I'm not sure one product could cater for all species. But it was worth a shot I guess. Have you tried live brine shrimp? Or only frozen? Any other types of food, like frozen mysis or clam?

As long as he's not looking sick and still picking at the rocks, rather leave him in the tank instead of stressing him by trying to catch him. He might be finding enough to eat to sustain him in the mean time. I don't know the nutritional value op aiptasia, but would image he'd need a lot of it to stay healthy if it is all he eats long term, so probably not ideal if you don't want a tank full of it. I'd rather keep looking for something he might eat.

About the swimming up and down - does he not perhaps only do it while you are watching? I've got a wrasse that does that whenever I'm in the room. As soon as I leave and watch him from where he can't see me, he goes back to foraging for food and generally acting normal. In my case I suspect he learnt that I'm the hand that feeds him.
 
I've tried Entice a few times, but no fish I tried it with was ever more interested in what I'm feeding them because of it. Fish have very different diets, so I'm not sure one product could cater for all species. But it was worth a shot I guess. Have you tried live brine shrimp? Or only frozen? Any other types of food, like frozen mysis or clam?

As long as he's not looking sick and still picking at the rocks, rather leave him in the tank instead of stressing him by trying to catch him. He might be finding enough to eat to sustain him in the mean time. I don't know the nutritional value op aiptasia, but would image he'd need a lot of it to stay healthy if it is all he eats long term, so probably not ideal if you don't want a tank full of it. I'd rather keep looking for something he might eat.

About the swimming up and down - does he not perhaps only do it while you are watching? I've got a wrasse that does that whenever I'm in the room. As soon as I leave and watch him from where he can't see me, he goes back to foraging for food and generally acting normal. In my case I suspect he learnt that I'm the hand that feeds him.

Hmmmm, I have tried frozen mysis and brine, pellets small and micro, dry brine and mysis. I thought of using live brine but need to find some somewhere first.

As for the glass thing. No it seems he always does that like compulsive behavior. If I put a net there to scare him away from that corner he goes and forages. As soon as he sees the net does not move he is back in that corner. I does do that more frequent when the lights are on.
 
Where do I get clam? I have also read they might take some nori, So far I have not seen my CBB eat that. Speaking of Nori, are there not cheaper alternatives than paying R200 for a bag at the LFS?
 
Nori from the Asian section in most food stores, Pick n Pay, Food Lovers, etc. Copperbands are carnivores though, so though they might take some, it won't be their main food.

Frozen clam from fish stores, then just chop it in a food processor. Fish* go nuts for clam.


(*all mine does, but I don't have a Copperband)
 
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The other problem I have is that the other fish are so greedy they shomp anything that hits the water. I tried making a feeder tube and all this does is make the fish swarm the pipe and fight each other. The cleaner wrasse is small and just swims inside te tube and ravages everything making the other fish fight over what ever drifts out.
 
That's where live brine shrimp might help. It'll survive in the water until something gets it, so if you release it into your rock work, it might get away from the others long enough for the copperband to get it. Maybe try releasing the brine shrimp while feeding the other fish something else
 
Where do I get clam? I have also read they might take some nori, So far I have not seen my CBB eat that. Speaking of Nori, are there not cheaper alternatives than paying R200 for a bag at the LFS?
Sushi restaurant
 
Ok Update.

I finally caught the bugger, he is in QT with some aptasia. I set up the QT as follows. All the water straight from the DT and a sponge filter that was running in my DT sump with an airstone. All sides are covered with black vinal apart from the front. Bare bottom.

Shoul I put anything in that he can hide in? From what I saw in the DT he doesnt really hide?

Put some stressgaurd in. I saw him eat the aptaisia. Tomorrow i will start with entice in the DT and try some shrimp.
 
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