Odd behavior from Copperband Butterfly

[Vox]

Hi all,

So we bought a Copperband Butterfly about 3 weeks ago. He's acting odd.

He's just living in the left hand back corner of the tank, and not moving from it. When he first moved in, he got majorly harassed by the powder blue tang, but that seems to have settled down now.

We pulled the whole rock structure apart, to create a new territory. We thought maybe he was frightened of the rocks because of the tangs. We left the rocks all pulled apart for a week, and have now recreated a new structure, but he seems reluctant to even turn around and look at it. He's still there, in his corner.

He's barely eating the food we put in the tank, but seems to be very happy to eat the pink soft coral. We didn't think they ate corals btw... We've put in nori (which the tangs eat of course), flakes, mysis shrimp and brine shrimp. We've soaked the shrimp in the garlic-y solution from LFS.

He doesn't seem frightened now, just content in his little corner...

Is this normal? Should we be doing something else? Is he just staring at his own reflection?

I'm attaching pic of the tank, pic of the fish and pic of the coral.

Thanks again all, for your wonderful input and advise!

 

[Zer0]

Not sure about your fish, sorry, but i know these are fish that have been known to nip at coral and should be put in reef tanks WITH CAUTION. It's no surprise he is eating your coral, especially since he isn't eating anything else according to what you've stated.

 

[Vox]

Well I should add that we bought him to eat the aiptasia. But he didn't even look at it. We've pulled the majorly infected rocks out this week, cause it was so prolific in the tank.

All he likes to do is look at his reflection in the tank....

 

[Mitchell0605]

Thats cause he's so beautiful. BTW how big is the tank and where are you in Australia? Nice tank also.

 

[ryshark]

I think he is stressed, try to find some Live Black Worms to feed it. You would be surprised that there are more LFS out there which do sell them than you would think. At least where I live. How many feet across is that tank?

 

[Vox]

Hi there!

We have a 4ft x 2ft x 2ft tank + 150L sump in the cupboard underneath.

Tank occupants are 1 flame angel, 1 naso tang, 1 power blue tang, 1 yellow tang, 1 B/W clown (who thinks he's a tang), 1 cleaner shrimp and 1 mysterious pistol shrimp.

Mitchell0605, we're in Sydney, in the Inner West.

I read somewhere to feed it some form of worms. I asked my LFS and they were totally against it and said that was only for fresh water fish?

 

[ryshark]

Hi there!

We have a 4ft x 2ft x 2ft tank + 150L sump in the cupboard underneath.

Tank occupants are 1 flame angel, 1 naso tang, 1 power blue tang, 1 yellow tang, 1 B/W clown (who thinks he's a tang), 1 cleaner shrimp and 1 mysterious pistol shrimp.

Mitchell0605, we're in Sydney, in the Inner West.

I read somewhere to feed it some form of worms. I asked my LFS and they were totally against it and said that was only for fresh water fish?

That LFS must not sell them then. There are plenty of people who feed their saltwater fish live black worms with no problems. This should trigger a feeding response in your copperband to hopefully eat other things out of the water column as well.
Did the same LFS which told you not to use live black worms tell you that a Naso Tang is ok in a 4-foot tank? Just curious.
Please consider finding a proper home for the Naso Tang. He is already 1/5 the lenght of your tank and will only get bigger. Maybe his stress is contributing the the stress of the CBB.

 

[thincat]

Your CBB is in the only territorial spot of your tank that the other Tangs are letting him have. The fights when you first got him was over What position he would be in the Pecking order...He lost and went to the only spot that he is allowed to have.

 

[FLFishFanatic]

He may be submitting to the other tangs and their territories by staying in that corner. Let nature work out and let them establish their territories; if you keep shifting rock you may also shift territories.

 

[melosu58]

We didn't think they ate corals btw

They are notoriously known for eating corals. Most Butterflies are. If he does make it he will wreck your reef. The dwarf angel is a prime suspect also.

 

[austinsdad]

My goodness!!!! 3 tangs and an angel were already in a 4 ft tank. You add the butterfly on top of that already overstocked tank. Ya know, I try real hard not to get stuck on that bandwagon about small tanks and oversized fish, I gotta say something about this setup.

Not one of those tangs belongs in a 4 ft tank alone. You've got 3. That copperband is scared to death.

What are your nitrate readings by the way?