Saltwater & Reef

Hara · 06-13-2003, 10:46 PM

I am looking for your personal experiences with CBB's.
I am aware of the difficulty of them eating...what I am
interested in is whether or not they are coral nippers,
feather duster eaters, clam munchers.

Of course I am reading that they are reef safe, to
reef safe with caution...that is why I am asking for your
experiences.

ReefRaff · 06-13-2003, 10:54 PM

I couldn't get mine to eat anything at all. He died in about one month.

sokhamik · 06-14-2003, 05:09 AM

same with me.. i read somewhere that they sometimes nip at corals.. they "thrive" in well-established reef environments.. i tried to get mines to eat clams but i think he was stressed when i bought him... i was going to get another that looked like it wasn't stress because it was eating at the fish store.. they're so beautiful it's hard to resist.. but i'm just going to wait a while before i take that risk again..

miller_time · 06-14-2003, 05:37 AM

I had no problem with mine nipping at corals, but like has been stated I couldn't get mine to eat. I've heard that to induce them eating you can put a partially opened oyster/clam in the tank, but I never tried it. If you can find one at your LFS that accepts food, you should be all set

ReefRaff · 06-14-2003, 06:54 AM

one thing I forgot to add. When every I feed the tank, the CBB looked like he was scared of the floating food, and would hide under a rock. o'well live and learn, they may be best left in the wild

06-14-2003, 07:01 AM

You what is really strange to me, is, I have two books readily available to me right now and one says they are real hardy fish and the other says they aren't. Wierd.

Hara · 06-14-2003, 10:31 AM

that is not weird, it is par for the course. That is the same with the net info on the fish. That is why I was asking for personal experiences..the information available is just so darn contradictory.

sokhamik · 06-14-2003, 01:04 PM

i've read so many internet articles that says a CBB is one you should leave alone.. fish 'n chips said not to get it.. but next time i see one that is already eating i will definately purchase it

Hara · 06-22-2003, 10:12 PM

a little update on the feeding habits of a well adjusted copperband butterfly..they eat tiny feather duster clusters. What I didnt get with the toothbrush on accident, it has managed to find. They will also pick at nass snails.

ReefRaff · 06-22-2003, 10:17 PM

Found one that eats huh? Well congrads. they are beutifull fish.

d9hp · 06-22-2003, 10:53 PM

Cool, I have one as my background on my new dell. It is being followed by about 10 of the exact same yellow tang, weird huh?

Hara · 06-26-2003, 01:17 PM

This guy is all over me whenever I put my hand in the tank. He tries to "hover" in the palm of my hand. It is always in the front, right in your face at the glass. Yesterday we got an invert package in from saltwaterfish.com and I had gotten a CBS....he is trying to get the shrimp to clean him, be his buddy or something.

Could this fish be lonely? I dont like to anthropromorphise anything, but that is what it is acting like.

ReefLady · 06-26-2003, 10:13 PM

Quote:

They will also pick at nass snails.

Ha! Thought that was only mine.

We've only had ours about a month, so no success story yet, but I have been able to coax it to eat mysis, brine, and a bit of our homemade food. It does seem to pick at the rocks quite a bit. Hasn't touched the corals or clams yet!

scuba_steve · 06-27-2003, 05:32 PM

my lfs as one and has had it for a long time !! he says that they love glass anenomes !!! not sure if it true but is is very very healthy and doesnt mess with any corals/clams in the tank !!

Hara · 07-01-2003, 10:00 PM

well, something has it in for me, I am certain now. The butterfly is missing...totally disappeared...and this was not a small fish. No sign of corpse, just no fish. We have checked the living room floor, we have checked the sump, the overflow boxes, the liverock....no fish.