Copperband Butterfly

So I want to add a Copperband butterfly to my reef. I know many say that butterflies, like angels, are never 100% reef safe but some or safer than others. I am pretty sure no fish is 100% reef safe since even tangs are sometimes known to go haywire and cause havoc on corals.

So out of all butterflies is the copperband the most reef safe? I have a very mxied reef with multiple frogspawn and hammers, montipora, acropora, xenia, jasmine polyp, and ricordea. Thinking about adding a clam as well and maybe a rock flower anemone?? How much of a risk am I taking adding a copperband?

I know they can be difficult to get eating but once they eat and eat well are supposed to be fairly hardy. a LFS got in a medium sized speciman (maybe 2.5-3inch) today. I asked him to hold onto him for the next couple weeks to make sure he eats RODs and to also put him in the coral tank with some aiptasia to see if he will eat the aiptasia and leave the corals alone.

 

good luck, they are TEMPTING, I'd love to have one, but haven't rolled the dice, just read read read till ya get it.

 

Mine was great for 4 months then it decided that it liked clams and tore my gold teardrop maxima up I had to remove him and that was a PIA
I'd say if your going to get a clam pass on this fish

 

Man I really want a natural predator of aiptasia. I only have 1 but tis in a ahrd to reach spot and I am afraid to touch it for fear it will spread. I know people say pepperment shrimp but from what I understand they sometimes go to corals as well after the aiptasia is gone and they are 50/50 depending if they are a true pepperment or not. Any way to tellt he difference?

 

The only shrimp I have ever heard of that was mistaken for a peppermint shrimp is a camel shrimp.

Saltwater Aquarium Shrimp for Marine Reef Aquariums: Peppermint Shimps

Saltwater Aquarium Shrimp for Marine Reef Aquariums: Camel Shrimp
All regional variations of peppermint shrimp should eat aptaisia anemones.
From LA:The Western Atlantic Peppermint Shrimp complex Lysmata wurdemanni has been reclassified in 2006 by Andrew L. Rhyne and Junda Lin based on their morphology and color pattern. In general, peppermint shrimp from different regions can easily be identified to species level by their color patterns. Our peppermint shrimp are from either the Florida Keys or the Gulf of Mexico and are most often Lysmata boggessi, a species proven to consume Aiptaisa (Rhyne et al. 2004). We occasionally receive other species from the Lysmata wurdemanni complex. We have consulted with Dr. Rhyne and he has confirmed that all species of peppermint shrimp he has tested in the laboratory consume Aiptasia.

Since these shrimp consume dead tissue it is entirely possible that some people reporting corals being eaten are actually sick/unhealthy and the shrimp is simply eating the dead tissue..IME I have had these in several tanks over the years and have never witnessed them bothering healthy corals.

 

Thanks Vin. How about you any experience with the CBB and reefs?

 

Yes.I really like this fish but unfortunately they do not fair well long term in the aquarium IME. Feeding them seems to be the most difficult part.Even some who eventually accept prepared foods can suddenly stop for no apparent reason.I haven't heard of many people who have been able to keep one longer then a few months so I cannot comment on how reefsafe they are.I have heard of them nipping clams though.
P.S. I edited my first response while you were responding.LOL

 

About Copperband Butterflies from LiveAquaria:

Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Copperband Butterflyfish

As far as Peppermint Shrimp are concerned, I had a couple myself a few years ago. Once the aiptasia were gone, they proceeded to kill my perfectly healthy Ball-Tip and Rock Flower nems. I've also seen several others here who had peps that attacked LPS corals; in many cases, the tissue healed and regenerated once the shrimp were removed, which indicates to me that the corals were in perfect health..

Personally, I believe adding a predator to eliminate a pest is always a crap-shoot.

 

Well I guess maybe a paste then, not sure the best way to get the sucker without spreading it. I know feed it first to make it difficult to suck in and hide all the way and sue a needle to inject with something just not sure what

 

You don't need to feed or use a needle.

Mix a thick batch of kalk paste. Turn off powerheads/pumps. Apply the paste, starting with the oral disc, then fully encase the nem. Wait 10 - 15 minutes before restarting your flow.

Hope this helps.