Cooperband butterfly in a reef?

trilinearmipmap · #1 02-28-2007, 12:10 AM

My CBB wiped out all my Aiptasia in short order. He then proceeded to eradicate all the pods in my tank. I feel this had a bad effect on the overall health of the tank. If I were doing it again I would't get a CBB.

He has not bothered any of my hard or soft corals or my anemones.

michika · #2 02-28-2007, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trilinearmipmap

My CBB wiped out all my Aiptasia in short order. He then proceeded to eradicate all the pods in my tank. I feel this had a bad effect on the overall health of the tank.

What happened? Did you see a visual difference? Can you describe the bad effects you saw?

Doug · #3 02-28-2007, 01:02 AM

Mine, {the one Ben now has}, cleaned out all my aiptasia. He also ate and type of fanworms and I would assume pods. I know this because my fat old mandarin started to lose weight.

The copperband also ate frozen mysis and other frozen foods. Then one day, {after 2 almost 2 yrs.} he started to nip at my crocea mantles. Never ate them that I could see. I ended up trading away, 4 of the most beautiful clams you have seen.

I then, {on the advise of several very experienced aquarists}, started to feed the copperband the supermarket fresh Manila clams. He ate them with gusto and it became his main food, besides some frozen. Those that have done this in their large show tanks, said this kept them happy and they lefy the ornamentals alone, {which I had a hard time understanding how it could tell the diff.}

When Ben was looking for a copperband, I gave him mine, {yes, he knew about its appetite for clams}, but we figured since these other aquarists had luck, he may leave Ben,s clams alone. As you can see, thats not the case, which is what I figured it would do. To me, a clam, is a clam, is a clam.

Would I put one in a reef aquarium again. I think not. Mine was a beautiful fish though and a superb fish to have. He was always in my hand, eating mysis or something and criused around in the open. As mentioned, I traded 4 beauties {clams}, so as to keep him. However just to hard on many of the tanks creatures. So I guess it depends on what ones wishes to keep. Mine never bothered any lps I had, by the way, only clams.

trilinearmipmap · #4 02-28-2007, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michika

What happened? Did you see a visual difference? Can you describe the bad effects you saw?

First of all my mandarin died. I had had the mandarin for about a year. It was eating pods and frozen mysis. I can't prove that the CBB caused the mandarin's death but a few months after getting the CBB my mandarin died for no apparent reason. I suspect starvation. Besides eating the pods the CBB is quite aggressive with the frozen mysis and the mandarin was a slow methodical eater.

Second of all my bubble coral died. The bubble coral was a 12" showpiece coral, my favourite coral in the tank. It was healthy and thriving. However I noticed the Copperband stealing mysis whenever I tried to feed the bubble coral. After a few months of this the bubble coral started to gradually recede and then die. Tank parameters and water conditions were fine, all the other corals were fine, and the bubble coral is a very non-demanding coral. Again I can't prove that the CBB is responsible.

I have also notice that over the past year my octobubble coral is in a slow decline and recession.

I used to see lots of pods in my tank, now I can only find them in the refugium. I feel that the pods are an important part of the clean-up crew. Coinciding with the loss of pods in my tank, I had an outbreak of a nuisance Anthelia infestation on my live rock. I suspect that the lack of pods contributed to an accumulation of nutrients and junk on the rock that encouraged the Anthelia growth.

Overall within 6 months or so of adding my Copperband I had a dead mandarin, a dead bubble coral and an Anthelia outbreak.

If the Copperband weren't so gorgeous I would get rid of him.

michika · #5 02-28-2007, 01:19 AM

Good stuff to note and watch out for.

Can I ask how big your CBB is?

hawk · #6 02-28-2007, 06:24 PM

Anyone else with cbb and clam experience?

EmilyB · #7 02-28-2007, 07:31 PM

I sold my CBB because it was nipping my clam terribly. Then I ended up selling the clam to the same person person. The CBB never bothered it there. Go figure.

I'm about to try another CBB and have a clam. I'm prepared to sell the clam if necessary however, but may try the manilla feeding route.

Delphinus · #8 02-28-2007, 08:15 PM

I have a CBB in with 5 clams at the moment. There don't seem to be issues .... yet. I did have a moment on the weekend when I put in a new derasa where he seemed to sample the mantle, but I gave him an oyster to work on instead and he's left the clam alone since then.

But, it's something I watch for. I just basically don't trust the CBB completely as he eats nothing except for frozen foods (mysis or brine) or live foods (mussel, oyster or clams). He's gotta be hungry (his own fault for being so stubborn but nevertheless it's something I worry about).

He wasn't all that great at ridding the tank of aiptasia either. Six months after I got him I found myself still needing to inject a few of the buggers with kalk. He might have gotten some but certainly didn't "rid the tank of them." (Stupid fish. He's lucky he's pretty otherwise I'd have sold him months ago!)

Like most things, an element of hit and miss, I guess..