Copperbands Valentine's Day Lovefest - Not

[Reef Pilot]

Why would I do what?? I put in the divider to keep them apart. The refugium (30 g) is my quarantine tank before I move them to my main display tank.

I've got them eating several different foods now, incl freeze dried, and they seem to be quite happy and healthy. I don't think their little spat today is going to kill them. If I didn't have the divider, then yes, could be serious.

Like I said, this is the first time in 3 weeks I have seen them bicker at all. Most of the time, when they are not hunting and pecking on the bottom looking for food, they are just sitting near the divider looking at each other. Almost like they want to be together. But just not today for some reason.

Will see if this new mood continues, or if they will settle down again like before. I was still hoping to take out the divider and see if they can get along before moving them to the main display tank.

Reef Pilot

[bignose]

Is your display big enough for 2 Copperbands? Some fish don't tolerate their own kind in home aquaria.

[strickrick]

They want to be together to probably kill each other. Unfortunately these are fairly difficult to keep and are ich magnets. I have seen pet stores hold more than one juvenile together in holding tanks but have never heard of anyone keeping them together successfully. If they are only now showing aggression, it will only get worse from here and even in a large tank (125g) they will chase each other till at least one dies (if not both from stress).

Your best bet would be to return one and get him a nice buddy, mine was a big fan of the yellow tang and my majestic angel for years.

[daniella3d]

Why? because they WILL FIGHT!

As for apearing healthy?? they are both skinny and seem to be lacking the healthy fat pad on the top of the head and top body part. They should be plump there, not pinched like that.

You could have 2 males as far as we know.. not a good idea. I give them a few weeks before they die, months at best. They need to lay down on the stress and get back their fat. They are very skinny from what I can see and pinched on the top of the head, at least the one on the left seem to be pinched.

Copperband need to eat a lot. Mine is eating as much as my trigger. Give them some live food like some live white worms or some live blackworms and oyster or mussels.

I take a fresh live mussels from the grocery store, brush it hard under warm running water from the kitchen faucet and brush it for a few minutes to remove all possible parasites, then I cut that in half to open the mussel. Give one to each copperband and they will love it. Mine gets one nearly every day along with live white worms.

Unfortunatly putting them together will not work. Geezzz! look how fast that poor fish on the left is breathing!!! this is terrible. The fish is horribly stressed to breath that fast.

Originally Posted by Reef Pilot

I've got them eating several different foods now, incl freeze dried, and they seem to be quite happy and healthy.