COPPERBANDED BUTTERFLY FISH

the copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) is a true beauty - and yes, there are differing opinions on whether you can successfully keep them. This is due, in part, to the fact that individual copperbanded butterflyfish vary in hardiness. Some settle into their new homes within several days, and begin eating fresh and frozen foods, while many refuse to feed.

Why the big difference? Some of it is related to how the fish is captured and handled before it gets to your tank. For example, individuals collected from Australia tend to do better in captivity than those exported from the Philippines, reflecting differences in collecting and holding practices. Be prepared to pay more for Australian C. rostratus, but it is well worth paying more for a fish that is likely to be more healthy. It has been suggested that brightly colored individuals from Asia have been collected with cyanide and are more likely to meet an early demise, but I am not aware that this has been scientifically confirmed.

To increase your chances of success with a copperband butterfly, select your fish very carefully. Avoid emaciated individuals; thin specimens are not likely to recover. Some aquarists have suggested that smaller individuals (around 3 inches in length) fare better in captivity than adults. The idea is that smaller individuals are more likely to acclimate to a new food source than an older fish. Be aware that the metabolic needs of a juvenile fish will be higher than that of an adult. As a result, you will need to make sure you feed a young fish frequently or ensure there is an adequate natural food source in the aquarium. Copperband butterflyfishes are thought to feed heavily on tubeworm feeding appendages and small crustaceans. A tank with live rock will provide some normal fodder. This will provide a hungry copperband with nutritional snacks between meals. Natural prey items are also important if a newly added C. rostratus is reluctant to eat aquarium foods when first introduced to the tank.

Some C. rostratus will require live foods to induce a feeding response. Foods such as live clams or black mussels that have had their shells broken open, or sessile invertebrate-encrusted live rock can initiate feeding. Live brine and frozen mysid shrimps have also been used to get reluctant fish to feed. You may be able to induce a finicky copperband to feed if you add another butterflyfish that will readily accept captive fare (e.g., the yellow longnose butterflyfish, Forcipiger flavissimus). By watching the other butterflyfish, the C. rostratus may begin to mimic it and start to feed. This is known as social learning. Of course, other butterflyfish species may be more of a threat to ornamental invertebrates than a copperband and may compete with it for the natural fodder on the live rocks.

A copperband will often behave aggressively toward members of its species. When they fight, they ram their heads together and push against each other. It is prudent to keep only one C. rostratus per tank . If you have a very large tank, it is possible to keep a male-female pair - however, the sexes are difficult to distinguish. This fish may exhibit aggression toward other members of the genus Chelmon, but will usually ignore and is typically ignored by other butterflyfishes.

Ugh My copperband is so picky...anyone have any luck feeding theirs?