LF: Copperband feeder and a large acclimation box

[spuri87]

I am planning to add a CBB to the tank and looking for a CBB feeder (magnetic, good for 3/4” glass).. please let me know if anyone has 1 for sale.

Also, looking for a relatively large acclimation box, I want to keep it guarded from the tangs while training it to eat frozen! Let me know if I could borrow one for a few days (not sure how big is BAR’s and even if it’s in a good condition, coz last I heard it had a broken part or something)

 

[Mike Yasin]

They don’t really work. Best to add TONS of copepods starting now, get some mastik on order, go to a market for a clam or oyster shell (for the mastik and Mysis). Feed normally while letting the CB hunt and pick at the mastik / myais mixture. It’ll figure out how to eat from the water column as long as it can grab pods and graze

 

[FinalPhaze987]

Try the CBB feeder after getting it to eat so you overcome the hardest part first. I QTd mine alone in a 10 gal tank for 16 days and had to try everything under the sun to get him eating. In the end, blood worms -> diced clams -> mysis is what really did it.

It lost appetite after a couple weeks in copper, and probably didnt appreciate the GC laced food, but came out ok once the copper treatment was concluded.

Do you have a lid? I have a kraken feeding tube that allowed the CBB to pick at the food before others in the tank could get to it. Once you get him comfortable and eating in your DT, its smooth sailing from there.

Turkey basters work wonders when trying to target feed as well.

 

[spuri87]

They don’t really work. Best to add TONS of copepods starting now, get some mastik on order, go to a market for a clam or oyster shell (for the mastik and Mysis). Feed normally while letting the CB hunt and pick at the mastik / myais mixture. It’ll figure out how to eat from the water column as long as it can grab pods and graze

thanks @Mike Yasin .. I added 1 gallon of copepods recently.. I also ordered Masstick just now, but I still feel that CBBs can be trained to eat a certain way.. @popper is letting me borrow his acc box that I plan to use in the tank and train it to eat.. still need to decide strategies, but copper feeder is definitely on the list for now.. will look into the shell’s strategy too, thanks for sharing

Try the CBB feeder after getting it to eat so you overcome the hardest part first. I QTd mine alone in a 10 gal tank for 16 days and had to try everything under the sun to get him eating. In the end, blood worms -> diced clams -> mysis is what really did it.

It lost appetite after a couple weeks in copper, and probably didnt appreciate the GC laced food, but came out ok once the copper treatment was concluded.

Do you have a lid? I have a kraken feeding tube that allowed the CBB to pick at the food before others in the tank could get to it. Once you get him comfortable and eating in your DT, its smooth sailing from there.

Turkey basters work wonders when trying to target feed as well.

Thanks for sharing your experience.. yes I do have a lid.. I tried to spot feed my Marine Betta using a turkey buster but all the hungry tangs and wrasses want all the food for themselves.. I do need to see him eat food in acc box before I release him in DT with other fish!

 

[Mike Yasin]

Sounds good - I’ve never done the box method myself, mainly because I didn’t want to add stress. I’ve had two CBs over the past 10 years, first one succumbed to a swim bladder infection two years ago. She ate everything- even freeze dried from the Avast feeder.

This one I added about a year and a half ago, and it took her a while to pick through the water column - she ate mostly from the shell and whatever Mysis sank to the sand bed. Goal is to get them to eat no matter what - some will just give up on life and it’s sad to watch. Go for the bigger “medium” ones when you’re shopping.

 

[popper]

Pretty sure I also have the CBB feeder. Will leave it outside tonight.

 

[Darkxerox]

The club's acclimation box works fine, you just use 2/3 of it and put in a hiding place.

If you're getting a copperband that isn't conditioned to tank life and not eating mysis, then I highly recommend not getting it without being able to train it in another system, or getting a conditioned and proven fish. This is one of those long time recommendations in the hobby because of the graveyard of copperbands that we've collectively killed.

 

[Kensington Reefer]

that graveyard is HUGE!

 

[CaseyP]

I trained my first CBB with an acclimation box inside the main display. Didn't take frozen food but liked live tubifex worms and live brine shrimp. My method for any finicky fish is the same once you know what it likes to eat. Feed it using a pipette and only one piece at a time. They'll eventually learn that food comes out of the pipette and will actively come to it and try to slurp something out. Once that's established, start mixing in frozen with whatever they already like. They'll instinctively eat it, or at least try, because they know food comes out of there.

My first CBB that lived a bit over 3 years preferred mysis. Second CBB didn't like mysis at first but preferred chunks of fresh scallop and shrimp. Essentially confirming they're picky so try a variety of foods to see what sticks.

 

[andyman]

you can use this one i made if you have a 3d printer. magnets are from two little fishies pouch feeder.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6733978

 

[andyman]

To be honest your life will be a lot easier if you just skipped the copper band. I can't go on vacation without worrying about it and they don't seem to last very long even after acclimation. Mine ate frozen and ate them fast for a few years then one day it was dead. If you like them then thats one thing but if you want aiptasia control, a stripee works great. my stripie decimates aiptasia in minutes. all i have to do is flip the rock over. Only downside of strippies is that they are fat, they don't have a long snout.

 

[Darkxerox]

I trained my first CBB with an acclimation box inside the main display. Didn't take frozen food but liked live tubifex worms and live brine shrimp. My method for any finicky fish is the same once you know what it likes to eat. Feed it using a pipette and only one piece at a time. They'll eventually learn that food comes out of the pipette and will actively come to it and try to slurp something out. Once that's established, start mixing in frozen with whatever they already like. They'll instinctively eat it, or at least try, because they know food comes out of there.

My first CBB that lived a bit over 3 years preferred mysis. Second CBB didn't like mysis at first but preferred chunks of fresh scallop and shrimp. Essentially confirming they're picky so try a variety of foods to see what sticks.

Scallop into masstick into mysis smashed into masstick on a scallop shell used to be the old strategy right? When I feed LRS that's what the butterflies attack the most but if it's too big they ignore it.

 

[spuri87]

Pretty sure I also have the CBB feeder. Will leave it outside tonight.

Thank you Max, you are the best!!

Go for the bigger “medium” ones when you’re shopping.

If you're getting a copperband that isn't conditioned to tank life and not eating mysis, then I highly recommend not getting it without being able to train it in another system, or getting a conditioned and proven fish. This is one of those long time recommendations in the hobby because of the graveyard of copperbands that we've collectively killed.

The guy I am getting it from shared a video of medium size CBBs eating frozen.. looked pretty healthy, but all CBBs apparently do, until one day when they dont! I hope I can keep it happy and alive.

you can use this one i made if you have a 3d printer. magnets are from two little fishies pouch feeder.

thank you!

To be honest your life will be a lot easier if you just skipped the copper band. I can't go on vacation without worrying about it and they don't seem to last very long even after acclimation. Mine ate frozen and ate them fast for a few years then one day it was dead. If you like them then thats one thing but if you want aiptasia control, a stripee works great. my stripie decimates aiptasia in minutes. all i have to do is flip the rock over. Only downside of strippies is that they are fat, they don't have a long snout.

I get what you are saying! It's one of my dream fish, always wanted to keep one.. now that one frag of zoa that brought some Aiptasia to the tank made me bite the bullet.. most of it's take care of by berghia, but I am sure there might be more where I cant see them.. hopefully CBB can keep that in check.. I pondered over getting a Stripey, but they might go after my LPS corals as I have heard from a few fellow reefers, so not taking that chance, unless it's the last resort..

I trained my first CBB with an acclimation box inside the main display. Didn't take frozen food but liked live tubifex worms and live brine shrimp.

yeah I plan to do something similar.. ordered clams on half shell, masstick, added copepods last week in addition to different frozen food I can try that I already feed other fish.. I will not release him to the DT unless it's trained to eat!

 

[Mike Yasin]

Thank you Max, you are the best!!


The guy I am getting it from shared a video of medium size CBBs eating frozen.. looked pretty healthy, but all CBBs apparently do, until one day when they dont! I hope I can keep it happy and alive.

thank you!

I get what you are saying! It's one of my dream fish, always wanted to keep one.. now that one frag of zoa that brought some Aiptasia to the tank made me bite the bullet.. most of it's take care of by berghia, but I am sure there might be more where I cant see them.. hopefully CBB can keep that in check.. I pondered over getting a Stripey, but they might go after my LPS corals as I have heard from a few fellow reefers, so not taking that chance, unless it's the last resort..

yeah I plan to do something similar.. ordered clams on half shell, masstick, added copepods last week in addition to different frozen food I can try that I already feed other fish.. I will not release him to the DT unless it's trained to eat!

Sounds like you should be fine!! But, it's good to be prepared!!

The one I acquired from a local hobbyist lived with me for ~8 years and was a beast! This one I got from an online source, very healthy and curious on video and the same in my tank. But, she did take a bit to bring along.

 

[gmdcdvm]

I have had one for a year. It was on the smaller side. Been a struggle to get it to eat anything but mysis. It eats frozen mysis, plankton, and blood worms. On occasion I will see it eat a brine shrimp. It will pick ad krill if I chop it up. It is still not an aggressive eater. Takes too long eyeing the food and then another fish will swoop in and get it. This has been the limiting factor getting it into the main display. I worry it won’t be able to compete for food in the big display. I wish I could get it eating pellets or flake food. Maybe when it gets older and bigger? The little feeder I got with wholes in it does help it compete.

 

[spuri87]

I have had one for a year. It was on the smaller side. Been a struggle to get it to eat anything but mysis. It eats frozen mysis, plankton, and blood worms. On occasion I will see it eat a brine shrimp. It will pick ad krill if I chop it up. It is still not an aggressive eater. Takes too long eyeing the food and then another fish will swoop in and get it. This has been the limiting factor getting it into the main display. I worry it won’t be able to compete for food in the big display. I wish I could get it eating pellets or flake food. Maybe when it gets older and bigger? The little feeder I got with wholes in it does help it compete.

Marine Bettas are somewhat similar.. they keep staring at food for long even if I am spot feeding them, and other greedy fish would just come and swoop it all in.. But they are pretty hardy unlike CBBs..

This has been the limiting factor getting it into the main display. I worry it won’t be able to compete for food in the big display. I wish I could get it eating pellets or flake food. Maybe when it gets older and bigger? The little feeder I got with wholes in it does help it compete.

Is it in some other tank right now? for 1 year? do you ever plan to move it to DT?

 

[Darkxerox]

How much are you paying @spuri87 ? I'd be wary if you're buying from some random person online.

 

[spuri87]

How much are you paying @spuri87 ? I'd be wary if you're buying from some random person online.

$100, apparently QTed, eating frozen (video shared with me).. let's hope it is active and healthy one!

 

[gmdcdvm]

Yes, one year. I got him from fishotel. He was small. One year later still on the small side. I am in no rush to move him other than it’s a small tank.

 

[Qckslvr]

A little late to the party, but I really recommend High Tide. We got our CBB from him, and it eats just about everything we toss in the tank. We had CBBs from other vendors, tried to train them, gave them lots of pods and eventually they both died. The later may have been due to an ick outbreak. Our HT CBB though is going on over 2 months now, it is healthy, and is growing. Could be just ours, but our CBB is quite the aggressive eater, and has no problems with being in the "pack" during feeding time. Most of the day it hangs with our fox face, probably helps that our CBB and fox face are the two biggest fish in the tank right now.