Copperband Help!

[mythesis]

I've read a bunch of similar threads, and in the process of working through those ideas.

*My question*: should I put the Copperband back in the QT to try and get it calmed down & eating or continue in DT?

Background:​

90 gal + 20 sump; live rock setup; 1 month old. Tigger Pods installed previously

Note: Yes, I think it's too early for this fish. I explicitly asked LFS about that and they assured it would be fine. I disagree, but we're here now.

Wednesday:
Visited LFS, picked up 2 Wrasse (Linespot & Solar) & CB to join our 2 clowns. CB ate frozen shrimp in store and looked healthy

Drip acclimated from 1.017 -> 1.025 over a few hours w/ airstone in container

Installed into 20 gal QT filled with water from tank. Filter had sat in sump for a week, which is probably not enough

Thursday & Friday:
Fed frozen shrimp from turkey baster. CB would come right up to baster and eat. Seemed most comfortable of the 3 in the QT and had no stress behaviors.

Given filter wasn't mature, I was afraid of Ammonia buildup in QT

Friday Night:
Floated in specimen tank until water temps equalized (~81 -> 77.5, so didn't take too long) and let fish swim out into DT.

CB ate a little shortly after install and seemed peaceful

Saturday:

CB wildly pacing around DT, basically going in a large circle around glass. Picked at rocks a few times and ate one small piece of frozen mysis.

Sunday:

Pacing no longer in full laps, but still hugging side glass walls. Did not eat or pick at rocks.

Went to different fish store and picked up brine shrimp & garlic. Also got black worms, but put them into saltwater jar for storage which is a stupid rookie move. Lesson quickly learned there.

Installed another bottle of pods to hopefully augment rock options.

Monday (this morning):

Tried to feed brine shrimp soaked in garlic, no interest. Covered side wall in paper and CB still staying very close to it. Link:

My Plan:​

Try to find oyster in shell to drive up food. Keep doing brine + garlic today. Not sure I'll make the drive to get worms again, but if necessary I will.

Question: should I move back to QT to help it calm down? Seems like I could catch it pretty easily based on current behavior.


Bonus Q/thought: We picked up some leather coral and one rock had tiny white worms and potentially Aptasia on it. It's currently in that QT as we decide what to do. Thought the CB might like to pick at that rock/worm/coral.


Thanks in advance. I wish we would have waited another few months before getting this guy.

 

[mythesis]

Params in DT:

 

[TBSB2019]

Have you tried live foods yet? That was how we got ours eating.

 

[mythesis]

Have you tried live foods yet? That was how we got ours eating.

Brine shrimp in Garlic last night & today, yes. No interest yet.

 

[Darstar301]

You may want to turn down the light if you can. Dont think it will eat until it slows down. I had 1 do the same after having it in a tank for 7 month, just went down hill cruising the tank.

 

[apb03]

My CBB does that against the glass all the time. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. It may have faced some aggression from other fish in the tank. Do you have any tangs or angelfish?

Regardless, I would probably remove the CBB and place it in the QT system to allow it to re-learn how to eat from the water column. It may take weeks or months, so hopefully, you can set up a cycled tank and keep it there for a long time.

If you get it eating well from the water column in QT, try re-adding it to the main tank using an acclimation box for a couple of weeks as a next step. I think it'll help the fish adjust to eating with others nearby before competing directly.

 

[mythesis]

You may want to turn down the light if you can. Dont think it will eat until it slows down. I had 1 do the same after having it in a tank for 7 month, just went down hill cruising the tank.

Good idea, I'll do an acclimation period. Currently running 60% intensity on 2 XR15's (AB+ profile).

Will go down to 20% intensity and acclimate back up to 60 over a week and see if that helps.

 

[mythesis]

My CBB does that against the glass all the time. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing. It may have faced some aggression from other fish in the tank. Do you have any tangs or angelfish?

Regardless, I would probably remove the CBB and place it in the QT system to allow it to re-learn how to eat from the water column. It may take weeks or months, so hopefully, you can set up a cycled tank and keep it there for a long time.

If you get it eating well from the water column in QT, try re-adding it to the main tank using an acclimation box for a couple of weeks as a next step. I think it'll help the fish adjust to eating with others nearby before competing directly.

No, other members of the tank are 2 Clowns (which stick to their tiny corner of the back wall), 2 Fire Shrimp, and then the 2 wrasses it came with from the LFS.

I did put all 3 of them in a tiny specimen box when putting them into the DT... I wonder if they got a little snippy with each other in there. They were totally fine with each other in the QT

 

[apb03]

No, other members of the tank are 2 Clowns (which stick to their tiny corner of the back wall), 2 Fire Shrimp, and then the 2 wrasses it came with from the LFS.

I did put all 3 of them in a tiny specimen box when putting them into the DT... I wonder if they got a little snippy with each other in there. They were totally fine with each other in the QT

Hmm, perhaps. Yeah, those CBBs can be quite mercurial. Clowns can be nasty fish, so that may be what caused it. Given that you have such few livestock, maybe the QT won't be necessary then. It may just require time to settle in.

If it already likes Mysis, I don't think you have to worry about trying other foods. Good luck, thankfully you have time since it ate recently.

 

[mythesis]

Hmm, perhaps. Yeah, those CBBs can be quite mercurial. Clowns can be nasty fish, so that may be what caused it. Given that you have such few livestock, maybe the QT won't be necessary then. It may just require time to settle in.

If it already likes Mysis, I don't think you have to worry about trying other foods. Good luck, thankfully you have time since it ate recently.

That's a good point...how much time do I have? He definitely at several times a day on Wed/Thurs/Fri. I think I was doing small feedings 4-5 times on Thurs&Fri and he ate at all of them.

 

[mythesis]

You may want to turn down the light if you can. Dont think it will eat until it slows down. I had 1 do the same after having it in a tank for 7 month, just went down hill cruising the tank.

I'll also pull back flow a bit. Was running 2x MP40's @ 55%, I'll pull those down to like 40% to see if it's less stressful

 

[exnisstech]

That fish should not have been kept in 1.017 salinity IMO. That salinity is low enough to suppress disease that can then become active when fish is placed in normal salinity. I brought velvet in that way and Jay H confirmed that low salinity can hide disease. I would look for another lfs. They'll give all kinds of excuses why they do it but they're either misinformed or lying. Rant over
EDIT : if they are running the salinity very low they may keep copper in the tank also, not good IMO

I've had good luck placing CBB in an observation QT with live rock alone or with a single peaceful fish. Live black worms is a good first food. To keep them store in a container of tap water in the fridge and change as much of the water daily that you can pour out without dumping the worms. I've been able to keep them up to 3 weeks that way. Baby brine shrimp are good too and are easy to hatch. PE mysis is a favorite of mine. Mine also love small earthworms. I have one that loves mastick, my new one not so much. I've had one for almost two years and it still will only eat frozen so I don't even bother trying pellets or flake. This is where my current CBB is housed in observation

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[mythesis]

That fish should not have been kept in 1.017 salinity IMO. That salinity is low enough to suppress disease that can then become active when fish is placed in normal salinity. I brought velvet in that way and Jay H confirmed that low salinity can hide disease. I would look for another lfs. They'll give all kinds of excuses why they do it but they're either misinformed or lying. Rant over
EDIT : if they are running the salinity very low they may keep copper in the tank also, not good IMO

I've had good luck placing CBB in an observation QT with live rock alone or with a single peaceful fish. Live black worms is a good first food. To keep them store in a container of tap water in the fridge and change as much of the water daily that you can pour out without dumping the worms. I've been able to keep them up to 3 weeks that way. Baby brine shrimp are good too and are easy to hatch. PE mysis is a favorite of mine. Mine also love small earthworms. I have one that loves mastick, my new one not so much. I've had one for almost two years and it still will only eat frozen so I don't even bother trying pellets or flake. This is where my current CBB is housed in observation

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Appreciate it. For that and several other reasons, I think we'll be changing LFS going forward.

Do you think it's worth it to extract from DT and put back into QT to get eating? My biggest fear is the QT doesn't have established bacteria so keeping the Cycle will be tricky.

It only has a simple HOB filter and airstone going, and doesn't seem to be keeping up with Ammonia at all.

 

[exnisstech]

My situation is so different I can't really give biased advice. I keep a stock tank in the basement full of live rock so I can set up a QT observation tank cycled with pods and other critters instantly. Ammonia is always a concern in QT and many fish are lost that way.
Sorry I'm not more help. I'm hesitant to give advise if I'm not confident it can result in a positive outcome. I would hate to tell you it would be better to pull it and it die. I tell I think you should leave and it dies I'm still somewhat responsible. Maybe someone more experienced or confident will chime in with thier oppinion.

 

[Gtinnel]

If I were you I would keep it in the display as long as none of your other fish are being aggressive toward it, which doesn’t seem to be the case. In the video it doesn’t appear to be overly skinny and IME it doesn’t seem to be overly stressed out either. I’d give it several more days of trying to get it to eat in the display before worrying about it.

 

[mythesis]

If I were you I would keep it in the display as long as none of your other fish are being aggressive toward it, which doesn’t seem to be the case. In the video it doesn’t appear to be overly skinny and IME it doesn’t seem to be overly stressed out either. I’d give it several more days of trying to get it to eat in the display before worrying about it.

thanks, from my perspective everyone is leaving it alone.

The 2 clowns stay in their spot on the back wall.

The 2 wrasses hang out on the other side of the tank

And this guy chills next to the wall.

I papered over the wall to try and minimize reflection/light and just put in an opened oyster to see if it'll go after that.

Appreciate everyone's help so far.

@exnisstech , I would def not blame you if something goes wrong. I'm surprised the degree to which this hobby is still "unknown". Appreciate everyone chipping in and giving at least anecdotal advice as we figure it out.

 

[steveschuerger]

I got my Copper an aiptasia outbreak besides the fact I’ve always wanted one. I got lucky, as there were plenty of yummy things in the rocks and it started eating/picking in the rocks right away(tube worms, pods and did start eating the small to small-med aiptasia). Started eating frozen foods in about a week or s so. I think it’s a bit of luck of the draw too.

 

[Gtinnel]

I got my Copper an aiptasia outbreak besides the fact I’ve always wanted one. I got lucky, as there were plenty of yummy things in the rocks and it started eating/picking in the rocks right away(tube worms, pods and did start eating the small to small-med aiptasia). Started eating frozen foods in about a week or s so. I think it’s a bit of luck of the draw too.

I agree with it being partially luck on them eating, so being prepared before hand for one that doesn’t want to eat should be part of getting one (I wasn’t prepared but I got lucky and a local reefer gave me a culture of white worms which kept mine alive).
I kept mine in qt by itself feeding it live worms for about a year before I moved it into my display. It would eat aiptasia in qt and then once I moved it over to my display it didn’t eat aiptasia for a while, although it did eventually start again.

Once in the display it eventually started eating frozen food and mine is now one of my most aggressive fish when feeding time. It will shove my purple tang out of the way when food hits the water.

 

[mythesis]

I agree with it being partially luck on them eating, so being prepared before hand for one that doesn’t want to eat should be part of getting one (I wasn’t prepared but I got lucky and a local reefer gave me a culture of white worms which kept mine alive).
I had to keep mine in qt by itself feeding it live worms for about a year before I moved it into my display. It would eat aiptasia in qt and then once I moved it over to my display it didn’t eat aiptasia for a while, although it did eventually start again.

Mine is now one of my most aggressive fish when feeding time. It will shove my purple tang out of the way when food hits the water.

Yeah, I got a false sense of security because it was eating frozen Mysis in QT so I thought we were good to go.

 

[Gtinnel]

Yeah, I got a false sense of security because it was eating frozen Mysis in QT so I thought we were good to go.

Not a guarantee that it will continue to eat frozen when moved, but it’s absolutely a good start. If yours was eating frozen and is not being chased by tank mates I suspect he will likely be fine.
I would stick with trying to get him to eat the same food that he was eating in qt.