Copperband Butterflyfish
Copperband Butterflyfish
Currently unavailable
We do not take backorders on live fish, invertebrates or plants. Livestock arrives on the shipping schedule our suppliers and the weather allow, so we will not promise a date we cannot keep.
What is in the tanks changes from week to week. Ask us and we will tell you what is in and what is coming, or check back shortly. Visit us or get in touch.
Free local pickup at our Lethbridge store. Livestock guarantee
Couldn't load pickup availability
The copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) is a tall, disc-shaped fish crossed by four copper-orange bands, with a false eyespot near the rear of the dorsal fin and a long forceps-like snout built for probing crevices. It comes from Indo-Pacific coastal reefs, and is often bought for one job: eating Aiptasia anemones.
Aquarium care
- Be honest with yourself about feeding. Copperbands are difficult feeders, and a large share of them never take prepared food and slowly starve. Choose only a fish you have watched eating.
- Live black worms, live brine, clam on the half shell and fresh mysis are the usual starting points, moving gradually toward frozen foods.
- It needs a large, mature marine tank with abundant live rock, calm tankmates and no competition at feeding time.
- It does eat Aiptasia, but results vary between individuals and it is not a guaranteed solution.
- It also picks at feather dusters, tubeworms and some soft corals and clams, so it is not reliably reef safe.
- Slow, quiet, and easily out-competed by boisterous fish.
Recommended only to experienced marine keepers with a settled system and peaceful company such as gobies, cardinalfish or calm wrasses.
Stock rotates through the year. Local pickup at our Lethbridge store; see current saltwater fish.
Share
