It is always just one more, right?

[Zerc]

So I have been watching this CL add for a few weeks and am contemplating the copperband butterfly as it is presented as a fish that readily eats frozen food and appears to be coral friendly (it is kept with corals similar to mine). The same goes for the mandarin and its eating habits.

My only reservation is my capacity for bioload on my setup. I have a 75g DT and a 55g refugium that I run about 3/4 full. I have approximately 180 lbs of live rock.

I have read that copperbands and the zebrasoma tangs do not get along, though this one is getting along with the sailfin tang in its current tank, I have a purple tang in mine. If the copperband fish is normally the aggressor then I would be ok, but I do not know if that is the case. ?

current stock:
4" purple tang
2x 2" black and white clowns
2.5" maroon clown
2" dwarf flame angel
firefish
2" watchman goby


So my question is... copperband good idea or no?

Acrylic Aquarium, Stand & Canopy. Saltwater Fish and Corals. Live Rock

 

[Derbird]

I'm no expert but your bioload dosen't seem to bad. Depending on your maintance habbits of course.

If you do go for it a good trick to get a tang to accept a new tank mate is to move a few of your rocks around. Tangs are very stupid fish, after you move the rocks they don't know where they are and think they are the new guy in the tank. I have to do this every time I get a new fish (I have a sailfin and a bristle tooth tang). The next step if that dosen't work is a two to three day lights out. I have to do this with my wrasses, they are much smarter.

A extra large feeding before you introduce your new guy is a good trick too. Its hard to be too aggressive when you have a full stomach

Each fish has its own personality so it can be hard to use the general rules of which fish to put together. Purples are more aggressive then my tangs but with a few extra steps I would go for it myself

 

[Zerc]

Yea my biggest worry is the bioload. I do a 5% water change per week. I just worry about going over the ideal amount because I would really hate to have to return a fish.

Oh, my skimmer is a SRO 1000 internal, I empty it about twice per day. (still getting the hang of adjusting it)

 

[dawgwe1]

I just tried to introduce a sailfin tang in my 135g with a residing powder brown and it did not go well. The powder brown went nuts and was relentless towards the sailfin. 15 minutes was enough - I took the sailfin out and is now in my 40b with a few nips out of its fins. I may have to try the trick of moving some rocks around and reintroduce after it recovers.

 

[Zerc]

Maybe if i introduced it just after lights out...? That would give it overnight to settle in. Wouldn't hurt I guess.

 

[dawgwe1]

You could give it a try and see what happens the next morning when the tank is lit up. After my experience today - I would suggest setting up temporary/QT tank just in case things don't work out......

 

[IPisces]

From what I have read, the butterfly, tang, anglefish and clowns should all be compatable.
As for the maroon clown and the black&white clowns, for how long they will be compatable is what I would worry about.
I would do what you mentioned, adding it at night.

 

[Squirmteben]

He's had that set-up and fish listed on CL for over a month. In his old postings, he said that he would not separate the Copperband and the Sailfin, "because they're friends." They beat up his blue tang pretty bad too...

 

[pandora32]

Just saw that ad before i read this. Nice fish.