One of the most stunning marvels of the reef, the Copperband Butterflyfish, Chelmon rostratus, is something of an idol within the reef-keeping industry. Gold and pearly white, these delicate fish flit around tanks with such poise, capturing the eye of most of us. However, with great beauty comes a healthy amount of challenge, as few hobbyists can boast of housing a thriving Copperband. Today, I want to address that challenge, and hopefully answer some questions about finding success with this enigmatic species.
Choosing the Right Candidate
Arguably, the most important part of the entire process is selecting a healthy, sturdy individual to bring home. Quarantining and conditioning aren’t processes that an already compromised fish is prepared for, especially with tricky species such as the Copperband. The minute differences in bodily condition, stress levels, and response to stimulus can be what makes or breaks your outcome, so taking time to observe the fish in the store is important, and there are several determining factors that can help to cue you in.
Firstly, take a look at the fish’s body. Ideally, your fish will have no signs of abrasions or external parasites. Looking at the fish from a lower angle, allowing the light to reflect off of the scales, always seems to help me when checking for inconsistencies in the slime coat. Any sort of bloating or swelling in the abdomen should deter a purchase, as should any (even faint) areas that display the signature pink tint of early Uronema. Eyes should be clear, as any cloudiness can indicate deeper internal issues. Fins should not be ragged or speckled. It’s important to note at this stage that your adequacy in identifying any potential diseases, although useful, isn’t as important namely because what you’re looking for is the lack of them. Trying to chase around a diagnosis, whether you arrive there or not, is beside the point– taking home a healthy fish is your first line of defense and the most crucial step.
Another step in ensuring a solid candidate is watching the fish react to being fed. Many Copperbands will not eat within several days of arrival, and some never eat at all. This presents the largest challenge to long-term longevity in your tank. Don’t be discouraged if the fish doesn’t eat, but do take it into account. Part of your quarantine and conditioning process is training your new fish to eat. However, if you happen upon a specimen that eats in the store, consider yourself very lucky, and take that winner home!
Copperband butterfly Quarantine
The Copperband Butterfly is one that is unlike many other common additions to our tanks. It comes with unique challenges and deserves a fairly catered approach to quarantine. Unlike many larger fish such as tangs and angels, disease is actually less of a threat to these delicate fish. Instead, the key factor seems to be feeding habits and success. Not unlike Mandarin gobies, most of the Copperbands that are collected end up starving rather than succumbing to infections. This isn’t necessarily because keepers don’t have what they need to fill their nutritional profile, but more so because convincing these fish to eat, especially within the competitive environment of a reef tank, takes time and dedication that many hobbyists simply don’t provide.
In the wild, these needle-nosed hunters feed on a wide variety of live foods, from tube worms to pods, to anything that piques their hunting instinct. Unless your tank is decades old and boasts an extreme level of micro-biodiversity, it’s safe to say that they will need to make some dietary adjustments. As stubborn creatures, giving them some time to adapt to your display tank’s feeding habits in a quarantine setup is key.
An ideal setup for this process does not have to be complex. Because copper will not be dosed into the tank, utilizing live rock is certainly within the realm of possibility. Choosing well-established rock, ideally from a system that hosts a wide range of pods and other small critters, is the best thing you could do for your fish. Not only does it create a natural environment for them, but it also encourages instinctive behaviors such as hunting and picking at pods. This small addition can be a huge deal to Copperbands because as they learn to feed, they can partially rely on live foods as well. Live sand will also be comforting to them in a similar way, but is not absolutely necessary. Simple equipment such as a basic hang-on-back filter, a small heater, and inexpensive lighting is more than sufficient.
Medications
As with any delicate species, Copperbands present their fair share of challenges when it comes to parasite and disease treatment during quarantine. Butterflyfish are generally pretty sensitive to copper-based medications, whether chelated or ionic. In my experience, using a copper-based protocol is not ideal. Some individuals seem to tolerate it well, but the risk of immunosuppression, especially when it comes to weeding out Uronema, doesn’t seem worth the risk. Obviously, using copper is a go-to with most hobbyists, and can certainly get the job done for most fish. So, if that’s not an option in this case, what do we do?
In order to address the most common medical concerns, we must first understand what Copperbands are most likely to carry. In my time quarantining, I would say the most prevalent threat to these fish is starvation, as discussed earlier, but ignoring the medical side of their care is certainly not advisable. Uronema, Lymphocystis, and intestinal parasites are all within the realm of reasonable suspects. For anyone who is unfamiliar with this range of infections, the latter two issues are actually fairly simple to address- the former is more tricky.
Lymphocystis, also known as Cauliflower Disease, is a simple nodular virus that takes advantage of a stressed fish’s compromised immune system. Easily recognizable, symptoms are usually limited to the classic white lumps that tend to grow on the edges of fish’s fins. Opaque and irregular, they definitely look worse than they are. Treatment is very easy with this malady, mainly because viruses, just like the flu in people, pass with time. If your fish seems to be experiencing discomfort or attempting to scratch these nodules off in the sand or on rocks, pulling the fish out and scraping the growths off is definitely something I recommend– it’s not a treatment, as the virus works systemically, but it does help to prevent scrapes on the fish’s body that could later be a site of bacterial infection. Otherwise, the best course of action is simply to lower stress, supplement food with vitamins, and allow the immune system to catch up. Because lymphocystis is mostly cosmetic, the risk of serious complications is low.
Starvation and malnutrition in Copperbands, because it is so common, can often be a two-pronged issue, an effect of both tricky eating habits and internal parasites. Intestinal worms are very common in wild fish, especially ones that prey on live food. Butterflies spend most of their time hunting worms and small crustaceans, so their chances of inheriting an infection are high. The best thing you can do for your newly acquired fish is fight that secondary factor- the more nutrition you can provide for your fish, the better they’ll do, and a big part of that is ensuring that you’re not unintentionally feeding any gut hitchhikers.
My favorite method of treatment here involves mixing several medications into whatever foodstuffs your fish is eating. Seachem makes two products that fit this need very well– both having antibiotic properties, and one serving as the binder, ensuring that the food “sticks” to the medication. Metroplex and Focus are generally great for this part of your process. Keep in mind that foods must sit in a medicated mix for about a half hour before feeding, to allow enough time for binding and that any food that is mixed with too much medication will become bitter, causing most fish to reject it as an option. Seeing the fish show initial interest, only to spit out and ignore the food, you may want to try a lower concentration of meds. They’re very effective, but only if they actually make it down the hatch.
It’s important to note that another option would be dosing PraziPro to your quarantine system. The only reason this is not my ideal route of treatment is the risk of running low on dissolved oxygen in your water. Stressed fish don’t have much tolerance for subpar conditions, and personally, if I can avoid the risk, I will. However, going this route is possible, as long as extra precautions are made to ensure a high level of dissolved oxygen.
Phases of the Process
Acclimation and Introduction
Upon arriving home with your new Copperband, the first task is obviously acclimating it to your quarantine tank. Assuming that the fish is relatively calm and has not spent an excess of time in the transport bag, floating it in your tank for 15-20 minutes is important to allow for slow temperature acclimation. Afterward, some hobbyists will choose to drip acclimate, but if the salinities of the bag and the tank match, I prefer to skip this step, avoiding additional stress from yet another environment for the fish to process. Although an RODI dip is a beneficial step, I prefer to give the fish about 2 days to get some rest before I go through this. It’s important to note that at this stage, lowering stress and allowing the fish to regulate its nervous system is much more important than fighting any imminent disease. After all, if you pick a great specimen, infection is less likely.
In this initial period of settling in, the lights should be kept low or off. Flow should be low, and the environment should be calm and predictable. Feedings should be small and more frequent, giving the fish a chance to start gaining some nutrients and vitamins. In the initial training phase of feeding, you may want to experiment with frozen Calanus pods and brine shrimp, which typically entice with their familiar shape and small size. As the fish becomes more eager to eat, slowly introducing mini mysis shrimp can help them gain weight faster. All foods should be soaked in vitamins, such as Vitachem, Fishtamin, or Selcon. Supplements like this often help to fill in dietary deficiencies that the fish may have developed during the stress of adapting to captive life.
Dips and Introduction to Medication
After the fish has had a few days to settle in, giving it a brief dip in RODI can not only provide relief from any external parasites but can also be very diagnostic, allowing you to have insight into the best route of treatment going forward. Typically, I use about two gallons of water in a five-gallon bucket, ideally in a dark color. Not only does darkness help with stress on the fish, but it also allows me to have a clear view of any parasites that may fall off during the dip. Water should be heated to tank temperature and aggressively aerated for at least 30 minutes. If needed, add a buffer to ensure that the pH matches the tank as well. Finally, add 5-8 drops of one of my old favorites, Methylene Blue. Not only is this medication antiseptic, helping to cleanse your fish of any harmful bacteria, but it also functions as an excellent oxygen carrier. It even has a slight sedating effect, and darkens the water, simulating deeper conditions. All of these factors help to reduce stress in any fish, and I rarely do a dip without using it.
Immediately before the fish is added, I like to remove the airstone, allowing for better water clarity and a calmer environment. Using a net, move the fish into the bucket. Set a timer for five minutes, grab a flashlight, and observe carefully. Typical behavior in a dip can vary, but most fish will “play dead” on the bottom of the bucket for 1-2 minutes, after which normal exploring and swimming around follows. If your fish is exhibiting signs of extreme stress such as turning upside down, slamming into the sides of the bucket, or extremely rapid breathing, pull it out. After about 3 minutes, parasites with low osmotic regulation potential, such as flukes and crustaceans, will start to burst and fall off the fish. Watch carefully, as some may flake off of the body, while others may seem to fly out of gills. After five minutes, net the fish and move it back into quarantine.
Quarantine and Conditioning
At this point, the fish has had time to settle in, de-stress, and should be prepared to start treatment. Although traditional quarantining involves copper, for delicate species such as this one, the emphasis lies much more on careful observation, more mild medication, and feeding. In the next couple of weeks, your objective is to slowly adjust the fish’s learned behaviors and environment, until the point of adaptation that allows for a seamless transition into your display tank. Without question, the hardest part is feeding. Take a minute to consider the routine of your display- how many times a day are your fish fed? What are they regularly eating? Is the light brighter? Is the flow much higher? Any difference in environment should be considered, as the best road to success here is one that takes all the details into account.
First, let’s plan for feeding. It’s important to set reasonable expectations here, because many hobbyists believe that any fish can and will adapt to eating whatever is offered. There are exceptions to every rule, but it’s wise to accept that your Copperband has certain needs with feeding. Expecting it to eat pellets, for example, is not realistic. Hoping for it to fight your tangs and angels for a spot at the dinner table, competing in a high-energy race for food? Probably not. In reality, these fish are calm, careful eaters, and while they can be trained to recognize and pursue foods, it’s rare to find an individual who is willing to join the feeding frenzy rather than hope to snag leftovers.
My best advice here is to start small and work your way up. Pods, brine, and other small crustaceans are a safe place to start, and over time, introducing larger foods can ultimately lead to the fish eating large mysis shrimp and chunks of other foods that you feed in your display. Tempting your fish into taking those first few bites is the trickiest part, and sometimes the use of live brine can help. Some keepers also report success feeding masstick paste, which is usually pressed into an empty shell or into a crevice in the live rock. This method can use the natural picking/foraging habit to encourage exploration into other types of foods. When the fish is eagerly awaiting the food that your display lives off of, you know you’ve done well.
The other elements of life in a display tank are far easier. Slowly adjusting lighting level and flow will allow the fish to adapt to small changes, rather than all at once.
We then beg the question, “How long should I quarantine?” and for good reason. There’s no perfect answer, especially with fish that don’t agree with copper, but rather a list of indicators that can help cue you in to the fact that your trainee is ready to move on.
1. The fish has been eating medicated food for at least two weeks and is eating well. Food is recognized and accepted, and the fish does not shy away from being in your sight when food is offered. A shy fish, even a more cryptic one, isn’t a fish that is ready for a display.
2. Bodily condition has improved and the fish seems to be of healthy weight. Visible lateral lines pinched stomachs, and low muscle mass, especially behind the eyes, are all signs that more recovery is needed.
3. He or she is showing no signs of distress regarding lighting or flow. Normal lighting should not cause your new inhabitant to dive for the shadows– in a display tank, this behavior will cause missed feeding opportunities.
4. Behavior is curious, investigative, and even interactive. By this point, many Copperbands reach the point of recognizing food in your hand and seem to keep their eyes on it as it hits the water. Healthy specimens should be roaming around the tank, picking at rocks, minding their business.
One of my favorite fish friends told me something a few years back that really stuck with me and continues to apply to most quarantining scenarios. I was pestering him with questions about health and diagnostics, simply being dissatisfied with the fact that there are no conclusive ways to guarantee that a fish is healthy. He told me that his method is to instead focus on behavioral cues, assuring me that the telltale sign of a healthy fish is approaching you with confidence and an almost confrontational manner. After mulling his advice over, I can surely agree- after all, some of the healthiest fish I have ever worked with have basically tried to fight me. Your Copperband may not rise quite to this level, but you’ll recognize the behavioral differences, and know it’s time for him to graduate!
About the author
Reisa Kilgore is a marine aquarist and quarantine specialist from Conifer, Colorado. From public aquariums to retail reef stores, her experience is very diverse and has allowed for a wide perspective on the industry and the hobby alike. Reisa’s professional aspirations include furthering our understanding of biomedical quarantine and applying those sciences to the reef-keeping industry, allowing hobbyists to have improved health and success of the creatures in their tanks.
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