Copperband Butterfly (Chelmon rostratus) longevity poll

[scavdog]

After seeing nates poll for the Heniochus BF, I think a poll for this fish is in order as well.

 

[marco67]

Good Idea dude
Know anyone that could set it up?

 

[~Flighty~]

This is my favorite breed of fish and I've done a lot of research on them. Probably the only breed of fish I think I can talk about with any authority.

I've had four so far all not net caught-
2 bought online-one was nearly DOA, Other one has been in the tank for over a year and is super hearty.
1 bought at a LFS to pair with my other one was healthy in my tanks for 4 months, but died mysteriously after being healthy ina new home for a month.
1 next try at a pair bought at a LFS has been healthy and tanked for ablut 2 months.

I would never buy this breed online again. I would say more than %50 that come into stores won't make it and another %25 are questionable.

The ones that seem to do well are alert and looking for food, picking at the rocks and aware of anything that enters the tank. A little bit of white or black ick type spots don't seem to matter much. Damage to the beak is common and any beak damage is a very bad sign.

Tankmates are the second biggest issue after getting a healthy specimin. They usually just don't tolerate agressive tankmates at all. This includes marginally agressive fish like small tangs.

 

[JayG]

1+ yr - Alive (not known what method was used for catching)

 

[LauraD]

1+ yr Alive (dont know method)

 

[NateHanson]

Sorry Joe. Of course you can edit it yourself. (duh )

btw your pm is full (right after I sent the first one I realized my stupidity, and tried to send another one, but no room in your inbox). oh well.

 

[Fingolfin]

I never had CBB before. However, I did have a Wrought Iron Butterfly and a falcifer butterfly for 5+ years. I lost the wrought Iron earlier this year and just lost the Falcifer last week. The wrought Iron died unexpectedly, but the Falcifer was gradually fading away over a period of a couple weeks. I have no idea why all of the sudden they decided to find their ways to the hall of their fathers. It's a 200 gallon reef with 5 fish. How stressful can it be?

This really doesn't inspire me to stock more fish. 5+ years in captivity? That's absolutely pathetic.

 

[Matt L.]

This is a very good idea

I like these fish longevity / success rate polls. In fact, it would be a valuable club resource to have such polls available for many different types of fish.

As you know, my CBB just mysteriously died yesterday morning after being in my tank for 7 months and appearing otherwise healthy.

The problem is, I feel the poll format that comes with the message board software is a bit too limitted. At least three independant questions would need to be asked for each fish:

1. How long have you had the fish? You could use the existing poll format to give discrete time periods.
2. Was the fish sold as "net caught"? Again, you could use the existing poll format for a yes, unknown, or no question.
3. Was the cause of death accidental (i.e., died during moving tanks, jumped, your power went out, et cetra...), mysertious/unknown, due to injury or aggression from tank mates, or observed to be due to disease (i.e., ich)?

Can this be done?

Matt

 

[~Flighty~]

It's a 200 gallon reef with 5 fish. How stressful can it be?

What are the other fish though? Did they ever chase the butterflys? Did the butterflys always feel like they were in someone elses teritory?

My one theory on the multi year longevity is that the fish might do better with a mate. Butterflyfish are almost always in a pair group in the wild. It is just my theory (without much to back it up ) but the stress of not having a mate could be a very slow killer, or at least a lifespan shortener.

I don't really have much to back it up except seeing them in the wild and noting the constant interaction between the male and female in every butterflyfish I could find. One would pick at the rocks while the other would watch the divers... one would find something to eat and the other would rush over and the first would back up to let him have some...

Animals that have complicated interaction with their own species seem to do poorly long term on their own. Look at a neglected parrot for example. If a person or another bird doesn't replace that pair bond, you often get a crazy self-destructive animal. Same with elephants and monkies and dolphins.

I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into it, but I'll report my findings if I can ever pair my CBB

 

[~Flighty~]

...The problem is, I feel the poll format that comes with the message board software is a bit too limitted. At least three independant questions would need to be asked for each fish:...

What we need is a form function where everyone can fill it out for themselves and someone can compile the answers and look for a trend.

 

[Scarfish]

where's the 6mo-1yr option - and I have no idea if mine was net caught or not

 

[Matt L.]

where's the 6mo-1yr option - and I have no idea if mine was net caught or not

Yeah, mine died at 7 months I just rounded down to 6months.

A private funeral service was held this morning, where he was buried in an unmarked grave in my backyard.

Matt

 

[The Jester2]

I don't know if mine was net caught or not. Got it from one of our sponsers. Was eating at the store and was eating the minute I put him in my tank. Was looking very healthy and active. Died overnight after 4+ months with no apparent damage to the fish. Woke in the AM and he was stuck to one of my powerheads. I knmow he ate the evening before. Yet another CBB mystery

 

[Jim Tansey]

I have had mine about 10 months (no choice in poll), doing well but will never eat anything but M.Y.S.I.S. or Brine Shrimp soaked in Selcon. Net caught???

Jim

 

[Fingolfin]

My one theory on the multi year longevity is that the fish might do better with a mate. Butterflyfish are almost always in a pair group in the wild. It is just my theory (without much to back it up ) but the stress of not having a mate could be a very slow killer, or at least a lifespan shortener.

A professor from France has kept certain Angelfish/butterflyfish in captivity for 20+ years. I doubt that he's kept pairs for each one of the species. Maybe butterflyfishes are just not as sturdy as tangs/angelfishes, so the care for butterflyfishes required higher standards in order to maintain the longevity.

Still, 5+ years....I thought I can do better than that.

 

[~Flighty~]

I saw the angels in pairs, but they didn't interact the way the butterflys did. You wouldn't have known they were together except that they stayed close most of the time. I often saw singles of angels too.

The tangs were like herds of deer. they covered large distances quickly in a lose group. I'm no tang police, but watching them made me decide to not keep any tangs in any size tank even a large one.

I never saw a butterfly not paired or more than about a foot above the reef. They had definate small teritories on the reef that weren't magnatudes larger than what we can provide them in a tank.

Watching the fish in the wild definately gave me some different ideas about what makes a good fishtank fish and what doesn't. Some fish (ie royal grammas, butterflys, damsels) stay close to one section of the reef. Others have huge territories (tangs for example)

 

[seasno]

I have kept a CBB in my 72 gal bow tank for over two years, I am not sure if it was net caught or not? It has managed to remain healthly feeding well on frozen brine, mysis shrimp, and picking at the rocks.....it cleaned every piece of Aptasia out of that tank within months of being introduced to the system.

Cindy may have a point with the comment about social behavior....

My one theory on the multi year longevity is that the fish might do better with a mate. Butterflyfish are almost always in a pair group in the wild.

My fish bonded with a yellow tang in the same tank shortly after bringing it home. While obviously not mates....my CBB spends most of it's time playing follow the leader with the yellow tang, usually within a few inches of each other, and they often feed side by side without aggression from either party....maybe it thinks it is a yellow tang?

 

[starrfish]

I've had mine for about 10 months (I voted in the 1+ years category). I believe he was net caught. He eats frozen mysis, brine and aiptasia. I think Cindy has a good point about the pairing. Cindy, if you can get it to work, I'd like to give it a try someday. I really love that fish. Her name is Beyonce - but after "she" was fighting her reflection in the new tank, "her" new name might be Jay-Z.

 

[~Flighty~]

Mine fights "his" reflection too, but I don't know if that would mean male or female or either. mine dosen't seem "paired", but he is at least good buddies with my male mandarin. I posted a pic of the mandarin sitting on top of him somewhere on here.