Copper band butterfly

I'm thinking of getting one, but I keep hearing they're difficult to keep...

Anyone have experience with these?
Why are they so difficult?
Will they eat my shrimp? Snails?

I've had great luck with my Angel, and I was told they were difficult, I thought maybe I'd have good luck with a copper band too...

Any help would be great!

 

Nutritional difficulties are common, acquiring a nice specimen not already suffering from nutritional difficulties is half the battle.

It's been a number of years since I have kept one. Chopped clams worked for me, transition to frozen mixed foods.

They will eat anemones if given the chance and I have heard of them nipping at lps, never experienced that myself.

It's a passive fish and easily bullied, not the kind of fish you want to put in with aggressive Tang types, Triggers.....

 

+1 getting it to eat your food is the hard part. I make my own fish food and i had to lure him to the mix with chopped clams. they are extreamly sensative to stress and require more attention in terms of feeding. Iv had mine for the last couple years and he is in good health but its a fish i strongly do not recommend, all the more if you dont provide a varied diet (which you may or may not). they arent safe with invertabrates though they will leave snails alone, at least this has been my experience.

mine didnt eat for the entire first week when I brought it home, was the source of many concerns and headaches! till i was finally able to get him eating with fresh open clams.

http://www.3reef.com/threads/pictures-of-some-of-my-critters-3.145097/

and today

http://www.3reef.com/threads/dont-you-know-sump-it-up-youve-got-to-sump-it-up.158116/

 

What size tank do you have? If they feel crowded around other fish that may bully them, they will become even more stressed than they normally are, and they get pretty big.

 

I bought one about 1.5yrsa ago to control an aptasia attack......they love them and will wipe them out except they are farmers and will leave 2 or 3 small ones to keep up their food supplies.
She will eat all frozen foods including she loves Mysis, Emerald Entrée and Marine Cuisine

Caution.....they will eat tube worms and Christmas Tree worms and picked on some polyps in my cup coral....albeit I have "scared" her to now stay away from the Xmas tree rock and they are now growing back
If you get a healty one they will last a long time and you can "train" them but there So Gorgeous I love mine

 

I bought one about 1.5yrsa ago to control an aptasia attack......they love them and will wipe them out except they are farmers and will leave 2 or 3 small ones to keep up their food supplies.
She will eat all frozen foods including she loves Mysis, Emerald Entrée and Marine Cuisine

Caution.....they will eat tube worms and Christmas Tree worms and picked on some polyps in my cup coral....albeit I have "scared" her to now stay away from the Xmas tree rock and they are now growing back
If you get a healthy one they will last a long time and you can "train" them but there So Gorgeous I love mine

 

Had one for a year did great then I downsized sold him ! 1/2 " pipe four inche long with end caps then drill holes randomly in it fill with mysis makes. Great feeder station and other fish can't steal the food

 

Check out this article recently published by Reef Hobbyist Magazine on this subject. Really good read and worth the time

http://www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com/magazine-tiled-q2-2015-6.html