Copperbanded Butterfly Questions...

[crpresents]

Got a copperband and he seems real happy in my 135 gallon tank. The other fish seem to get along with him and everything is good. The only problem is that I can't seem to get him to eat. I have tried frozen brine, pellets, and seaweed, but he hasn't touched any of it.

I have heard they will eat feather duster clusters, but I am not sure that is a long term solution.

Does anyone have any long term advice to keep this fish with the living?

Thanks so much...

Chris

 

[Len]

Hi. I've moved this to the General Reef Discussion for you. It is a more appropiate forum and you will receive more replies.

BTW,
:welcome:

 

[Anonymous]

They love aiptasia anemones - ask around and maybe someone will give you a rock with some - they can invade your tank though.

I had some luck years ago with squid. I striped it up and put little pieces around the rock. It picked at it and after a few weeks would eat some from the water collum. Try soaking it's food in selecon or sim so what it eats is as nutritious as possible. Good luck.

 

[Steven]

My Copperband won't touch anything but frozen blood worms and mysid shrimp. You might give those a try. Good luck.

 

[GSchiemer]

Also try a freshly opened clam on a half-shell.

BTW, was the fish eating at the store? This is one fish that I would NEVER purchase unless I personally saw it eating with gusto, which unfortunately rarely occurs.

Greg

 

[Anonymous]

Something I've been trying recently with finicky fish--

Grab a small head of broccoli, and some raw shrimp. Chop up the shrimp very fine, so it is almost like a paste, then spread it on the broccoli. Then you can wedge it in the rockwork or even clip it on a veggie clip.

This works well for substrate pickers like angels and butterflies. I've used it twice now for fish that weren't eating anything but live brine and both took to this before mysis shrimp.

 

[fishgills]

Do you have coral in your tank?
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[dclark]

www.mysis.com My copper loves this stuff and won't touch anything else. I get at inland aquatics in terre haute, in but found this site. Nice big pieces instead of the little crap you find in most cubes.

 

[Ninong]

The problem lies in the fact that they are not accustomed to taking food from the water column in the wild. They feed on benthic invertebrates and polychaetes. They are used to picking at the substrate for their food, not snatching it from the water column.

I agree that you should try a freshly opened clam on the half shell as a good starter food. Also, live brine may work. They will usually spit out frozen brine after tasting it. Perhaps Cyclop-Eeze would be something to try -- frozen might be better than the freeze dried.

It may take some time but eventually it may learn to feed from the water column and accept a wide array of frozen foods.

Good luck!