Help with a new Copperband

[FishWife]

Hi,

 

We bought a copperband butterfly fish yesterday. The situation's a bit unique in that he's in a holding tank that is jury rigged, so it has one inflow that is pretty strong and hard to turn off (for feeding time, but we CAN do it).

The tank is a 45 (4' long by 1' wide) with live rock (with aiptasia on it), a clownfish, an anemone, and a yellow-eyed Kole tang. The tang is definitely asserting dominance, but not hounding the butterflyfish yet.

 

My first question is: what do they like to eat? I have read that we need to "coax." What does this mean in your experience with butterflyfish?

 

I assume that we can't just assume that he'll live on aiptasia... Right now I have in the house: frozen PE Mysis shrimp, frozen Forumula 1, DT phytoplanktin, high-quality flake food, and algae sheets.

 

TIA for your experiences coaxing butterfly fish to eat!

[yauger]

Try to feed the PE Mysis shrimp first... they should eat it for the most part, give it a day or so then you might want to try live brine... I have never owned a CB fish but from what I have read some people has had results with this food.

[madmax7774]

I have always had no problems getting my butterfly's to eat Danichi pellets. I get them at BRK. In fact every fish I have ever had has taken to them.

John

[flowerseller]

Try live black worms or live brine shrimp.

This should get it eating and then move on to more substantial foods.

[FishWife]

Try live black worms or live brine shrimp.

This should get it eating and then move on to more substantial foods.

 

Do I need to stop flow to get them to eat?

[bigJPDC]

My CBB loves to chase food in the flow, never had problems with him eating, and only bought after I saw Sean at F&F feed him first.

 

forgot to mention I feed frozen mysis, but back when I was blending scallops and shrimp it ate that too.

[dhoch]

Copperbands do not in the wild eat from the "Waterstream". They are used to eating worm, and other small crustaceans. The best way to get them to feed is a feeding station.

 

I've got one that I've almost 100% healed from having some type of bacterial infection (they are susceptible to this).

 

I take a cleaner magnet and a live/frozen mussel, split the mussel open and leave it open enough for the copper band to get it's snout in, but not other fish. Put in a place where the copper band frequents. I've had 100% success with this.

 

Once trained to go to the spot anytime you refresh the food source they will be there. Then you can start varying the foods. Black worms inside the mussel shells are an excellent substitute, and then probably some kind of pellet or other meaty prepared food.

 

Dave

[bigJPDC]

having fed Doug's CBB while tank-sitting - his also chases down frozen and prepared food sent into flow like all the other fish. I actually put the first and only PH in my tank to duplicate what he has going, and like it much better than when I used to cut all flow during feeding.

 

That being said, in my main tank I have never seen a CBB, chromis or perc eat: flake, pellet or those formula-x gel cubes so my sucess with the CBB is the same as with all my fish - they all eat mysis and blended seafood.

[flowerseller]

Dave's suggestions are excellent since the goal here is to get the finicky fish to start eating, hence the live, moving foods.

A CBB, or the like type fish, that has not started to eat will 99.999% never touch a pellet, even if the pellets were bought at brk.

Once the fish begins to eat and see's the other inhabs eating stuff, it will likely follow suit and then move toward easier to get foods. My old one ate almost anything from flake to nori.

[HowardofNOVA]

Dittos what DaveH and Chip said!

Love the muscles idea, cool!

 

I have a 10 gallon QT setup, was cheap to do, about $50. Includes a heater, MJ pump, Biowheel with Carbon removed and a couple of ceramic cups in there for them to hide in. Nothing else.

 

For the future, recommend investing into something like this BEFORE putting fish into your system. Stress alone combating with RESIDENCE fish could kill them and usually will. Plus if sick, before they have a chance, snails and crabs will have their bones picked before you know it!

 

Start them out with water from your main system after a water change.

Start dropping salinity right away to 1.020 or less for some over a few days.

Add in Copper drops, fungus medicine, etc that you would like to use.

After about a week, bring back up to the rest of the tank level, another week.

Also at this time, you need to do what you can in getting them to eat!

After they are eating fine and parameters match your main tank should you move AFTER lights go out to main tank or close to evening. Less stress!

[FishWife]

Dittos what DaveH and Chip said!

Love the muscles idea, cool!

 

I have a 10 gallon QT setup, was cheap to do, about $50. Includes a heater, MJ pump, Biowheel with Carbon removed and a couple of ceramic cups in there for them to hide in. Nothing else.

 

For the future, recommend investing into something like this BEFORE putting fish into your system. Stress alone combating with RESIDENCE fish could kill them and usually will. Plus if sick, before they have a chance, snails and crabs will have their bones picked before you know it!

 

Start them out with water from your main system after a water change.

Start dropping salinity right away to 1.020 or less for some over a few days.

Add in Copper drops, fungus medicine, etc that you would like to use.

After about a week, bring back up to the rest of the tank level, another week.

Also at this time, you need to do what you can in getting them to eat!

After they are eating fine and parameters match your main tank should you move AFTER lights go out to main tank or close to evening. Less stress!

 

Um... my CBB isn't sick; just new. I had read that they were finicky, and I was trying to be proactive since none of my other fish need live foods...

 

Did I miss something? If all you're saying is "set up a hospital/QT tank," we have one, and have used it religiously, but the system is right now a little out of whack due to tank switchover, so all our equipment is being used weirdly. The water system is better in the weird setup... I think better than an isolation tank. If I see the CBB getting hassled, I will take him out, but right now it's the best for him, I think. BUT, thanks for all the details. I appreciate your time.

Edited December 20, 2007 by FishWife

[lanman]

having fed Doug's CBB while tank-sitting - his also chases down frozen and prepared food sent into flow like all the other fish. I actually put the first and only PH in my tank to duplicate what he has going, and like it much better than when I used to cut all flow during feeding.

 

That being said, in my main tank I have never seen a CBB, chromis or perc eat: flake, pellet or those formula-x gel cubes so my sucess with the CBB is the same as with all my fish - they all eat mysis and blended seafood.

Never had a CBB (yet) - but my chromis and perc eat: EVERYTHING Dainichi pellets, any kind of mysis shrimp, squid, flakes, 'reef diet', cyclopeeze. I'm looking forward to getting my first CBB.

 

bob

[FishWife]

Copperbands do not in the wild eat from the "Waterstream". They are used to eating worm, and other small crustaceans. The best way to get them to feed is a feeding station.

 

I've got one that I've almost 100% healed from having some type of bacterial infection (they are susceptible to this).

 

I take a cleaner magnet and a live/frozen mussel, split the mussel open and leave it open enough for the copper band to get it's snout in, but not other fish. Put in a place where the copper band frequents. I've had 100% success with this.

 

Once trained to go to the spot anytime you refresh the food source they will be there. Then you can start varying the foods. Black worms inside the mussel shells are an excellent substitute, and then probably some kind of pellet or other meaty prepared food.

 

Dave

 

We got some black worms last night. He ate one or two. This AM, he ate a few more after we turned off the flow. They don't live long in salt water, and he's not interested if they're not wiggling.

 

I like the idea above, Dave: two questions...

 

1. Where to buy mussels in Gaithersburg (read: suburbs)? Do food stores have them? Asian markets?

 

2. I plan to use a clip like I do for algae: where do I "open" the mussel? Between the two shells as if I were to eat it myself, or partially smash it open? I just can't quite visualize it. Pics anyone?

[dhoch]

1) Mussells... most groceries stores carry them (but you have to buy a whole bag full ) (I typically do and freeze them).

 

2) A mussel is basically two half shells held together by a muscle at the "pointer" not round end. If you look at the mussel from above one side is concave (upper side in this picture) the other is convex (lower side in the picture below. The concave side is where you want to split open (you can see it started slightly in the 2nd picture. If you break the mussel don't worry about it. It'll function just the same as splitting it open.

 

Is this clear?

 

Dave

 

[flowerseller]

One more tidbit of advise,

If you have, or plan to have clams noe or in the future, I'd suggest you stay away from the mussel idea.

[dhoch]

I've never had a CB nipper... and I have had clams in tank with them (Now my Blue throat trigger... he was a clam nipper).

 

That being said they do sometimes nip at clams (regardless of the mussel trip)

 

Dave

[Grav]

I have had some luck with Arctipods. Only the ones from BRK.

[Brian Ward]

FWIW... I have a Golden Butterfly in QT right now. I saw him eat Formula gel stuff before I bought him. I've seen him eat live brine shrimp but never seen him eat anything else. However, I added a couple formula cubes to the tank the other night. While he didn't go after them right away, they did not seem to be there the next afternoon (except some broken-up pieces). I know the 1" emperor angel didn't eat 2 cubes by himself - he barely took a couple chunks out of them - so I think the butterfly picked at them overnight. Since then he hasn't been interested when I've added the live brine, so I'm guessing he's 'full'. Behavior is good, coloring is good, and I've had him almost a week now. I'd expect some ill effects if the 10 or so brine shrimp I watched him eat is all he's had. I'm a bit concerned since I never actually see him eat, but since he is acting normally and very actively swimming I'm not sure there's need for concern. Not sure if this is normal or not since this is my first butterfly, just my observation.

[HowardofNOVA]

Arctipods are the bomb!!! Just wish they didn't cost a kings randsom!

 

My 2 CB ate flakes this morning, was too cool!

Then gave them my frozen/fresh mix and they ate them too!

...then live brine and they ate them too????

 

ok, I have 2 PIGS, not CB!!!!

[bigJPDC]

before I started feeding with the flow on I used to pour thawed mysis slowly in the tank and the CBB would actually go up to the top with his beak out of the water snapping at it like Flipper.

[FishWife]

One more tidbit of advise,

If you have, or plan to have clams noe or in the future, I'd suggest you stay away from the mussel idea.

 

I had wondered about that, too, Chip.

 

VERY clear, Dave. THANKS for the details and pictures! Now, one more question: how do you secure it to the clip?

[dhoch]

Now, one more question: how do you secure it to the clip?

 

I'm real high tech here Rubber bands (I do use a mag-float magnet though... the nori clips suctions never seem strong enough).

 

Dave

[vaironman]

I just recently got a CB last week. Here is what works for me. Its size is between small and medium CB.

 

I put it in my 50 quarantine tank, QT, along with a flasher wrasse and a yellow watchman gobie. These two guys have been here for 2 months (just haven't put them in my 150G yet).

 

- Normal routine: turn off all powerhead and return pump on both tanks to feed the fishes.

 

- The first 4 days feed everybody (3 fishes) in the QT with regular mixed frozen food along with brine shrimp.

 

- CB didn't touch any of the frozen food. As it chases after brine shrimps and nips around the rock or looks on the sand for pods.

 

As of yesterday and today (exactly one week), it looks in the frozen food got drop down at the bottom for PE Mysis shrimp and starts eating the PE Mysis shrimp.

 

I may have been lucky with this one, like everyone said CB is very picky to get to eating frozen food.

 

Correction: brine shrimps = live brine shrimps

 

Lee

Edited December 23, 2007 by vaironman

[rsarvis]

My live rock has built up quite a bunch of those tiny little micro-feather-dusters. Will a CBB eat them all?

[treesprite]

My live rock has built up quite a bunch of those tiny little micro-feather-dusters. Will a CBB eat them all?

 

they are talking about aiptasia which is nuisance anemone. Feather dusters are worms that live in tubes.... I have never heard of the fish eating those, however they are actually a good thing because they filter stuff out of the water.