Black Back Butterfly

[Marieta2006329]

I've recently bought this black back butterfly like about a week ago, he was eating from the water column up until I added him to the tank. The lemonpeel I have in my tank keeps bullying the fish, chasing him and even preventing him from eating. This was going on for about a week until I added a physical barrier.

In the photo I provided, is the the black back swimming around in picking at the rocks, but not eating the food from the water column, despite not having a bully now, the only fish with him in there are two cardinals, who are gentle and docile, not showing any sign of aggression.

I've tried clams and copepods, mysis shrimp, and nori, and I don't know what else to feed him. I've heard that they last about 2-3 weeks before dying if they don't eat well, and this is the second week.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Beautiful Butterfly. I am restocking my 150-gallon with Butterfly fish, and 'almost' (but didn't) add a Lemonpeel Angel for just that reason-- worried about the Angel bullying the Butterfly. I don't know that a major restructuring of the rock work will do the trick, but perhaps if you also put the Lemonpeel in another tank for a week until the Butterfly starts eating again. Keep us posted!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I've recently bought this black back butterfly like about a week ago, he was eating from the water column up until I added him to the tank. The lemonpeel I have in my tank keeps bullying the fish, chasing him and even preventing him from eating. This was going on for about a week until I added a physical barrier.

In the photo I provided, is the the black back swimming around in picking at the rocks, but not eating the food from the water column, despite not having a bully now, the only fish with him in there are two cardinals, who are gentle and docile, not showing any sign of aggression.

I've tried clams and copepods, mysis shrimp, and nori, and I don't know what else to feed him. I've heard that they last about 2-3 weeks before dying if they don't eat well, and this is the second week.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Did the butterfly suffer any damage from the aggression (ripped fins or missing scales)? I don't see why previous aggression, once stopped, would keep the fish from feeding unless it had been damaged.

You could try live baby brine shrimp (unless the copepods you tried were live).

A certain percentage of these fish fail to thrive. It is surmised that is because they were collected with cyanide, and that in turn, leaves residual organ damage.

 

[Marieta2006329]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Did the butterfly suffer any damage from the aggression (ripped fins or missing scales)? I don't see why previous aggression, once stopped, would keep the fish from feeding unless it had been damaged.

You could try live baby brine shrimp (unless the copepods you tried were live).

A certain percentage of these fish fail to thrive. It is surmised that is because they were collected with cyanide, and that in turn, leaves residual organ damage.

The black back received minor nips on the fins, but not fatal, just enough to tell me that they will bully the butterfly to death. It's been about a week already, separated from the bully, he does not show any interest in the free-floating food. Only pecks at the rocks, which is reassuring, as it shows that it hasn't given up on eating altogether.
My dilemma is that I was eating before I bought him, and it isn't after he got bullied by the lemon peel.

 

[lagatbezan]

Try attaching the Nori/seaweed to the rocks with a rubber band.
Also can try some black or white worms.

 

[Louis Z]

Any updates ? I just bought two . Fed them clam on the half shell at the store . They both went to town on it . I am reading frozen blood worms and live culture white worms first then will try frozen mysid . If they don’t eat in Qt . Then I will focus on live brine shrimp, live white worms