Copper Banded Butterfly

[FirstSalt]

I'm trying to keep another butterfly and I have him in a small tank with a Mandarin fish. So far he's not eating. I've tried frozen mysis, fresh clam, fresh muscle, roe, rod's food, formula 2 flakes, green algae and some small formula 1 pellets. He's not been interested in any of it all week. Any other suggestions? (I'll be off-line for 24 hours but I'll check when I return).

 

[killingseed2000]

they are picky fish and tend to look for tube worms or fatherduster to eat. they can be weend on to normal food but they would need live food to start off with i think. i added micro fatherduster to my reef just for that reason. tons of them all over my tank but the down side was my yellow tang was going to allow the CB to stay.

 

[bkv1997]

Mark I'd try to get bermuda or 5th day to order you some live brine. If you can get him to eat anything in your take atleast a couple time going from live to frozen shouldn't be too hard.

 

[modifyd]

I just got a large pod population going in the refuigium and mine is still not eating frozen just pods. I've had him for about 10 months so I guess pods are enough. Another thing I do is for a treat I'll buy a clam,oyster or muscle from krogers and crack it open and drop it in. All the fish love it but the buttefly actually eats all of those with no problem.

 

[droblack]

Get some live brine going or buy them regularly for a while, soak in selcon. After it gets accustomed to you feeding something it likes, will be easier to get it to try something else.

 

[FirstSalt]

Thanks all for the suggestions.

 

[AlexStinson]

try feeding it some aptasias....

 

[cee]

You can press food into dead coral skeletons or holes in LR. They like to pick food out of tight places and take some training to take it out of the water column.

Dave

 

[scouncil]

I had a ton of aptasia (wrasse eats my shrimp, so I couldn't put in shrimp to eat them) and my copper banded ate ALL of those after not eating for a week or so. The aptasia disappeared within a week (and I had a TON). It moved onto my little tube worms and they are ALL gone and now it is torturing my acans and my meat corals. I need to get IT and the WRASSE out of my tank..... Mine eats mysis now without a problem, but it had the aptasia and the worms to eat first. I think the food smashed into a coral skeleton would work. It loves to pick.
Susan

 

[bkv1997]

Susan i'll take the Copperband if we can get it out. Can you start trying to hold mysis in your hand and get it to come eat off the cube?

Brandon

 

[scouncil]

Brandon, I have the 2 pig tangs that would go wild and it wouldn't get anything. It usually doesn't come up to the top. I can try. I've seen it eat the mysis. Why the eating out of the hand? What happened to yours? (and when do you want to come and get it? yours doesn't nibble on the corals, or you just don't have anything that it likes?)
Susan

 

[scouncil]

or is yours (gasp!) DEAD!!!!

 

[AlexStinson]

Killer!

 

[scouncil]

OK, Brandon, he's eating out of my hand (doesn't get a whole lot of chances with the Pig Tangs). Donny had mentioned wanting him for a customer (for credit), so if you talk to Donny (I know you all seem to talk on a regular basis- I hate to bother him with the new baby at home) and he doesn't want it anymore or doesn't care if you take it- It's yours if you want to come and help catch him.
Susan

 

[bkv1997]

well if Donny wants him and will give you credit that might be best.

I don't want to get in the middle. I'd like it but was just offering to help catch it. Let me know if you want me to help or think you'd be interested in maybe a trade.

Brandon

 

[scouncil]

Brandon, Donny said it's yours if you want it. He's coming over to my house Thursday if you want to work out catching it with him, so call him. You'll just owe me....
Susan