CopperBand

[TitusStar]

Hey y’all so I snapped and bought a Copperband for $50 I currently have a 1.5 year old setup and have a file fish that loves to eat pods too. When cleaning my
Filter I see a ton of amphipods will the Copperband eat these? I can hardely see copepods in the tank but maybe my eyes aren’t to good lol!
Still waiting for my bbs to hatch

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey y’all so I snapped and bought a Copperband for $50 I currently have a 1.5 year old setup and have a file fish that loves to eat pods too. When cleaning my
Filter I see a ton of amphipods will the Copperband eat these? I can hardely see copepods in the tank but maybe my eyes aren’t to good lol!
Still waiting for my bbs to hatch

While it will pick at them, assure it gets a complete diet with foods such as LRS Herbivore diet, mysis shrimp, small plankton, Clam on a shell and chopped clams

 

[TitusStar]

While it will pick at them, assure it gets a complete diet with foods such as LRS Herbivore diet, mysis shrimp, small plankton, Clam on a shell and chopped clams

What would be a good source to satisfy the herbivore diet?

 

[vetteguy53081]

What would be a good source to satisfy the herbivore diet?

LRS herbivore frenzy (oops, I said diet) is a complete meal

 

[Isaac Alves]

I would supplement feeding with Masstick alongside the LRS. This gets a lot of nutrients into their gut because they can pick it off the glass and get a good amount of food into their belly. You can also add supplements into the mix easily to ensure their immune system stays strong.

 

[Isaac Alves]

I typically will mix in a few drops of selcon, and an algae based Beta 1, 3 glucan powder supplement.

 

[Gtinnel]

IME a copperband usually won’t survive from just picking at the rockwork. It’s important to get it eating something else. All of the above suggestions are common foods to try, mine would only eat live foods for the first year. I fed it live white worms to keep it alive until it finally started eating frozen food.

 

[dennis romano]

My four year old copperband loves live black worms.

 

[Reefering1]

Sounds like you better do alot of research, immediately, on how to get that cbb to eat prepared foods. like now. If it isnt already eating meaty foods you feed the tank, your on a timer. It will not survive on pods alone. This is a very difficult fish to keep long term, especially if bought on a whim and you are unprepared. Post pic of fish

 

[TitusStar]

IME a copperband usually won’t survive from just picking at the rockwork. It’s important to get it eating something else. All of the above suggestions are common foods to try, mine would only eat live foods for the first year. I fed it live white worms to keep it alive until it finally started eating frozen food.

How would u get it to eat frozen it seems impossible lol?

 

[fishnchips17]

How would u get it to eat frozen it seems impossible lol?

Have a look at my thread on how I got my copperband to eat frozen.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/so-happy-copperband-is-eating-frozen.1005492/

 

[CHIEF_OF_THE_REEF]

I started my CB in the frag tank, with no other fish in there, then fed the frozen so he could eat with out being bullied. Once he started picking at the frozen it was over. Left him in there another few weeks and then to the display he went. Now when it is feeding time, he is one of the ones first in line to get his meal, even with all the other bigger tangs. My CB will pick at the rocks all day long, leaves the SPS and my Lords alone and loves dinner time.

My experience has been that once you get them started, they should continue.

 

[Gtinnel]

How would u get it to eat frozen it seems impossible lol?

I would mix the live worms he ate with the frozen food that I fed the rest of the tank. It took a long time but eventually he started eating the frozen too and now he is probably the most aggressive eater I have. When I go to feed the tank he sticks his mouth out of the water waiting on the food.

 

[dhnguyen]

I feed mine frozen shrimp and scallops. I sliced them into thin strips to make them look like worms. He eats them up with gusto. The first couple months was touch and go with this fish though as he would ONLY eat aiptasia. So what I did was I wrapped some fish nettomg around a rock and stuck some bits of food under it and eventually he starts picking at them. Now he eats like a pig and will even aggressively steal food from the tang LOL

 

[dhnguyen]

I would mix the live worms he ate with the frozen food that I fed the rest of the tank. It took a long time but eventually he started eating the frozen too and now he is probably the most aggressive eater I have. When I go to feed the tank he sticks his mouth out of the water waiting on the food.

Have you notice that these guys actually make a clicking sound when they eat? Whenever mine goes after a piece of scallop which is his favourite he gets so aggressive that he starts clicking when he eats

 

[Ajayabb]

Have you notice that these guys actually make a clicking sound when they eat? Whenever mine goes after a piece of scallop which is his favourite he gets so aggressive that he starts clicking when he eats

My long nose butterfly makes a clicking sound when he eats too

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I started my CB in the frag tank, with no other fish in there, then fed the frozen so he could eat with out being bullied. Once he started picking at the frozen it was over. Left him in there another few weeks and then to the display he went. Now when it is feeding time, he is one of the ones first in line to get his meal, even with all the other bigger tangs. My CB will pick at the rocks all day long, leaves the SPS and my Lords alone and loves dinner time.

My experience has been that once you get them started, they should continue.

My experience exactly. He now greets me the minute I come into the room. I did make sure he was eating at the LFS before I got him. Put him in a established tank alone.

 

[coralbeauties]

I have two in qt right now. They are still so shy they stay hidden any time Im around the tank. Five days and they are still frightened of me. I picked mine up wholesale so they have probably only been out of the ocean alittle over a week. I had to put a tank divider in since one of them was really harassing the other. Its hard to tell if they are eating. I will try the clams rubber banded to the rocks tomorrow. I have two already and they are the biggest pigs and beggars that I have.
Jeff

 

[vetteguy53081]

How would u get it to eat frozen it seems impossible lol?

Lower light and walk away in case its intimidated. My went after mysis shrimp and Lrs fish frenzy same day I got it

 

[Nibs]

Mine will not eat from the water column. I feed mine by mincing clams, oysters and prawns and mashing it into a rock I have on a fishing line. He goes absolutely crazy at it and is super healthy