Copperbanded Butterfly Fish Feeding/Care

[AmatuerAuer]

I have done a lot of research on the Copperbanded Butterfly and was well aware of the risks associated with their feeding habits. That said, I purchased one from a reputable dealer in the area who assured me he was feeding. He is well fed and appears in great condition, plump, no torn fins, spots etc.

I have had the fish in my 120g mixed reef for roughly 1 week. I have not seen him take to mysis, flake or pellet food yet when they are provided. I do however see him scouring the tank and the crevices of the rock work pecking at what I assume are small inverts, worms etc.

My question is this: Can a Copperbanded Butterfly be sustained by scavenging like a mandarin for example or will this eventually lead to malnutrition and death?

Second question: I am interested in trying alternate means of feeding him, a raw clam in the shell, alternate feeding method or source. Any advice?

Thank you!
AA

 

[hatrix11]

I've had mine for 3 weeks, he's eating live blackworms. I drop the worms in with flake and he seems to get a little of the flake. After a month of no problems I'm going to be a little more aggressive in switching his foods but I wan't to make sure he's comfortable and healthy first.

 

[reefk]

Raw clam in the shell work well, ask your dealer as what he was feeding him...they are finicky in terms of taking feed initially.

 

[JaimeAdams]

Ours we start on live black worms and then introduce frozen. I use Larry's Frenzy usually alternating between Fish Frenzy and Reef Frenzy, although most of the ingredients are the same. They do also like picking at clams as mentioned above.

 

[Paul B]

I have had the fish in my 120g mixed reef for roughly 1 week. I have not seen him take to mysis, flake or pellet food yet when they are provided. I do however see him scouring the tank and the crevices of the rock work pecking at what I assume are small inverts, worms etc.

My question is this: Can a Copperbanded Butterfly be sustained by scavenging like a mandarin for example or will this eventually lead to malnutrition and death?

Second question: I am interested in trying alternate means of feeding him, a raw clam in the shell, alternate feeding method or source. Any advice?

Thank you!
AA

Your copperband can not sustain itself like a mandarin at all. In the fifty or so I have had only one ate some flake food but that is not a diet for them, or any fish IMO. In studying them in the sea quite a few times I se they eat worms which is what they use that snout for. They should have worms and clams every day, preferably live worms. They are also large eaters and although when young they may eat some pods, adults won't even see them. I buy fresh, very large clams and freeze them live. Then I open them and shave off paper thin slices every day for the fish. A copperband should live at least ten years, maybe longer.

 

[laga77]

I have had mine for 4 years now. Live worms both black and white and blender mush are his favorite foods. I have never fed him a flake or pellet.

 

[tripdad]

One of my favorite fish, I have had my current one for three years. Mine eats frozen Hikari brand mysis, the standard size, not the large. I have tried LRS with blackworms, other mysis brands, and a few other things without much luck. I have had good luck with multiple fish eating the Hikari brand. Good luck, such a beautiful fish. P.S. In a pinch you can ask around for anyone whose tank is overun by small feather worms, they love those.

 

[Mindi]

I have failed twice to keep them alive and am still looking for a feeding solution. My two would both eat Mysis , worms and even flake but were completely uncompetitive in the feeding frenzy of my clowns, chromis, tangs, and angels. It was this uncompetitiveness that has me not getting another. Great fish, wish I could have one. How do people get them a share of food..?
Would happily give away my Chromis Viridis... ferocious eaters and boring fish.

 

[Paul B]

My copperband is my biggest eater by far. This is a couple of years ago when he was young. Now I have to feed him on the opposite side of the tank so the other fish get some food.
Worms and clams are the main food.
video

 

[botheboss]

I qted mine with a couple fish that ate well. Still feed a clam every few days but mysis and brine in between. I also tried the frozen rock pop trick where you smear food on a small rock and freeze. Then drop in and fish pick food off rock. Eventually he started eating a few mysis, only been a couple months but I'm hopeful.

 

[rinckemd]

Toss a mussel in! Open it, rubberband it to a small rock or something so it doesn't close. You can buy them live and freeze them, he'll still eat it.

 

[Cherub]

I couldn't keep mine alive. The vendor I bought it from showed me that it ate frozen brine and he did. As soon as I got him home though he just stopped eating and he eventually died. It was horrible to watch and I have always wanted to keep one. If there's a trick let me know. In Colorado there aren't many places you can get live clams at.

 

[botheboss]

I couldn't keep mine alive. The vendor I bought it from showed me that it ate frozen brine and he did. As soon as I got him home though he just stopped eating and he eventually died. It was horrible to watch and I have always wanted to keep one. If there's a trick let me know. In Colorado there aren't many places you can get live clams at.

Have you tried the seafood section of the grocery store? I live in Arkansas and they have live clams and oysters. Try a fancy one they got them most likely. Lol

 

[Cherub]

Have you tried the seafood section of the grocery store? I live in Arkansas and they have live clams and oysters. Try a fancy one they got them most likely. Lol

I seen lobster at whole foods lol. I can ask about clams. Thanks!

 

[botheboss]

I seen lobster at whole foods lol. I can ask about clams. Thanks!

Just break them open and throw them on the bottom! Only thing now is I was wanting a maxima looks like that's out of the question now lol.

 

[laga77]

Just break them open and throw them on the bottom! Only thing now is I was wanting a maxima looks like that's out of the question now lol.

I have had clams with my CBB for all four years. Never touched them.

 

[botheboss]

I have had clams with my CBB for all four years. Never touched them.

Cool I just figure since I was feeding clams that would be a problem

 

[Lb71]

One of the best tricks I learned for CBB fish is using a feeding station which is nothing more than a 3" piece of 1/2" pvc pipe with caps on both ends. Drill 6-7 quarter inch holes in the pvc reem the holes smooth. Take one of the caps ends off fill with frozen mysis or any good quality frozen food blends Rod's etc. Replace the cap put the feeder back in the water some place easily seen by the fish. CBB have evolved to use that long nose to reach into crevices and this feeder station mimics this behavior. There are u tube videos on this
Larry

 

[jd371]

Live black worms is what my CBB loves. He'll come right up to the eye dropper when I'm feeding black worms and eat them as they come out... he's not shy at all. He also pretty much eats everything I feed my other fish which consists of LRS, mysis, brine shrimp, and clams. None of my fish get pellets or flakes.

Just break them open and throw them on the bottom! Only thing now is I was wanting a maxima looks like that's out of the question now lol.

I wouldn't worry. I've had my CBB for almost a month now and it doesn't bother with my Maxima or my corals. Doesn't touch the Aptasia either, but that's not why I got him.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I had a three strikes policy on CBBs... over the course of several years, I tried three and lost all three. I decided I would not try another unless I purchased an established one from someone else's tank.

Luckily I got that chance 2 years ago. Even though this fish was well established, he was still hesitant to eat once introduced. The thing that helped him at first was turning off the flow when feeding. This allowed the food to settle to the bottom. He much preferred to pick food off the bottom vs eating out of the water column. He was able to transition to normal feeding after a few weeks.

Now he is the most aggressive feeder in my tank. I drop in thawed mussels or clams and he literally is tearing it up before they even hit the bottom. I also drop in still-frozen chunks of frozen food and he rips them up while they float around at them at the surface. There are a few foods he will not eat if it's thawed and floating around the tank, but will tear apart if its frozen in a big chunk.