Feeding clams and oysters to copperband?

[ying yang]

Hi there,ive read about feeding fish and inparticular copperband butterflies,
So i read about buying fresh clams and then freezing them,i live in big city in england but cant for life off me find a fishmongers lol.
So found a fishmonger section in a not so local supermarket,so i bought these raw frozen white shell clams,says caught in western central pacific ocean by dredges.so are these anygood?
If so i just thaw out and cut thin slivers and feed them raw correct ?
Also bought a fresh oyster,i can just cut sliver of this and feed also or no good?
Any info be grateful and will tag @PaulB as was your thread i seen about this.
Thanks very much

 

[ying yang]

This looks good idea i guess

 

[Operator Wrasse]

I feed raw oysters and clams to my Copperband and Valentini Puffer. I'm not sure of the specific type, but neither fish is picky. I'm using this as a way to ween the Copperband onto frozen and to wear down the teeth on the Valentini Puffer. For your CB, leave it on the half shell so it looks like natural prey.

 

[ying yang]

Ok will thaw one clam out tonight and break one half of the shell off leaving the clam in the other side of the shell and see if he takes at it.
Thanks for your reply.will try same with oyster also

I feed raw oysters and clams to my Copperband and Valentini Puffer. I'm not sure of the specific type, but neither fish is picky. I'm using this as a way to ween the Copperband onto frozen and to wear down the teeth on the Valentini Puffer. For your CB, leave it on the half shell so it looks like natural prey.

 

[Gtinnel]

If you can't get it to eat oysters, clams, etc then if you can get them in England white worms are a good option to get a cbb to eat. White worms are cheap and easy to culture for a endless supply of live food.
I tried a cbb and the only thing it would eat were white worms (not counting the hammer or duncan corals). Unfortunately I was too late to keep him alive.
Hopefully yours is already eating something.

 

[ying yang]

Thanks for reply. Mine eating little bit if mysis. Not much compared to the other fish but least getting something.
Im a ex self employed plumber so got lots plumbing fittings so going to make some kind of contraption out of pipe and 2 end caps and drill some holes in it so only copperband can get its mouth in and yeah i been saying about getting or trying to get a white worm culture going as read they very beneficial to all fish and should help the cbb also.
Just put the fresh oyster in and nas snails and hermits and cleaner shrimp all over it and copperband was getting some the oyster that the cuc ripped off but it didn't try take any from the shell.

Ive done little more research on the clams and seems any clam will do



Edit: copperband picking eating from the oyster now that the nas snails moved

 

[ying yang]

Well im unsure what type of clams i got as just says white shell clams and caught by dredging in pacific ocean but copperband picked a littoe bit of the oyster last night affer nassarius snails had their bit and put 2 of the just over an inch wide clams in tonight and the copperband was paying lots interest in it and literally ripping the clams out of its and all my fish absolutely love the clams so got them frozen but will thaw out 3 clams every day in the fridge so they thawed to feed the next day at tea time feed got a little short video of the copperband and wrasse and coral beauty ripping it apart on you tube uploading but will have to wait till tommorrow to share link as it saying meta data not saved but after few hours or so it lets me share.

SO BASICALLY IF ANYONE HAVING TROUBLE WITH A COPPERBAND EATING OR ANY FISH FOR THAT MATTER,ITS TRUE WHAT A FEW SAY REGARDING EVEN SHY TIMID FISH OR FINICKY FISH CANT RESIST A CLAM,THEIR CORRECT AS MY FISH LOVED THEM SO WILL ADD 3 CLAMS PER DAY TO COUNT FOR ONE OF THEIR FEEDS.

and i read that clams are very beneficial as the fish eat all off the clam even there guts i think if read correctly so very nutricious

Edit: so far i got 5 different kinds of frozen cubed food and algae flakes,1mm pellets and algae sheets that clip to side but will be buying more different frozen cubed food for them and just trying to vary their diet to keep them healthy as possible.2 times per week i buy them live food in small bag of copepods or artemia brine shrimp or mysis shrimp and soon i will buy a white worm culture as hear these very good for them as i like good steak but if had steak breakfast,dinner and tea every day for weeks/ months i soon would get bored of steak so varying the fishes diet will be best i can do to keep my fish healthy

 

[Oldsman]

Gorgeous cbb..I'd love to have one but space won't allow a larger tank right now
Glad to see it devour the clam

 

[ying yang]

Yeah he good looking and healthy looking and one my favourite fish.wasnt going to get one as read all the stories off not eating and just starving to death so thought buying one just for it not to eat isnt right thing to do.
But after researching this last month some more,i reading more people having more success and thought if it isnt eating frozen food or not eating enough then i quickly make something only cbb can get its mouth in or strap food with elastic band onto and into the rocks so it can forage but so far so good ( only early days at 2 days since feeding oysters/ clams) and it paying alot off attention especially to the clams and literally ripping clam off the shell and seen him get big bits and chew it then spit out then get it again and swallow so if carries on like this then all be well ^_^

 

[Gtinnel]

Getting it to eat anything is a good start.

ITS TRUE WHAT A FEW SAY REGARDING EVEN SHY TIMID FISH OR FINICKY FISH CANT RESIST A CLAM

I wish that would've been my experience. I tried every type of bivalve I could buy at the grocery store and he didn't care about any of them. My other fish liked them though

 

[ying yang]

Hopefully this youtube video will share.
I put it on unlisted so anyone with link can watch it but then some reason changes to private and me and tech no good so find it hard but think i found way to make unlisted again.please let me know if can see video or not thanks

 

[Gtinnel]

Yes it works. You're right he really went after that clam.

 

[ying yang]

Getting it to eat anything is a good start.


I wish that would've been my experience. I tried every type of bivalve I could buy at the grocery store and he didn't care about any of them. My other fish liked them though

Aw thats a big shame as they are such a gorgeous fish.guess its right what they say off no 2 fish are the same

 

[ying yang]

Yes it works. You're right he really went after that clam.

Ok great thanks.finally think worked out how to do it.only took 4 months lol

 

[jaganshi066]

Well im unsure what type of clams i got as just says white shell clams and caught by dredging in pacific ocean but copperband picked a littoe bit of the oyster last night affer nassarius snails had their bit and put 2 of the just over an inch wide clams in tonight and the copperband was paying lots interest in it and literally ripping the clams out of its and all my fish absolutely love the clams so got them frozen but will thaw out 3 clams every day in the fridge so they thawed to feed the next day at tea time feed got a little short video of the copperband and wrasse and coral beauty ripping it apart on you tube uploading but will have to wait till tommorrow to share link as it saying meta data not saved but after few hours or so it lets me share.

SO BASICALLY IF ANYONE HAVING TROUBLE WITH A COPPERBAND EATING OR ANY FISH FOR THAT MATTER,ITS TRUE WHAT A FEW SAY REGARDING EVEN SHY TIMID FISH OR FINICKY FISH CANT RESIST A CLAM,THEIR CORRECT AS MY FISH LOVED THEM SO WILL ADD 3 CLAMS PER DAY TO COUNT FOR ONE OF THEIR FEEDS.

and i read that clams are very beneficial as the fish eat all off the clam even there guts i think if read correctly so very nutricious

Edit: so far i got 5 different kinds of frozen cubed food and algae flakes,1mm pellets and algae sheets that clip to side but will be buying more different frozen cubed food for them and just trying to vary their diet to keep them healthy as possible.2 times per week i buy them live food in small bag of copepods or artemia brine shrimp or mysis shrimp and soon i will buy a white worm culture as hear these very good for them as i like good steak but if had steak breakfast,dinner and tea every day for weeks/ months i soon would get bored of steak so varying the fishes diet will be best i can do to keep my fish healthy

I got copperband Saturday night, the store had 10 of them and one was eating a lot of frozen spirulina brine and mysis. I tried that yesterday and live brine but he didn’t eat. I’m worried cause it’s the 2nd day with me and I’m trying a big clam from the store that I cut open. Any tips? I thought since he ate so much at the store he would be eating when I brought him home.

 

[Operator Wrasse]

I got copperband Saturday night, the store had 10 of them and one was eating a lot of frozen spirulina brine and mysis. I tried that yesterday and live brine but he didn’t eat. I’m worried cause it’s the 2nd day with me and I’m trying a big clam from the store that I cut open. Any tips? I thought since he ate so much at the store he would be eating when I brought him home.

The clam doesn't have to be huge. Put it in the tank when the lights come on or just before so the CBB can pick all day. Try switching between different types of shelled creatures to carry vary the nutrition and taste.

 

[ying yang]

I got copperband Saturday night, the store had 10 of them and one was eating a lot of frozen spirulina brine and mysis. I tried that yesterday and live brine but he didn’t eat. I’m worried cause it’s the 2nd day with me and I’m trying a big clam from the store that I cut open. Any tips? I thought since he ate so much at the store he would be eating when I brought him home.

Yeah was basically same with me.at the lfs he was eating frozen food but when brought home he just picked at it a little but hardly anything.i think because other more aggressive eaters compared to him in my tank and he was the new guy.
Some say put him in his own observational tank on his own with few pieces of live rock so some worms,pods on it for him to eat and also to get him eating without competition ( get him used to your food)
Bute personally i just defrosted the clam and made sure it opened and threw it in and sometimes get pair scissors and cut very fine slivers off and mine eats it voraciously.
But like above stated try different selection of shelled food rather than just clams to give him a bit of variety.goodluck

Edit: some say soak food in garlic to try entice a picky fish to eat.how this works i dont know as never tried.

 

[ying yang]

Also before i bought the fish i researched lots and lots different ways to feed them.this above is one way that only copperband can feed from and other fish cant ( unless other large snout fish ) way this works is as other fish that been in tank longer are more comfortable in tank they eat the food fast so making something like this enables your copperband to get his long snout in and pick the frozen brine shrimp/ mysis or whatever inside and other fish only get what he misses and floats out past copperband and it more natural like behaviour for copperband as evoloution made his snout to forage in cracks and crevices ^_^

Starting a white worm culture good also but takes time to order-start culture-then harvest worms etc so good for future health

 

[ying yang]

White Worms for food

IMO worms are about the best food you can feed along with clams. These foods contain bacteria "That our fish need" to stay healthy along with the fats, minerals and everything else to keep them healthy. I hear all the time that worms are to hard to keep and they have to be kept cool. No, they...

www.reef2reef.com

White worm culture

 

[Paul B]

That is the perfect food for a copperband and the main reason people don't have "luck" with them. They don't feed them correctly.

Give them clams in paper thin slices. That is the best food for all fish.