New copperband - ideas/help needed

[vetteguy53081]

Not sure if "fish frenzy" or "marine cuisine" is available here in EU, so need to check that out.
Live mysis is not and option.
Generally, live foods are hard to come by here, so options are limited.
If only it would eat aptasia...

Frozen mysis
Rods herbivore formula also another food if available
Mine wont touch Massticks either

 

[kilnakorr]

None of those 'US brands' are ready avaiable here.
It doesn't seem that interested in frozen mysis. It has pick at a few, but hasn't eaten any.

 

[zaga]

Hopefully it starts it eating. CBB's are such cool fish.

 

[kilnakorr]

Hopefully it starts it eating. CBB's are such cool fish.

I hope so.
And yes, it is amazing watching it investigating the rock works non-stop.

 

[Bucs20fan]

I hope so.
And yes, it is amazing watching it investigating the rock works non-stop.

Your main issue is the tangs. A new copperband is easily intimidated by other fish, especially ones larger than itself. Having other fish around is a great tool to induce eating as a feeding response makes them go nuts in alot of cases. But the killer here is that if it goes from feeding response to intimidation factor then it is a negative effect. Even if there is no aggression witnessed, if it is staying in the corner its encountered aggression. Alot happens in these tank when we arent looking. It is very hard to introduce butterflies into tanks that already have established tangs. Sumping the fish could possibly help and is worth a try. But if another couple days goes by and the cbb is still stuck in the corner you will have to figure out another solution. Cbb are pretty hardy when they grow up, but a juvenile will go downhill fast.

 

[kilnakorr]

Your main issue is the tangs. A new copperband is easily intimidated by other fish, especially ones larger than itself. Having other fish around is a great tool to induce eating as a feeding response makes them go nuts in alot of cases. But the killer here is that if it goes from feeding response to intimidation factor then it is a negative effect. Even if there is no aggression witnessed, if it is staying in the corner its encountered aggression. Alot happens in these tank when we arent looking. It is very hard to introduce butterflies into tanks that already have established tangs. Sumping the fish could possibly help and is worth a try. But if another couple days goes by and the cbb is still stuck in the corner you will have to figure out another solution. Cbb are pretty hardy when they grow up, but a juvenile will go downhill fast.

It is not in the corner.
Been home the last few days, and spend hours watching the tank.
The cbb has spent all day in the 'open', investigating the rocks.

 

[Bucs20fan]

It is not in the corner.
Been home the last few days, and spend hours watching the tank.
The cbb has spent all day in the 'open', investigating the rocks.

if your cbb wont eat either live brine or live blackworms, this is going to be an intense battle of wills.

 

[kilnakorr]

if your cbb wont eat either live brine or live blackworms, this is going to be an intense battle of wills.

I don't know if it will.
Blackworms is not really available here.
Live brine should be possible, but not sure how to feed it, without the rest of the gang beating it to it.

 

[Bucs20fan]

I don't know if it will.
Blackworms is not really available here.
Live brine should be possible, but not sure how to feed it, without the rest of the gang beating it to it.

That is the tricky part. You have two options, place the cbb in a different tank, breeder box, sump. Or put so many live brine in the tank that the cbb gets a chance.

 

[Bucs20fan]

I know this is all less than desired news, but once the cbb does eat, and does get comfortable, it will compete for food with the best of em.

 

[kilnakorr]

That is the tricky part. You have two options, place the cbb in a different tank, breeder box, sump. Or put so many live brine in the tank that the cbb gets a chance.

As far as I know, most places stock up on live foods tuesdays, so will go shopping for fresh supply on various stuff.
If I don't see some readonable eating in the next two days, I'll refit the divider to give it some peace to pick from the ground in it's own pace.

 

[jtf74]

Congrats! Great fish. Better than the filefish imo for aptasia. Enriched Brine Shrimp, Mysis are favorites of mine. Very common to have a Tang banish your CBB to one area of the tank. My Yellow did that at first. Very much a territorial thing. If there are no fins torn or bitten you should be good. Is your rock work live. Pods are important as they pick all day a night. This is also one fish you need to feed at least twice a day. They will starve. Your other fish will capture food 3 to 1 over CBB. Again great fish!

I have had the most luck with live white worms with my CBB. Even if you were able to put it into a separate tank and get it eating once you put it back into the display with other fish it may refuse to eat again.
I am currently going through that with my CBB. It was in a qt tank for months and started aggressively eating, but about a week ago I added it to my display. It has spent most of the time hiding and so far hasn’t ate other than what it has picked at from my rockwork.

Yeah mine liked white worms too but I hated dealing with soil

 

[jtf74]

As far as I know, most places stock up on live foods tuesdays, so will go shopping for fresh supply on various stuff.
If I don't see some readonable eating in the next two days, I'll refit the divider to give it some peace to pick from the ground in it's own pace.

Separation is imperative. Once it eats readily it should get in with the tangs and become less picky. Offer it lots of variety. Mine initially ate black or white worms, even a small earthworm, and I mixed frozen mysis in with that. After about 3-4 days was eating mysis too. After about a month I quit feeding worms. Would spit out dead brine. Wasn't interested in clams. It had aiptasia everywhere in QT but didn't discover them until a few weeks past. It gained a good amount of weight in QT for 90 days and ate mysis and all the aiptaisia . After it moved into DT was eating like a champ and with tangs and angels . Then it took clams and brine which it had refused earlier.

My cbb was however larger than all the other occupants. My blue tang was smaller and docile. My dwarf angels wanted to bully him but he was fat and healthy and fended them off violently with his top pointy fins.

For a reference point my cbb (about 4") eats 60-100 mysis a day, plus I give him aiptasia treats every few days. The cbb actually needs to eat more of the food than your tangs because it doesn't pick on algae.

Do you have pictures of the cbb?

 

[kilnakorr]

Separation is imperative. Once it eats readily it should get in with the tangs and become less picky. Offer it lots of variety. Mine initially ate black or white worms, even a small earthworm, and I mixed frozen mysis in with that. After about 3-4 days was eating mysis too. After about a month I quit feeding worms. Would spit out dead brine. Wasn't interested in clams. It had aiptasia everywhere in QT but didn't discover them until a few weeks past. It gained a good amount of weight in QT for 90 days and ate mysis and all the aiptaisia . After it moved into DT was eating like a champ and with tangs and angels . Then it took clams and brine which it had refused earlier.

My cbb was however larger than all the other occupants. My blue tang was smaller and docile. My dwarf angels wanted to bully him but he was fat and healthy and fended them off violently with his top pointy fins.

For a reference point my cbb (about 4") eats 60-100 mysis a day, plus I give him aiptasia treats every few days. The cbb actually needs to eat more of the food than your tangs because it doesn't pick on algae.

Do you have pictures of the cbb?

Yeah, I might have to figure out to seperate him.
He seems to taste most foods, but not really getting excited about anything. Still nipping at the rocks non stop, so must be looking for food.
Hard to get a good picture, as I haven't cleaned the glass for some time.
Seems to be getting a bit skinne for my liking...:

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

Baby Live Brine Shrimp, the Green Chromis will go nuts over them. Might get it excited enough to eat. Also try feeding the Baby Brine to the Aiptasia, I had a Copperband years ago, wouldn‘t touch the Aiptasia, I fed some Baby Brine to the Aiptasia, then the Copperband, started ripping into them. Unfortunately it decided my simpler corals were tastier.

 

[kilnakorr]

Baby Live Brine Shrimp, the Green Chromis will go nuts over them. Might get it excited enough to eat. Also try feeding the Baby Brine to the Aiptasia, I had a Copperband years ago, wouldn‘t touch the Aiptasia, I fed some Baby Brine to the Aiptasia, then the Copperband, started ripping into them. Unfortunately it decided my simpler corals were tastier.

When you say 'baby' brine shrimp, do you mean freshly hacked? They seem pretty small.
I have cultured brine shrimp before and could do it again but takes time, so not a reliable food source.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

Yes, Freshly Hatched, cut the Bottom off of a Soda or one use water bottle, cap, invert. Measure Hot Tap water, into bottle. Don’t worry about the Chlorine, unless it is outrageously high. Add Rock Salt, an Airstone. When water cools to 80 F add the eggs. Tip you can keep the temperature up in the bottle, by using glass cleaning magnets, to hold the bottle in your aquarium or sump. At about 20 hours, should start having hatch out at 80 F Darken area around bottle, use a Penlight to attract them, and Syphon out. Your fish will be able to see them. My Green Chromis, Clownfish, Neon Dottyback, Flameback Angel, all go after them. Even the Two Spot Tang will eat some. Lawn Mower Blennie gets excited, but doesn’t appear to eat them. You can feed the Baby Brine a pinch of ReefRoids or Dissolved and activated Yeast.

 

[i cant think]

None of those 'US brands' are ready avaiable here.
It doesn't seem that interested in frozen mysis. It has pick at a few, but hasn't eaten any.

Whereabouts in EU are you?

 

[kilnakorr]

Frozen mysis
Rods herbivore formula also another food if available
Mine wont touch Massticks either

Yes, Freshly Hatched, cut the Bottom off of a Soda or one use water bottle, cap, invert. Measure Hot Tap water, into bottle. Don’t worry about the Chlorine, unless it is outrageously high. Add Rock Salt, an Airstone. When water cools to 80 F add the eggs. Tip you can keep the temperature up in the bottle, by using glass cleaning magnets, to hold the bottle in your aquarium or sump. At about 20 hours, should start having hatch out at 80 F Darken area around bottle, use a Penlight to attract them, and Syphon out. Your fish will be able to see them. My Green Chromis, Clownfish, Neon Dottyback, Flameback Angel, all go after them. Even the Two Spot Tang will eat some. Lawn Mower Blennie gets excited, but doesn’t appear to eat them. You can feed the Baby Brine a pinch of ReefRoids or Dissolved and activated Yeast.

I kniw how to hatch them, and have a few devices to do it.
I have a small 'lab', where I used to grow phyto, pods, brine shrimp etc.

Whereabouts in EU are you?

Denmark.
Managed to find a 'local' store, with live black worms. The cbb is not really interested. Ate one that landed on a rock.
It seems to try a variety of foods, but it doesn't seem to keep going after the first taste.

 

[jtf74]

As far as I know, most places stock up on live foods tuesdays, so will go shopping for fresh supply on various stuff.
If I don't see some readonable eating in the next two days, I'll refit the divider to give it some peace to pick from the ground in it's own pace.

Just FYI my cbb about 3.5-4" easily eats 60-100 mysis every day for a reference point.

Yeah, I might have to figure out to seperate him.
He seems to taste most foods, but not really getting excited about anything. Still nipping at the rocks non stop, so must be looking for food.
Hard to get a good picture, as I haven't cleaned the glass for some time.
Seems to be getting a bit skinne for my liking...:

Yeah it does look under weight. I'd keep trying the black worms and also live brine.