New copperband butterflyfish, how to feed?

[Jan]

Hello all,

I have a new juvenile copperband in a 120 reef tank--new setup with established live rock in it.

This is a nice fish and I like it a lot in spite of disappointing results in the majano-eating department. He seems happy in my tank (he's the only resident now but will be getting new tank-mates very soon from my other tank).

So far he had some frozen mysis shrimp, ate a bit but not a lot. This was on his first day. Second day he ate frozen brine shrimp stuffed with spirulina. He was more excited about these than the mysis. He also picks at the live rock constantly but for the life of me I can't see what he's picking at.

I've read that it's important to feed copperbands more than once a day. Does this need to be meaty foods only? What about Formula 1 or 2, or dried algae?

Any advice from copperband keepers would be welcome....

 

[balogh03]

That is really exciting that he is eating for you One thing that i would suggest is to wait a little more before adding another fish. I had a CB butterfly in QT for two months and he would eat everything i through in there...even flake, i thought that i had it made. But, when i put him in and there was competition with the other fish, he just quit eating and picked on rocks all day (lasted about two weeks).

And on the note of him eating more, try putting in a clam that way he has something to munch on over a period of time. Good luck

-augustus

 

[leebca]

Copperbands are my favorite Butterflyfish, Jan. But I'm sorry to hear it isn't in quarantine first. I hope you will adopt that practice for future fishes.

The Copperband is a picky eater -- not a voracious eater, for the most part. There are exceptions. For this reason it is recommended to feed no less than 2 times per day (I feed 3 times per day).

You'll note that it is thin. It keeps its 'figure' by eating lightly. The Copperband is one of the pod eating Butterflyfishes -- close to being a carnivore. The foods it should be fed are whole foods: sea mysis, krill, plankton, whole clam, etc. rather than bits of meat. Still, a diet of 5 feedings out of 21 of meaty foods is a plus. Chopped sea shrimp tail, raw scallop meat, squid (if it will), and chopped bits of larger krill. Keep the size of the food small enough for its mouth.

Try prepared foods marked for herbivores and omnivores. Read ingredients and avoid prepared foods containing land and freshwater ingredients.

 

[Fishead77]

That is really exciting that he is eating for you One thing that i would suggest is to wait a little more before adding another fish. I had a CB butterfly in QT for two months and he would eat everything i through in there...even flake, i thought that i had it made. But, when i put him in and there was competition with the other fish, he just quit eating and picked on rocks all day (lasted about two weeks).

And on the note of him eating more, try putting in a clam that way he has something to munch on over a period of time. Good luck

-augustus

Are they reef safe? I have clams, zoos and leathers. I want one but not if it will pick at my clams!

 

[aquarookie]

Hey, good to hear you got it eating! I would agree with letting it live in the tank a little longer before adding other fish... How big is this guy (overall body size, minus nose and tail?

 

[Jan]

Copperbands are my favorite Butterflyfish, Jan. But I'm sorry to hear it isn't in quarantine first. I hope you will adopt that practice for future fishes.

Noted, Lee. I do plan to do that practice for all future fishes. I made an exception in this case because of not having any other fishes in the tank, and really wanting him to start eating the little majanos.

If I were to put a clam in for him to pick at, I would be concerned that in the future if I added a live clam, he would pick at that too. And I do want to add a live clam at some point.

I also plan to seed the tank with more pods (oceanpods.com) this weekend for him to eat. It's helpful to know that he likes these.

Thanks for the input--as always, I appreciate it very much.

 

[Jan]

Noted, Lee. I do plan to do that practice for all future fishes. I made an exception in this case because of not having any other fishes in the tank, and really wanting him to start eating the little majanos.

If I were to put a clam in for him to pick at, I would be concerned that in the future if I added a live clam, he would pick at that too. And I do want to add a live clam at some point.

I also plan to seed the tank with more pods (oceanpods.com) this weekend for him to eat. It's helpful to know that he likes these.

Thanks for the input--as always, I appreciate it very much.

Julia, he is about 2 to 2.25 inches minus the nose.

 

[leebca]

I made an exception in this case because of not having any other fishes in the tank, and really wanting him to start eating the little majanos.

I suspected as such, Jan. You don't want to introduce the fish to clams then, for sure. Watch for prepared foods that contain clam.

Keep in mind that the pods can't reproduce fast enough to keep the Copperband well fed. Second problem with pods in the aquarium is their lack of diversity to provide the range of nutrients needed.

I keep pods in my refugium and harvest some now and then; I keep Aiptasia in my refugium to get certain fishes to start eating.

Good luck!

 

[Jan]

Update on "Scootie," the copperband butterflyfish.

He is eating up a storm (mysis shrimp or spirulina-stuffed brine shrimp) and really enjoying having the tank to himself. He swims back and forth, up and down the length of the tank. His favorite thing to do is to swim to the edge, turn around and swim upwards until he hits the current from my tunze nanostream, and then it's "WHHHEEEEEEEEE" as it shoots him down the length of the tank. Then he swims back and does it all over again. He's like a little kid on a slide. :lol:

I hope it continues to go well after I add my other fish to the tank.

 

[csababubbles]

how's the copperband doing? still alive? updates?

 

[NC2WA]

Jan,

Great news. Where did you purchase him from?

 

[Jan]

Hi Kirk,

I bought this fish from Denny's Pet World in Kirkland, and it was last March ('07). I had him for a couple of months, he was awesome, but then he got sick with some unknown illness and I put him in a 10 gallon QT. He perked up at first but then after a day or two started getting worse and then passed away. He was a cool fish so it was sad.

 

[NC2WA]

CBB are a kewl fish if you get a good specimen. Unfortnately, it seems like you need to lose 2-3 before you get a good one. I would like to keep a golden butterfly, but even those are finicky. Right now, I trying to instill some confidence (for my wife) that we can keep some fish more than 3-4 months. Once this occurs, I hope to buy the "show fish" (emperor, blue face, majestic,) and scribbled angel (this is a maybe)) for the tank.

 

[Jan]

Yeah...something to look forward to for sure. Kirk, what's your current list of fish in your tank?

 

[NC2WA]

Jan,

My current list of fish are:

Blue throat triggerfish
One spot foxface
Orange spot rabbitfish
Orange diamond goby

I had a flame angel, but it died after 1 wk. I never did see it eat prepared food in the store. However, I am thinking about replacing it or potters angel. Haven't decided yet.

I really want to keep a dwarf angel for at least a month or two, before I spend major money on large ones.

Kirk

 

[edwing206]

You should get a flameback angel Kirk. I'm hoping to get one soon as I get some cash.

 

[NC2WA]

Luis,

I did consider the flameback as well as a cherub. I dismissed the cherub as it is too passive. I need a dwarf angel that can stick up for itself given the large angels that will be in the tank.

What is the temperment of a flameback. Can it hold its own??

Does Africian or Caribbean matter?

 

[edwing206]

I've actually read that cherubs are mean little guys. I personally haven't owned any of them. I don't want to tell you that the flameback or cherub will stand up for itself and be wrong. Because like I said before I have not owned either of the two. Steven11 and Elliott(Snowborda42) have cherubs, they might be able to help you out.

As for the difference between the two types of flamebacks from what I read on liveaquaria it's just a variation of color.

 

[Bainic]

I keep pods in my refugium and harvest some now and then; I keep Aiptasia in my refugium to get certain fishes to start eating.

Good luck!

That's a point of view that I haven't heard of before!! Unfortunately, I don't keep my aiptasia to feed my fish.:lol:

Dave

 

[leebca]

Not so much a viewpoint as a culture of live foods. Most people consider the refugium a source of live food -- mostly pods. Mine grows pods and Aiptasia. I use the Aiptasia to feed some specialized feeding fishes, too.