Copperband Barely Eating

[Kal93]

When I first got him he hid in the corner for the first few days. After that he started swimming around but he basically just swims back and forth in the front of the tank. He rarely picks at the rocks that I see.

You've had him for a week? He should be pretty hungry by now. I'm assuming that your tank is mature/has a good deal of copepods/amphipods, etc. for him to peck at. If not, then that may be why he isn't pecking (mine pecked at the rock for the first week before staring at the rock and swimming away). Or, alternatively, he might be eating something -- has he lost a noticeable amount of weight?

 

[Gtinnel]

I have had him for a few days over 2 weeks now. My tank has been up for coming up on two years and I would say I have a fairly large amount of microfauna.
He has possibly lost a little weight but nothing that seems alarming to me.

 

[Nicoseth]

I bought a large copperband butterfly about 3 days ago and so far I havent gotten him to eat anything. I asked at the store and was told he was eating frozen mysis, but stupidly I didn't ask to see him eat. I've tried frozen mysis, frozen brine, and mussels all of which he has ignored. I'm going to try frozen blood worms when I get home this evening. I only have a few other fish in the tank and for the most part none of them are aggressive eaters so he has plenty of time to eat he just isn't interested. I don't have a local source for live blackworms or white worms. I was looking to order white worms on ebay but they won't be delivered for about 2 weeks and I assume if I don't get him eating that'll be too late.


Did you do anything special to the mussels, or just break them open and place in the tank?

I tried with clams from my lfs and he wasn't interested. It was fresh mussels from the store that he went for. Probably just much fresher and tastier. I bought 1/2 pound and put them in the freezer. When I need one I just take it out, crack it open and drop in the tank. Any joy getting him to eat?

 

[sorloe]

I just bought a copperband several days ago. Didn’t eat pe mysis but I did go back to lfs and get the food that the store was feeding it. He went instantly crazy eating it. Just another tip that people can try.

 

[ReefHog]

I just bought a copperband several days ago. Didn’t eat pe mysis but I did go back to lfs and get the food that the store was feeding it. He went instantly crazy eating it. Just another tip that people can try.

What is the food?

 

[sorloe]

I bought the same food that the lfs fed. For smaller copperband like mine, they use hikari brine shrimp and mysis. The main point is to use the same food as lfs if they were eating. It’s simple I know but I overlook it on my first attempt.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

I bought the same food that the lfs fed. For smaller copperband like mine, they use hikari brine shrimp and mysis. The main point is to use the same food as lfs if they were eating. It’s simple I know but I overlook it on my first attempt.

Early July bought CBB after watching it eat spirulina mysis shrimp at LFS (they had 3 - 1st one they said ate really well ate *nothing* so it stayed at LFS... 2nd one was a little scuffed up but ate good (not great/piggy, but okay) and looked healthier than option 3 CBB). Got CBB home and in acclimation box, wouldn't eat (being terrorized by existing fish). Once out of acclimation box, CBB still wouldn't eat, though suspected it was finding pods so bought several bottles pods. Continue tempting with same spirulina mysis saw it eat lots of at LFS but nada... Began tempting with other thawed food, nada... Bought cup of live black worms from LFS, nada on first day but 2nd day ate couple then eating more and more. Bought more cups of live black worms from LFS, eaten. Given cost of cups, bought pound of live black worms from Eastern Aquatics in PA and had overnighted to TX. By end of July, CBB healthy enough healing original scuff as well as gashes my fish gave it upon release from acclimation box (sailfin tang went to sump then traded to LFS). Now toward end of August, CBB completely healed from other fishes initial attacks, CBB still eating only black worms, but BF added food to fridge worm keeper while I was on travel and I came home to all dead blackworms. Barely dented original pound of worms, but they lasted nearly month so did save money over LFS worms. Just ordered another 1/4 pound of Eastern Aquatics blackworms. Plan to route some of 1/4 pound blackworms to worm culture because worms must be losing nutritional value not being fed (hibernation in RO water kept in fridge, rinsed daily with RO, kept in amazon worm keeper box).

However, my end goal is CBB on Reef Frenzy or other thawed foods. Continue to feed dinner:
1) turn off pumps and target feed corals (40mg mix: live phyto, AB+, reef roids, ROE, ...)
2) turn on display tank only pumps & broadcast feed Reef Frenzy (or Rod's or other thawed foods)
3) turn off pumps and target feed blackworms to CBB (which ALL fish have figured out they also like to eat so going thru a lot of blackworms (but didn't dent pound))
4) turn display tank only pumps back on for at least 30 mins (for corals & re-suspend any uneaten fish foods)
5) turn all pumps back on (sump & filter socks, etc etc)

Lunch feeding is steps 2-5 (not 1, corals get fed 1x daily but fish 2x daily)

Moral of story: CBB may not eat at first, but try try try and it will eat... and eventually it will eat more variety based on others experiences. If LFS didn't have live blackworms in cup, I'd have gone mussel route others describe earlier in thread

Good luck to you others!