Copperband ButterFly....

DarthSimon · May 15, 2018

SO I just added a CopperBand from QT. He was in QT for 4 weeks and treated. Eating mysid and Enriched brine...
He has been in my display for about 24 hours now, and is making himself comfy around tank... Tank mates seem disinterested. So far he seems to be picking a lot. Very curious fish.... He is picking at sand, and rocks all over the tank.... I have an Apstasia issue at the moment and hope the picking behavior leads him to that.

I have offered Reef Frenzy, Mysid, and brine.... He hasn't really looked at food yet...

Thoughts???
He’s very social....

Dilan Patel · May 15, 2018

could be that he is new. Have you tried live mussels from the grocery store.

sanchoy · May 15, 2018

Good luck is all I have to say. If he doesn't start eating, get some oysters or black worms

norfolkgarden · May 15, 2018

He is looking for worms. Bristle worms, etc.

Ours eats well (finally!) and is fattening up, but still loves live black worms.
Live black worms make up 25 to 30% of it's diet.
For prepared foods, guessing it first noticed the clams in Cobalt Marine Omni.
Currently it regularly eats
PE Mysis small version, Cobalt Marine Omni and live black worms making up 95% of daily diet. San Francisco Bay brand mussles, PE Calannus cyclops also work noticeably.
Cobalt Marine Vegi, Cobalt Shrimp & Vegi, that we feed other fish, doesn't seem to have a lot of interest.
Seldom use the Formula One or Formula Two. They both sink pretty fast and don't get as much of a response from most of our fish as the other foods.
No interest in different types of algae sheets at all.

Copperband butterfly is new to us since November 18, 2017, so not a lot of history. But it is no longer skinny and one of the first to eat.
Top half of the body over the eyes is finally thick. That took several months to fill in.
Best of luck with yours! Once they are eating well they are supposed to be easy.

jd371 · May 16, 2018

I feed both Black and White live worms. All the fish go crazy for the worms especially my CBB. He also eats Mysis, Brine Shrimp and LRS. I believe mine in the beginning was eating Aptasia but has since stopped, I chalk it up to being well fed. I wish he still did because I have an Aptasia problem.

jcdeng · May 16, 2018

try LRS fish frenzy. Mine went crazy for it after it was done with all the aiptasia and my acan colonies....

ReeferBean · May 16, 2018

You can get a piece of pvc pipe with caps on each end, and drill holes in the pipe. Put some food in the pipe and cap it. It will prevent the other fish from gobbling up the meal before the CBB has a chance to get any.

Curious what you treated it with in QT?

Jesterrace · May 16, 2018

jcdeng said:
try LRS fish frenzy. Mine went crazy for it after it was done with all the aiptasia and my acan colonies....

Yup, fussy fish generally like the stuff, it's about all I feed my tank these days.

Philt56 · May 16, 2018

The first thing mine ate was live blackworms but has finally decided that mysis was ok too. Mine also rips apart the hikari clams on half shell. Frozen brine is of no interest. Never touch the apitasia in the old tank. Just moved him to a new tank so no apitasia there.

cracker · May 16, 2018

Just my opinion, So the CB was eating in Qt & now not so much in the display? Try some clam , oyster, mysis anything, Smoosh it into a crevice in the rock or similar. this is how it's used to eating in nature.The other fish will most likely eat it all 1st, but keep trying. This beautiful fish ( my Fav ) will see the other fish eating & catch on. He's just checking the place out. It's important that there is none to little aggression from the neighbors. It's pecking around could be She's eating stuff we can't see. wait a couple days & let us know .

BPF42 · May 16, 2018

I have a fairly new Copperband and have been hand feeding him with Masstick. He will also eat Mysis shrimp, but seems to like the Masstick the best. Best of luck!