Copperband Eating - Now What

[apb03]

I've had my Copperband for 4 days and to my delight, he has started to eat. I threw the kitchen sink at it, and finally, he was chowing down and I couldn't be happier. I have him in an isolation box and I know for a fact that my Yellow Tang is not a fan. My plan is to do the mirror trick and release him but I'm not sure how long I should wait.

Should I keep him in there for a week or two, or am I good to go to release him in the next day or so?

Interested to hear any suggestions.

For those who are curious, I finally got him to eat by doing the following:

- Snail shell stuffed with Masstick
- Frozen food mix of Mysis, Blood Worms, LRS Reef Frenzy, and Brine shrimp

At first, I tried each of the foods individually with Clam, Pellets, and Flakes included as well, but nothing worked. On the 3rd day, he finally tasted the food when I mixed it all together in a squirt bottle and now he's pecking at the shell with masstick.

At this point, I'm wanting to take the next step but am worried about reversing my progress by releasing too early.

 

[dadnjesse]

I would put the Mirror in first and wait until he's distracted with himself then release.

 

[apb03]

I would put the Mirror in first and wait until he's distracted with himself then release.

Yeah, I guess once the Yellow tang is distracted, I can release him at any time. I'll give him another day or so just to make sure he's got enough energy and give it a shot.

Thankfully the other tangs don't care, the mirror only works with the Yellow tang.

 

[Jason_MrFrags]

I would finish putting the CBB through qt and continues to eat.

 

[kzenoni]

I've had my Copperband for 4 days and to my delight, he has started to eat. I threw the kitchen sink at it, and finally, he was chowing down and I couldn't be happier. I have him in an isolation box and I know for a fact that my Yellow Tang is not a fan. My plan is to do the mirror trick and release him but I'm not sure how long I should wait.

Should I keep him in there for a week or two, or am I good to go to release him in the next day or so?

Interested to hear any suggestions.

For those who are curious, I finally got him to eat by doing the following:

- Snail shell stuffed with Masstick
- Frozen food mix of Mysis, Blood Worms, LRS Reef Frenzy, and Brine shrimp

At first, I tried each of the foods individually with Clam, Pellets, and Flakes included as well, but nothing worked. On the 3rd day, he finally tasted the food when I mixed it all together in a squirt bottle and now he's pecking at the shell with masstick.

At this point, I'm wanting to take the next step but am worried about reversing my progress by releasing too early.

I always feed just before the lights go out then put new fish in.

 

[Goaway]

Congrats on getting the cbb to eat.

My scopas had issues on new additions. Mirror first, wait for scopas to taunt and attack mirror, add fish, add food. I'd offer a larger meal on the addition with several meals to let the fish know, the food needs are met.

Eventually, my scopas got the idea. New fish doesn't mean less food. It means more. I haven't needed the dumb mirror in the last 3 wrasses I've added.

 

[Beau_B]

Though unlikely (I know first hand how hard it is to trap them) if you have the ability to put the YT in time out for a day or two, it would help the CBB get its bearings.

The stress of being harrassed and going on hunger strike is a true risk.

I have successfully put a divider in my system utilizing custom cut egg-crate so that the agressor is confined to one half while the new comer has the other. Works for big fish quite well.

 

[exnisstech]

Though unlikely (I know first hand how hard it is to trap them) if you have the ability to put the YT in time out for a day or two, it would help the CBB get its bearings.

^^ This

 

[Goaway]

Though unlikely (I know first hand how hard it is to trap them) if you have the ability to put the YT in time out for a day or two, it would help the CBB get its bearings.

The stress of being harrassed and going on hunger strike is a true risk.

I have successfully put a divider in my system utilizing custom cut egg-crate so that the agressor is confined to one half while the new comer has the other. Works for big fish quite well.

Extremely valid points.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've had my Copperband for 4 days and to my delight, he has started to eat. I threw the kitchen sink at it, and finally, he was chowing down and I couldn't be happier. I have him in an isolation box and I know for a fact that my Yellow Tang is not a fan. My plan is to do the mirror trick and release him but I'm not sure how long I should wait.

Should I keep him in there for a week or two, or am I good to go to release him in the next day or so?

Interested to hear any suggestions.

For those who are curious, I finally got him to eat by doing the following:

- Snail shell stuffed with Masstick
- Frozen food mix of Mysis, Blood Worms, LRS Reef Frenzy, and Brine shrimp

At first, I tried each of the foods individually with Clam, Pellets, and Flakes included as well, but nothing worked. On the 3rd day, he finally tasted the food when I mixed it all together in a squirt bottle and now he's pecking at the shell with masstick.

At this point, I'm wanting to take the next step but am worried about reversing my progress by releasing too early.

If its eating, no need to place enticers but some foods it will go after would be LRS Herbivore frenzy as with Reef Frenzy youre feeding, small plankton,and . Hikari clam on half shell seems to be a favorite. Ive had my CBB 5 years now at 6_" and was an eating machine since day #1 and eats everything in sight- even flakes and pellets.
Ideally you would want to quarantine but at least give it a 60 minute Ruby Rally pro bath.
I would not advise mirror as these fish spook easily and can injure itself

 

[apb03]

Though unlikely (I know first hand how hard it is to trap them) if you have the ability to put the YT in time out for a day or two, it would help the CBB get its bearings.

The stress of being harrassed and going on hunger strike is a true risk.

I have successfully put a divider in my system utilizing custom cut egg-crate so that the agressor is confined to one half while the new comer has the other. Works for big fish quite well.

Funny you mentioned that, I actually had him in time out originally because I also just introduced a Gem Tang (Nyos trap is awesome). Once the Gem was good in my QT tank, I put the Yellow and the Gem together in QT to reset any territory. It worked great and now they are buddies. However, now my Bristletooth decided he was the new boss of the tank once the YT was out. All is fine now though and I'm not worried about the Bristletooth and CBB.

My original plan was to distract the YT with the Gem and allow the CBB some space, but the two Zebrasomas are friends so the YT would rather just target the CBB instead and my Bristletooth decided he hated the Gem tang.

Now that I have the aggression situation figured out, I can probably take the YT back out again. I'm really worried about harassment and a hunger strike, no doubt about it.

 

[apb03]

If its eating, no need to place enticers but some foods it will go after would be LRS Herbivore frenzy as with Reef Frenzy youre feeding, small plankton,and . Hikari clam on half shell seems to be a favorite. Ive had my CBB 5 years now at 6_" and was an eating machine since day #1 and eats everything in sight- even flakes and pellets.
Ideally you would want to quarantine but at least give it a 60 minute Ruby Rally pro bath.
I would not advise mirror as these fish spook easily and can injure itself

Ah, so the mirror can bother the CBB too huh? Would you recommend that I take out the Yellow Tang from the tank, as well? I'm confident my other tangs will ignore him.

The CBB isn't in my QT tank, but just in an isolation box in my DT. I know I should have quarantined him but I was super paranoid about this fish, I didn't want to pollute a QT tank with all the food I was to shove in front of his snout causing me to do water changes further stressing him out, and I trust my LFS, never got a sick fish from them and all my fish came from the same water. (QT is something I usually do anyway though)

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ah, so the mirror can bother the CBB too huh? Would you recommend that I take out the Yellow Tang from the tank, as well? I'm confident my other tangs will ignore him.

The CBB isn't in my QT tank, but just in an isolation box in my DT. I know I should have quarantined him but I was super paranoid about this fish, I didn't want to pollute a QT tank with all the food I was to shove in front of his snout causing me to do water changes further stressing him out, and I trust my LFS, never got a sick fish from them and all my fish came from the same water. (QT is something I usually do anyway though)

If yellow tang antagonizes it, will be a day or two and subside, At times, this harassment can cause it to stop eating due to intimidation - Mine didnt stop eating and its in with 6 Yellow tangs. If nothing else, place the yellow in the acclimation box for at least a week

 

[ninjamyst]

Make sure your copperband goes crazy for food before releasing it. If it's taking its time eating, it won't be able to compete with the tangs since you release it.

 

[dkelley]

I did a barrier last week when I introduced my CBB and it worked perfectly.

 

[argiBK]

Make sure your copperband goes crazy for food before releasing it. If it's taking its time eating, it won't be able to compete with the tangs since you release it.

This.

Keep in mind that CBB’s typically don’t understand how to compete for food, so you’ll need to keep target feeding it until it consistently is able to eat out of the water column at feeding time.

I’d wait to release him into the community and the larger tank until you’re confident it knows where to go for food.

 

[apb03]

This.

Keep in mind that CBB’s typically don’t understand how to compete for food, so you’ll need to keep target feeding it until it consistently is able to eat out of the water column at feeding time.

I’d wait to release him into the community and the larger tank until you’re confident it knows where to go for food.

I'm definitely going to stay patient and make sure he's well accustomed to feeding from the water column before I release him, thank you for the advice!

I'm also relieved that he loves masstick in a snail shell now, so I hope that's a good backup plan.

 

[argiBK]

I'm definitely going to stay patient and make sure he's well accustomed to feeding from the water column before I release him, thank you for the advice!

I'm also relieved that he loves masstick in a snail shell now, so I hope that's a good backup plan.

Even if it’s pulling empty shells out, filling them with food and dropping them back in a specific spot at feeding time, they’ll learn.

 

[dadnjesse]

There is always a risk when you use a Mirror. Without the Mirror you risk the Copper band getting injured. Between my Powder Blue Tank, Fox Face and my crazy Tomato Clown there wasn't any more room in front of the Mirror for any one else.