Copperband- How much to feed?

[jtf74]

I've got a 4" Copperband in QT that is eating very well so I've been feeding heavily to bulk it up before it goes into my display, but don't want to overfeed. I can't seem to find a good answer here. I find "feed two or three times a day as much as they will eat in 30 seconds". I'd like to find a quantity though so I don't overfeed. I've been feeding it a couple dozen blackworms and about half to 3/4 of a frozen cube of mysis.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

You’ll likely get a lot of opinions, but I’ve never seen an obese CB! You can over feed the tank itself, but if you slowly feed the CB multiple times a day and it is still eating, then keep feeding. Let the fish tell you when it’s full, feed the fish, not the tank. Note: this does NOT work with most other fish that are more prone to overeating.

Jay

 

[jtf74]

You’ll likely get a lot of opinions, but I’ve never seen an obese CB! You can over feed the tank itself, but if you slowly feed the CB multiple times a day and it is still eating, then keep feeding. Let the fish tell you when it’s full, feed the fish, not the tank. Note: this does NOT work with most other fish that are more prone to overeating.

Jay

Pretty much what I've been doing. Feeding as much as it wants to eat. Seems like a lot of food though. Running a pretty large skimmer so not too worried about the tank. Glad to be asking this as opposed to it not eating enough.

 

[Paul B]

Fish will eat as long as they have room to put it. Sort of like me. But fish have a very simple digestive tract and will just poop out undigested food to fit new food. It is wasteful but will not hurt the fish. But they don’t need that many black worms a day

 

[abw75]

I hand feed mine pieces of clams every other day and is capable to eat a full clam once; The days without clam he get frozen mysis or brine together with the other fishes;

 

[jtf74]

I hand feed mine pieces of clams every other day and is capable to eat a full clam once; The days without clam he get frozen mysis or brine together with the other fishes;

Yeah I'm going to try clam again. The first time it ignored. Usually eats several black worms in the morning and a dozen or so mysis in the early evening and then another dozen worms before lights go out.

 

[ReefHog]

Yeah I'm going to try clam again. The first time it ignored. Usually eats several black worms in the morning and a dozen or so mysis in the early evening and then another dozen worms before lights go out.

Hopefully it takes to the clam slices. I'd switch your current feeding to mysis twice a day and worms once. You could also add San Fransisco Bay Frozen Plankton to his routine. The plankton is actually Pacific krill and is the same size and shape as P.E. Mysis.

Frozen Plankton Fish Food - San Francisco Bay Brand

Plankton is a color enhancer for smaller carnivores and provides an abundance of proteins and lipids as an ideal food for fish and invertebrates.

www.sfbb.com

 

[jtf74]

Hopefully it takes to the clam slices. I'd switch your current feeding to mysis twice a day and worms once. You could also add San Fransisco Bay Frozen Plankton to his routine. The plankton is actually Pacific krill and is the same size and shape as P.E. Mysis.

Frozen Plankton Fish Food - San Francisco Bay Brand

Plankton is a color enhancer for smaller carnivores and provides an abundance of proteins and lipids as an ideal food for fish and invertebrates.

www.sfbb.com

Thanks. Curious why reverse mysis and blackworms? Blackworms not nutritious enough?

 

[ReefHog]

I believe the more he eats mysis, the more likely he will take to other frozen foods. I’ve had my black worm culture crash a time or two and have also ran into situations where my lfs was out. The wider variety of frozen foods the CBB will eat the better better off you both will be. Mine eats mysis, clam, krill plankton, brine shrimp, LRS as well as the black worms.

 

[vetteguy53081]

1-2 cubes max
Mine’s an eating machine and will eat all day!!

 

[Viking_Reefing]

The key with them is to feed a lot and often! It’s not uncommon to see specimens that are actually eating still wither away due to lack of food.

 

[ApoIsland]

I would not feed

Yeah I'm going to try clam again. The first time it ignored. Usually eats several black worms in the morning and a dozen or so mysis in the early evening and then another dozen worms before lights go out.

I would not feed it clam if you think you ever want to have a clam. Simple PE Mysis is all you need to keep them fat and happy forever.

Mine is smaller than yours and was getting 1 cube regular mysis spread over 4 feedings to start. He was 1.5 inches then and is probably 3inches now. Currently have him eating 1/2 cube PE mysis in the morning out of a net before other fish wake up. And that is basically all he can handle. The feeding gets very slow the last 4-5 min. Then in the evening he gets what ever regular mysis he can get (not much) when I broadcast feed the rest of the tank.

I'm guessing yours could probably be good with 1 cube PE Mysis per day if he is the only one eating it.

 

[jtf74]

I believe the more he eats mysis, the more likely he will take to other frozen foods. I’ve had my black worm culture crash a time or two and have also ran into situations where my lfs was out. The wider variety of frozen foods the CBB will eat the better better off you both will be. Mine eats mysis, clam, krill plankton, brine shrimp, LRS as well as the black worms.

That makes sense. I appreciate the advice. This morning I fed fewer worms and added some mysis. It doesn't seem to have a preference and went for whatever was closest.

 

[jtf74]

I would not feed

I would not feed it clam if you think you ever want to have a clam. Simple PE Mysis is all you need to keep them fat and happy forever.

Mine is smaller than yours and was getting 1 cube regular mysis spread over 4 feedings to start. He was 1.5 inches then and is probably 3inches now. Currently have him eating 1/2 cube PE mysis in the morning out of a net before other fish wake up. And that is basically all he can handle. The feeding gets very slow the last 4-5 min. Then in the evening he gets what ever regular mysis he can get (not much) when I broadcast feed the rest of the tank.

I'm guessing yours could probably be good with 1 cube PE Mysis per day if he is the only one eating it.

Thanks! No interest in getting a clam, so will probably try that again to vary its diet some.

 

[doodledreads]

Had mine for a couple of months now and went through a fluke and lympho episode and recovered. At first he was very finicky but started eating lbw, then mysis and now he loves mass stick. I ususally stick a nail sized massstick thrice a day and he and other three fish (tomini, clowns) pick at it for several hours.

I feed lrs or mysis soaked in vitachem every couple days.

 

[jtf74]

Had mine for a couple of months now and went through a fluke and lympho episode and recovered. At first he was very finicky but started eating lbw, then mysis and now he loves mass stick. I ususally stick a nail sized massstick thrice a day and he and other three fish (tomini, clowns) pick at it for several hours.

I feed lrs or mysis soacked in vitachem every couple days.

Hope it continues doing well. THanks

 

[jtf74]

1-2 cubes max
Mine’s an eating machine and will eat all day!!

This one is too. Geez.
Its funny to watch it eat really. Eats from water column but rarely goes more than half way up to the top to get mysis but will for black worms. It also won't eat pieces either and only goes for the whole shrimp with eyes and shrimp body shape.

 

[vetteguy53081]

This one is too. Geez.
Its funny to watch it eat really. Eats from water column but rarely goes more than half way up to the top to get mysis but will for black worms. It also won't eat pieces either and only goes for the whole shrimp with eyes and shrimp body shape.

I particularly feed him Rods Foods and he takes the whole shrimp and any other large pieces while making a chattering sounds and just cant get enough food

 

[jtf74]

It's been eating like crazy since I got him, but wasn't interested in aiptasia. Then yesterday after skipping morning feedings for two days I went to scrape one off the glass to try and drop it in with mysis and noticed there were none to be found !!!