Help - Copperband Butterfly will not eat clams..

[JCOLE]

I picked up a copperband butterfly fish 2 months ago to help with Aiptasia. It ate all the aiptasia within 2 days. I have never seen it eat since but seems healthy. I do see it picking at the sand and rocks throughout the day. Maybe it is eating Pods? Either way I have tried a lot of different foods with no luck. Pellets, mysis, brine, frozen food, and clams. It will not eat anything. This is my second clam and it will go right by it without eating. I end up pulling it out. Will it eventually start eating the clams?

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Hi.

Hope you see it eat soon. Good news is he is still looking good.

The only thing I could think of would be to freeze the clam, then chop it up fine and try to spot feed him.

Keep us posted

 

[JCOLE]

Hi.

Hope you see it eat soon. Good news is he is still looking good.

The only thing I could think of would be to freeze the clam, then chop it up fine and try to spot feed him.

Keep us posted

That's a good idea. I will try that next. How long do you think the clam could stay in the tank? Was think of removing by tomorrow night just incase it will eat later? Don't want to run up my nutrients though.

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Couple things to try if things get dicey

Live blackworms

Drop a frozen cube of your food in the tank(still frozen). My dad's copper copperband would eat by picking good off the frozen cube

Reef masstik (spelling?). I've never used this product but it looks like a good idea and people seem to have had luck with it


Good luck!

 

[Mastiffsrule]

I’m not sure about leaving the clam in. I always freeze mine first and chop it up.

If it’s dead I would pull it. If it’s alive and closes up maybe leave it? Not sure. Or

You have dinner yet?

 

[JCOLE]

I’m not sure about leaving the clam in. I always freeze mine first and chop it up.

If it’s dead I would pull it. If it’s alive and closes up maybe leave it? Not sure. Or

You have dinner yet?

Lol. No it's dead. I bought these month ago and have been on the freezer ever since.

 

[JCOLE]

Couple things to try if things get dicey

Live blackworms

Drop a frozen cube of your food in the tank(still frozen). My dad's copper copperband would eat by picking good off the frozen cube

Reef masstik (spelling?). I've never used this product but it looks like a good idea and people seem to have had luck with it


Good luck!

Thank you. Any specific frozen cube?

 

[JCOLE]

Couple things to try if things get dicey

Live blackworms

Drop a frozen cube of your food in the tank(still frozen). My dad's copper copperband would eat by picking good off the frozen cube

Reef masstik (spelling?). I've never used this product but it looks like a good idea and people seem to have had luck with it


Good luck!

Thank you for the recommendation. I never heard of the Masstick and did some reading. Good reviews for copperbands. Just ordered off Amazon. Hopefully this helps.

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Thank you. Any specific frozen cube?

He would use whatever he could get on sale!

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Hopefully it works!

 

[JJ440]

Not sure if you have tried LRS Reef Frenzy. I have a copper band that will meet me every I open the lid to feed it. Doesn't let any hit the bottom of the tank.

 

[JCOLE]

Not sure if you have tried LRS Reef Frenzy. I have a copper band that will meet me every I open the lid to feed it. Doesn't let any hit the bottom of the tank.

I have been wanting to try that. If he doesn't go for the Masstick then I will try that next. Thank you!

 

[Paul B]

I feed mine clams every day but he won't eat them like that. Chop the thing up.

 

[SDK]

I'm going to second the live blackworms. Almost anything is going to take that, and they will look similar to the Apstasia tentacles

It's important to find something quickly, so it's eating while you wean it on to frozen food.

 

[Abhishek]

Here’s my pair which is extremely rare as you already know and go crazy for masstick . Someday I hope to breed them and raise baby CBBs and I shall then give away all my acros for free :-

 

[madweazl]

Ours picked at them whole but wouldnt touch the chopped up (or anything) else. As for the clam, dont leave it in there more than an hour or so.

 

[Halal Hotdog]

Live black worms are definitely worth trying, I've had good results with them. Try soaking them in garlic extract, fish seemed to go bananas when I did this. Did you see iF it was eating at the LFS when you purchased it? For CBB clams are usually irresistible. You may want to see if local hobbyist have aiptasia covered rock you could 'clean' for them. If you keep him healthy long enough it will eventually eat.

 

[Paul B]

Here is mine eating clams. I think he is about 10 years old now.

 

[Silverfish]

Plus 1 on mastic or LRS stuck to the wall of your tank. Stimulates natural feeding response I believe.

 

[JCOLE]

Here is mine eating clams. I think he is about 10 years old now.

Awesome! Do you blend them or just chop em up? Also, is that a Turkey Baster you are using to feed them?