My first chaetodon, how to feed?

[Yas]

I bought Chelmon Marginalis a couple of days ago. This is my first butterfly. I found he loves clams. But trying to feed him flakes and pellets, I prepared the mixture of minced clam meat and flakes and pellets hoping he finally accepts prepared food without clam meat. I put it on half shells and put them in a fridge so that they are frozen and not easily peeled from shells. I tried fortified brine shrimp, but it hasn't worked for him so far.

Does anyone have a suggestion how to make them accustomed to prepared foods? Or is there no need to use prepared foods? I just feel comfortable not going to buy clams at a supermarket.

He eats clams fine, but I wonder if it's ok to leave the half shell in my tank till I'm back from work. If someone is using clams, I would like to know if leaving clams" which are dead because I minced them, for 10 hours in a tank is ok or not.

Thank you!

Yas

 

[Zack K]

Live Blackworms usually do the trick for butterfly’s. l would_not_try to feed him flakes or pellets as imo weakens their immune system. As far as I am aware I have never had problems leaving the clam in their for the day. My CUC usually picks up the mess. Very Pretty Butterfly By the way.

 

[Yas]

Well, I think I can't find live blackworms at stores here in my country. Maybe fishing stores can have some, I'm not sure.

Thank you for your input, if leaving clams for the day doesn't matter, then I think I can simply feed with clams. It's a bit costly compared to flakes and pellets though. But it's an interesting view point to know it could be better for their immune system.

Yes, it's pretty, but very skinny! I want him to fatten up!

 

[Zack K]

Well, I think I can't find live blackworms at stores here in my country. Maybe fishing stores can have some, I'm not sure.

Thank you for your input, if leaving clams for the day doesn't matter, then I think I can simply feed with clams. It's a bit costly compared to flakes and pellets though. But it's an interesting view point to know it could be better for their immune system.

Yes, it's pretty, but very skinny! I want him to fatten up!

Most live and Frozen foods twice a day will fatten him up quickly. Also garlic is another way to entice them to eat if they are becoming stubborn.

 

[cracker]

hello Yas, Your Copper Band will need a good variety of meaty foods . IMO they don't live long without it They will appear to be eating like a pig then 1 day they just stop. I feed mine oyster ,clam, whole choped Silver side,krill,and some rod's reef. I think PaulB has one that is pretty old. he feeds black worm & baaby brime every day plus clam. Is Your fish eating for You?

 

[lion king]

Try smashing some food into a coral skeleton or rock, the ocean nutrition ones with the gel binder is good for that. Masstick makes a powder food that mix into a paste and smashed into skeletons or rocks. Live brine shrimp will help encourage him to start eating from the water column, hatching your own is quite easy if you don't have a source. Keep feeding him whatever he will eat, is he in a qt alone. As long as he is eating that's great, eventually once he is with other fish he will start to learn to eat from the water column. In the wild he eats from the rocks and corals, so eating from the water column is strange for him.

 

[Yas]

Most live and Frozen foods twice a day will fatten him up quickly. Also garlic is another way to entice them to eat if they are becoming stubborn.

Good to know he fattens up quickly!

 

[Yas]

hello Yas, Your Copper Band will need a good variety of meaty foods . IMO they don't live long without it They will appear to be eating like a pig then 1 day they just stop. I feed mine oyster ,clam, whole choped Silver side,krill,and some rod's reef. I think PaulB has one that is pretty old. he feeds black worm & baaby brime every day plus clam. Is Your fish eating for You?

Hi Cracker, wow you look like giving your fish rich variety of foods! I'll try them as well. Thank you!

 

[cracker]

I see You live in Japan. Very cool! You should have no problem getting seafood . Let us know about your Copper Band.

 

[Yas]

Try smashing some food into a coral skeleton or rock, the ocean nutrition ones with the gel binder is good for that. Masstick makes a powder food that mix into a paste and smashed into skeletons or rocks. Live brine shrimp will help encourage him to start eating from the water column, hatching your own is quite easy if you don't have a source. Keep feeding him whatever he will eat, is he in a qt alone. As long as he is eating that's great, eventually once he is with other fish he will start to learn to eat from the water column. In the wild he eats from the rocks and corals, so eating from the water column is strange for him.

I have actually released him in the main tank. Yes, he likes clams so it's a relief. Yeah, letting him to lean from other fish how to eat floating foods is a good idea! Thanks!

 

[Yas]

I see You live in Japan. Very cool! You should have no problem getting seafood . Let us know about your Copper Band.

Yes, I live in a country of sea foods, ha ha! I can get any fish, clams, nori, and mollusk. But I haven't seen worms in aquarium stores here. Maybe somewhere, but not in my area. Yes, I'll let you know the progress.

 

[Yas]

Here's my Chelmon Marginalis. So far, he picks the frozen mixture of minced clam meat and dried foods. But he is very selective. He eats meat fine, but spits out dried foods. What a clever fish!

Chelmon Marginalis (Margined Coral Fish)

• Yas
• Dec 18, 2017

My margined coral fish eating the mixture of minced clam meat and dried foods.

But thanks to the input from the folks here, I no longer try to feed him with dried foods. I just want him to consume all those mixed food as I've already prepared more than ten of them. Those spitted dried foods are consumed by other fish so that's fine.

I found his tail was bitten by someone, probably the multibar angelfish, I guess. Chelmon is about 3 inches, and the multibar is about 2 1/2, but the multibar seems to be agressive on him. Hope they get along.