Feeding the Copperband

[macman7010]

I recently got in a small Copperband Butterflyfish. He came in with some ich like spots on his fins and tail and two small black spots (they look like little pieces of gravel) in his one fin. I quarentined him in my 10 gallon hospital tank and have the salinity at 1.012 and added a slight solution of copper safe from Mardel.

My hope is the low salinty and the copper will kill off whatever is plauging him. Other than that he is in good spirits and very active. I am aware these guys are notorously tough to get eating in captivity and I have had sub par luck with this guy. It might just being the quarentine tank is bothering him since all that is in it is a bare bottom, sponge filter, and clay pot.

I have tried Sally's Angel and Butterfly formula, the good stuff that contains sponges. He nips at the floating pieces in the water but that is about it. I have also tried Formula 1 soaked in Seachem Garlic Guard and again little to no avail.

My question is what would spur the fish to eat. I have heard about buying clams at the grocery store and shucking them on the half shell and feeding that. Should I try that or continue to attempt the Butterfly formula.

 

[lando]

What was he eating at the LFS? I would stick with that diet for now. Mine loves mysis shrimp. Try getting some froozen mysis and soaking it in a solution like GarlicGualrd. This may help. You can also try LiquidLife Marine Plankton with Cycpo-Eeze. Keep food small as they have little mouths. If you have LR in your tank I would treat the parasite quickly in the QT and get the fish into the main so it can graze on the LR. They are very hard to get to eat, but once they accept prepared foods they are pretty hardy. You may also consider live brine for the time being. Good luck...Lando

 

[macman7010]

they claim he was eating but I am unsure, I actually got him for free because they had him on the reef side of thier set-up and could not treat his ich like spots because it would kill inverts. They were like yeah we are going to flush him and I threatned them with Peta and the Marine Aquarium Council and they gave me the fish.

Ill try ti mysis and live brine. I feed live brine to my main tank anyhow so its all good.