help with feeding CBB

surgeonfish · #1 10-27-2007, 09:45 PM

I bought a medium sized Copperband butterfly fish on Sunday in Calgary. I was told the three CBB in the tank were doing well and eating frozen brine shrimp. I put it in a 40 gal quarantine tank with some mature live rock and lots of aiptasia. It does not looked stressed but is still not eating. I have tried frozen brine shrimp and mysis shrimp +/- soaked in garlic, and small live brine shrimp. It occas picks at the live rock but ignores all food. I was going to try and buy some clams in the half shell. Any other suggestions? How long will it live without food? I was considering putting it in my main tank as their is lots of live rock.
Help please,
Shane

Delphinus · #2 10-27-2007, 10:21 PM

Incredibly fussy eaters. I have one and the only prepared food it will consider is mysis. If yours won't even touch brine shrimp then you definitely have an uphill battle ahead of you, good luck.

Maybe try some live oysters or live clams from the grocery store (someplace like T&T if your local Safeway or whatever doesn't carry that). Crack the shell open and plop it in the tank and see if he'll at least eat that.

Course, if he comes to expect that then there may not be a lot of incentive to try the mysis, but it may at least get you over the initial period.

There is also clam juice at the grocery store that you can try soaking food in. Now, mind you, I tried it, to get mine to try pellets or flake, and it didn't work. But it might work for you, it's worth a shot. BTW, it's putridly vile stuff, I have no idea how to tell if it's gone bad.

Palster · #3 10-28-2007, 05:58 AM

When I had my CBB he went to town on all of the Aiptasia in my tank but after that was gone the only way I could entice him to eat was clams or mussels with the shells slightly cracked open. I think I remember reading a thread on the net where they suggested that you start out with the clam or mussel trick then once they were on to that you could try placing other food inside the shell of the clam for them to pick at with the hope of eventually weaning them on to the other food.

skylord · #4 10-28-2007, 07:53 AM

Maybe you have enough aiptasia to keep him fed for now. I watched mine eat mysis at J&L so I grabbed him. I couldn't get him to eat the cubes I had from Hidden Reef so I tried some PE mysis and he still ignored food. Tried clams and a few other things and no go. I needed food and got some cubes from J&L and he ate that like he hadn't eaten in a week.....hmmm he hadn't

So you might try a different brand if you have access.

Scott

andresont · #5 10-28-2007, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skylord

Maybe you have enough aiptasia to keep him fed for now. I watched mine eat mysis at J&L so I grabbed him. I couldn't get him to eat the cubes I had from Hidden Reef so I tried some PE mysis and he still ignored food. Tried clams and a few other things and no go. I needed food and got some cubes from J&L and he ate that like he hadn't eaten in a week.....hmmm he hadn't

So you might try a different brand if you have access.

Scott

Would you please share a brand name of the cubes that you got from J&L and you CBB was eating?
I have one too just got it last week and its starving.
thx

skylord · #6 10-29-2007, 03:10 AM

I think its the only cubes J&L sells. I believe its Sally's San Francisco Bay Brand....I just looked in the freezer and I am down to the last pack so the cover was tossed.

Scott

andresont · #7 10-29-2007, 03:24 AM

Ok, so what color is it and whats inside, like a frozen paste or chunks?
Thanks so much i will pick it up next time i am there.

But i think they sell more then one kind, i have 3 kinds in my freezer... what do you do? just drop the cube in or suspend in the feeding plastic net?

Is this the right stuff?
http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/s...category_ID=25

~~~

skylord · #8 10-29-2007, 03:31 AM

Ya..but they dont offer the frozen on line. Right brand I believe.....I should be able to pick some up tomorrow and will lel you know for sure.

Scott

Chin_Lee · #9 10-29-2007, 05:28 AM

Give the arctic pods a try for the CBB. They sell them at OA and so far everything eats it in my tanks.

andresont · #10 10-29-2007, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skylord

Ya..but they dont offer the frozen on line. Right brand I believe.....I should be able to pick some up tomorrow and will lel you know for sure.

Scott

i would apreciate that !