Copper Banded Butterfly...not visibly eating

[JPotter]

I have a tank with a lot of Aptaisia I now also have a Copper Banded Butterfly. I saw it eat thawed frozen mysis with some enthusiasm at the LFS. It was in a tank with several other CBB and several other assorted fish. It didn't seem to be put off by others crowding about.
It is now in my main tank...has been for 3 days. At first one of the tangs insisted it only be in 1 part of the tank but now it can swim all over and the others don't seem to care...in fact it now dominates some of the others. It spends a lot of time down amongst the rock looking for who knows what..occasionally it picks at the rock surface. It also swims close to the surface looking at the water interface as if something nice might appear. I have never seen it look even vaguely interested in all that yummy aptaisia. In my tank it has no interest in mysis, krill bits, shrimp bits or fish pellets. It appears to be scouting for food, is active and interested in its surroundings..it just never seems enthusiastic about what I offer it.
I expected that if it ate at the LFS it would eat at home.
Is it possible it is picking on pods etc and simply isn't as desperately hungry as when in the LFS tank that had no rock etc.
Even if it turns out to be useless re aptaisia I would like it to thrive.

[Borderjumper]

My copperband would only eat P and E mysis... nothing else. You might want to call the place you got it from and find out exactly what brand they were feeding.

Mine would delight in finding feather dusters.. maybe he's eating those?

[Treebeard]

I have had two CBBs and both were eating in the store but perished within days in my tank. I give up on them. I am thinking of trying a long-nosed butterfly because I hear that sometimes they will eat aiptasia and are not as delicate.

I hope yours begins eating and munching on the pests!

[naesco]

What you are experiencing is what most reefers who try to keep this difficult fish experience. I hope it won't but if it is not eating it will starve to death.
It is searching for food it is used to finding in the sea but is not available in your tank.
Try soaking a variety of food in garlic extreme as it acts as an appetite enhancer.

You are far better off buying peppermint shrimp to deal with aiptasia Just make sure that acclimate the shrimp for at least one hour using the drip method and turn the lights off before you add it to your tank.

[subman]

Mine would also only eat PE mysis as well.

[kooky]

I've had luck with all my copperbands. I start feeding them live black worms and they love because of the sworming motion of the worms when they hit the water. After a few weeks of this, i slowly switch to fozen which seem to work. Try it and see what happens.

good luck

[JPotter]

I have tried the PE mysis which apparently they ate at the store. I will try anything I can get. Where do I get live black worms?

[JPotter]

PS..I did buy 10 peppermint shrimp...slowly drip acclimated. I saw them around for a few weeks..aptaisia stayed and shrimp seem to have disappeared although I have seen no bodies or parts thereof.

[JPotter]

Are live black worms marketed under any other name? I have called several LFS in the area and they seem to have no idea what I am asking for. Years ago I had fresh water tanks and would feed live blood worms..are they one in the same?

[fkshiu]

Get a small clam from the supermarket, crack it open a bit and wedge it in the live rock.