Feeding clams and oysters to copperband?

[ying yang]

Yeah truly beautiful amazing fish,very intersting body shape and camouflaged eye that swivels around and how they investigate every little movement on the rocks and turn upside down nearly and get in all positions looking ^_^

 

[Paul B]

Here is my guy… pic from just now.

That is a perfect and very healthy fish.

 

[Tamberav]

That is a perfect and very healthy fish.

Thanks Paul! It was quarantined but not with copper. I did the tank transfer thing from your friend humble. Then I put him in a cycled observation tank with clay bricks and fake silk plants (like your article) and then he went in my display which contains 10 year old live rock that I never let dry out (oh man so many dusters he ate that day). I feed him based on your recommendations. LRS, fresh clam from the market, and live worms.

He was skinny when I received him as they were feeding just mysis but not anymore.

 

[Goaway]

Well. My cbb had her first meal that wasn't on live rock....

Foxface poop. Nope. She didn't spit that out... ;Vomit

 

[ying yang]

First thought was least eating something but yeah doesnt seem right at all but the speed that food goes through a fish,it wouldn't surprise me if still lots goodness in it ( depending what it ate)

 

[Goaway]

Foxy loves grape caulerpa and nori. Some shrimp and chopped muscle I am thinking what else is in my mix...

 

[jaganshi066]

Well. My cbb had her first meal that wasn't on live rock....

Foxface poop. Nope. She didn't spit that out... ;Vomit

I’m still waiting and I’m worried about mine. He was eating a lot of frozen brine and mysis at the store and it’s the 5th day and I put a rock in with him and started to see him eat off the rock. I’ve tried live brine, live worms and Even clam on the shell but nothing

 

[Goaway]

I’m still waiting and I’m worried about mine. He was eating a lot of frozen brine and mysis at the store and it’s the 5th day and I put a rock in with him and started to see him eat off the rock. I’ve tried live brine, live worms and Even clam on the shell but nothing

How big is yours? Is he getting thinner?

 

[jaganshi066]

How big is yours? Is he getting thinner?

Not getting thinner and I did place a rock in today and he’s picking at it, but I’m really worried. Even tried live brine again today and I don’t think he’s eating it

 

[ying yang]

I’m still waiting and I’m worried about mine. He was eating a lot of frozen brine and mysis at the store and it’s the 5th day and I put a rock in with him and started to see him eat off the rock. I’ve tried live brine, live worms and Even clam on the shell but nothing

Not sure if its to late to try this,but if the store isn't to far from you or you can find the exact food and brand of food that the fish was eating then get this as this is what you said was eating, the thinking is as its getting moved from pillar to post its alot of stress and alot of change so if can keep something the same ( the food) then may help but on 6th day maybe to late but worth a try.as would think the more it doesnt eat then = more hungry so will eat anything to survive but will fish,this doesnt seem to be the case ,but keep hope and keep trying to find the way.
What i would be trying is feed with flow on/flow off,possibly making something only copperband can get his snout in,defrosted clams still in shell but open or cut slivers off the clam and feed.or as you say yours is eating from the rocks then the rocks we use in our tanks full off holes/crevices,maybe cut some fine bits up and stuff it in the holes/crevices in the rocks to try get it as natural as you can for it,or even holding food down with elastic band if need be.
If other fish are getting all food quick then try feeding them at other side of tank and keep them busy that side then put some food near copperband.
Whatever you try just keep watch on how much food you putting in tank and if your tank can process the waste as need get your fish eating but dont want be polluting your tank doing it.
Is the tank mates ok? As want him to put effort into feeding and not into running/hiding or just generally being on edge off an aggressive fish ( he new guy so will need to find out where on pecking order he will be) even stuff like your aquascape affects how your fish act and behave like can fish break line of sight with a fish if getting harrassed plus lots other things.
Wish you all the best and ovbiously reaearch lots lots and watching videos of how others have had success as they say picture worth a thousand words so maybe a video worth 10000 ha ha

 

[Goaway]

As long as he isn't getting any thinner.
Ying yang typed up lots of helpful info.

My cbb is feared in my tank. I don't know why. Wrasse and fox are 2x + her size. So no aggression on mine. When my fish eat, she actively swims with the pack wondering whats going on. She's still getting used to captivity.

I wish I could offer help. Live rock seems very important to keeping them at the start. This is a challenge.

 

[ying yang]

I got this fish thinking would be shy,finnicky eater,timid and all the other stuff you read about these fish but my ywg used to chase away any fish that got near entrance to tunnels but if copperband even starts to come near ( like swim in its direction) the ywg seems so scared and darts for cover ha ha,ive got a cleaner wrasse and that was worrying as first few days mine wasnt eating any frozen food and then would start to show interest and then cleaner wrasse would start trying to clean ,but yeah my tank ive tried my best with selctions to make peacefull community tank best i can and maybe as mine biggest fish everything at first did seem little wary off it,clowns occasionally nip it when it got its back turned then copperband darts off which causes ripple effect and all fish darting off to safety thinking where the danger ha ha but all seems well now know they all settled with each other,just need to remind myself that unless they causing damage to each other then let them sort it out themselves which they will.

 

[jaganshi066]

Not sure if its to late to try this,but if the store isn't to far from you or you can find the exact food and brand of food that the fish was eating then get this as this is what you said was eating, the thinking is as its getting moved from pillar to post its alot of stress and alot of change so if can keep something the same ( the food) then may help but on 6th day maybe to late but worth a try.as would think the more it doesnt eat then = more hungry so will eat anything to survive but will fish,this doesnt seem to be the case ,but keep hope and keep trying to find the way.
What i would be trying is feed with flow on/flow off,possibly making something only copperband can get his snout in,defrosted clams still in shell but open or cut slivers off the clam and feed.or as you say yours is eating from the rocks then the rocks we use in our tanks full off holes/crevices,maybe cut some fine bits up and stuff it in the holes/crevices in the rocks to try get it as natural as you can for it,or even holding food down with elastic band if need be.
If other fish are getting all food quick then try feeding them at other side of tank and keep them busy that side then put some food near copperband.
Whatever you try just keep watch on how much food you putting in tank and if your tank can process the waste as need get your fish eating but dont want be polluting your tank doing it.
Is the tank mates ok? As want him to put effort into feeding and not into running/hiding or just generally being on edge off an aggressive fish ( he new guy so will need to find out where on pecking order he will be) even stuff like your aquascape affects how your fish act and behave like can fish break line of sight with a fish if getting harrassed plus lots other things.
Wish you all the best and ovbiously reaearch lots lots and watching videos of how others have had success as they say picture worth a thousand words so maybe a video worth 10000 ha ha

Hmmm well he’s all alone no tank mates cause I want to make sure he’s eating. I did try the exact food which was the spirulina brine, but now that I think of it, the store had 10 copperbands and only one was eating. I turned my head to talk with the worker there who fed the fish for me l, and when I turned back to get the fish I wasn’t sure which one it was so I pointed at the one I thought and he said it’s the other one so now I’m second guessing myself…

thank you for the idea though I was going to cut up some clam or try to put some brine in the cracks so he can eat. I was going to try the last thing that I haven’t which is mass stick but a lot of people said if he isn’t going for the live food like worms or brine then he probably wouldn’t eat mass stick.

 

[Goaway]

I know it's probably bad. Do you have any feather duster infested live rock? If he wont eat those, you may need to trade him for one who is eating

 

[jaganshi066]

I know it's probably bad. Do you have any feather duster infested live rock? If he wont eat those, you may need to trade him for one who is eating

I think it’s my fault for not paying attention when I bought the copperband but I have one rock with one aiptasia and I put it in there. Not sure if he’s going to eat it

 

[jaganshi066]

@Mibu @ying yang update regarding the copperband! Yesterday was the sixth day I had him, on the fifth day I put in a piece of live rock since I didn’t start quarantining yet with medicine. He was picking off the live rock but still not eating anything I gave him including live brine and live worms. Yesterday was the sixth day and I finally got him to eat and he looked hungry! He was still only eating off the rock so I hid some pieces of clam and put some live worms on the rock which he devoured. He kept looking so I spent an hour putting in a couple pieces then he finished, then a couple more and continued. Made my day for sure and he seems a lot more comfortable and always looking for food. Now if i could just get him to eat brine and mysis, any tips? I already tried that pvc feeder thing and no luck.

 

[ying yang]

@Mibu @ying yang update regarding the copperband! Yesterday was the sixth day I had him, on the fifth day I put in a piece of live rock since I didn’t start quarantining yet with medicine. He was picking off the live rock but still not eating anything I gave him including live brine and live worms. Yesterday was the sixth day and I finally got him to eat and he looked hungry! He was still only eating off the rock so I hid some pieces of clam and put some live worms on the rock which he devoured. He kept looking so I spent an hour putting in a couple pieces then he finished, then a couple more and continued. Made my day for sure and he seems a lot more comfortable and always looking for food. Now if i could just get him to eat brine and mysis, any tips? I already tried that pvc feeder thing and no luck.

Great news you finally got him eating clams and worms that you added to the live rock.
Maybe try that with brine shrimp or mysis which is more nutritional i believe ( if he small cut the mysis in half) what i do is i got a rock island on the sand ( copperbands generally stay on bottom-1/3 the tank so is ideal low down and i get my long coral feeder with the frozen mysis in and squirt it in the cracks/crevices and he picks them out and eats a few ,you would need it in a low flow area so doesnt blow out,if he shows no interest then get turkey baster/coral feeder and suck food back up after 30 minutes or so imo
But if he only eats clams or worms you put on rock that be ok for him and in future try other tactics to get him eating different foods as goal at begginning is just to get him to eat so the fish doesn't srarve then once fattenned up then experiment other foods if he shows no interest now.good luck and once again great news you got him to eat.have you shown a picture of the copperband yet ? Unsure if you have or not sorry

 

[Goaway]

Now if i could just get him to eat brine and mysis, any tips? I already tried that pvc feeder thing and no luck.

Ignore these foods. Too much shell to offer nutrition he needs. Worms and clams are a much better food I AM SOOOO happy to hear this news, glad he is working out for you now!

Edit: my grocery stores never have frozen or fresh clams for sell. I had to get muscles instead. I am currently thawing one out of the freezer at the moment. We'll see how mine likes that. Her belly is getting a bit bigger, so the live rock must have enough food to keep her sustained. Or she is actually eating food that drops by the rocks.. When I can get a good picture of her, I'll post it here.

 

[Goaway]

Here she is this morning, always hunting for food. The foxface is starting to warm up to the cbb, wants to swim with her and the cbb isn't having that.

I guess I messed up. I was trying to find a friend for the fox to swim with. That's what he likes to do.


I am sure my eyes are not deceiving me. Her belly looks like she's gaining weight from when she arrived. Here she is with her reflection.



Not an easy fish to get good pics on. Always on the move. Only time i get a half okay picture is when she stops to eat. And she's gone!

 

[ying yang]

I usually need sit on couch quite a few metres away and zoom in to get picture as if go close tank all fish think it feeding time and all huddle up begging ^_^