Transitioning CBB from clams

[Gobi-Wan]

Hi all. I have a CBB in quarantine that is eating only fresh frozen clams. I am curious what methods and food people have used successfully to transition into a more sustainable feeding situation. Mine is in copper and has a couple weeks left before going into the reef.

 

[lapin]

For free floating you can try live white or black worms along with live brine shrimp to get them used to other foods then add frozen mysis to the mix.

 

[pcon]

sometimes I will smear the frozen food into a rock or onto a clam shell.

 

[KrisReef]

Changing pronouns from fresh to frozen? I have no idea. Glad the fish is eating. I have always had luck feeding my butterfly with acans and torch corals.

Sorry for this invaluable help! Hope it works out!

 

[Gobi-Wan]

Changing pronouns from fresh to frozen? I have no idea. Glad the fish is eating. I have always had luck feeding my butterfly with acans and torch corals.

Sorry for this invaluable help! Hope it works out!

Not sure what you mean... I bought the clams fresh as in never frozen, still alive, and then froze them myself.

 

[Biff0rz]

You'll want a way to feed the CBB separately from the rest. When they move tanks they are slow to start eating (regardless of type) and are out competed. If you train the CBB in qt to eat from a cbb feeder you'll have more luck on both fronts. First you train him where he gets his food and can eat at his own pace (which is slow compared to like, tangs). Then you can start mixing clams and mysis in there. He will eventually pick at the mysis and you can reduce the clams over time. Note, this is what I've read. I approached it differently - the CBB was my first addition to the tank. I trained him to eat from the feeder and got him comfy in the tank before adding other fish. So far its been a success, he's the most aggressive eater and eat from my hand.

 

[Gobi-Wan]

You'll want a way to feed the CBB separately from the rest. When they move tanks they are slow to start eating (regardless of type) and are out competed. If you train the CBB in qt to eat from a cbb feeder you'll have more luck on both fronts. First you train him where he gets his food and can eat at his own pace (which is slow compared to like, tangs). Then you can start mixing clams and mysis in there. He will eventually pick at the mysis and you can reduce the clams over time. Note, this is what I've read. I approached it differently - the CBB was my first addition to the tank. I trained him to eat from the feeder and got him comfy in the tank before adding other fish. So far its been a success, he's the most aggressive eater and eat from my hand.

What feeder are you using?? I have looked and looked for some kind of device

 

[Biff0rz]

What feeder are you using?? I have looked and looked for some kind of device

Some people make them out of pvc pipe + caps and drill holes in them. I made mine w a 3d printer. You can see the idea here.

The cap fits inside of it where I have a magnet and then I have a magnet outside of the glass so I can move it around

 

[Biff0rz]

Sorry wasn't home but here's the pic of the printer feeder. You can make something similar out of plumbing parts at home depot. The magnets are from k&j magnets (online) and are coated so they don't mess with the water

 

[Gobi-Wan]

Sorry wasn't home but here's the pic of the printer feeder. You can make something similar out of plumbing parts at home depot. The magnets are from k&j magnets (online) and are coated so they don't mess with the water

Alright that was surprisingly successful. I used a 1.5” cap and glue plug and cut each in half to shorten the whole assembly, sanded so they fit together easily and drilled holes and then used a dremmel to round out the edges of the holes and smooth it all out. For now I just drilled the plug side and fitted it with a section cup but I’ll figure out a way to do a magnetic one eventually. The fish already took a couple pecks of the clam I scooped out into the feeder so we should be good to go! Thanks for the idea. This will definitely help when he has to compete with the other fish.

 

[Biff0rz]

Alright that was surprisingly successful. I used a 1.5” cap and glue plug and cut each in half to shorten the whole assembly, sanded so they fit together easily and drilled holes and then used a dremmel to round out the edges of the holes and smooth it all out. For now I just drilled the plug side and fitted it with a section cup but I’ll figure out a way to do a magnetic one eventually. The fish already took a couple pecks of the clam I scooped out into the feeder so we should be good to go! Thanks for the idea. This will definitely help when he has to compete with the other fish.

Awesome! Now mix in some mysis and maybe brine. Should be good to go.

 

[ReefHog]

When in QT, I would slice a still frozen clam into thin slices and feed with plastic tweezers. The CBB comes right over to investigate and eat the slices. This got him used to eating his favorite food from the water column. Then start feeding PE Mysis from the tweezers. Once hes taking the mysis, start letting the food go just before he gets there and your all set. Mine now competes just fine with the tangs in the 220 DT without any special feeders or anything.

 

[Quiverfull]

Alright that was surprisingly successful. I used a 1.5” cap and glue plug and cut each in half to shorten the whole assembly, sanded so they fit together easily and drilled holes and then used a dremmel to round out the edges of the holes and smooth it all out. For now I just drilled the plug side and fitted it with a section cup but I’ll figure out a way to do a magnetic one eventually. The fish already took a couple pecks of the clam I scooped out into the feeder so we should be good to go! Thanks for the idea. This will definitely help when he has to compete with the other fish.

That is a really nice design adaptation. I have one for several months that only eats clams from a seaweed holder. It is doing very well but will not eat any frozen food from the water column. I am going to try to see if it will eat from the device you showed images of.

I have Several questions:
1. How big are the holes you drilled?
2. what bit did you use on the dremmel tool, a conical burr?
3. How is your CBB doing?
4. Any other suggestions for feeding frozen or other less difficult to prepare foods?

Thanks,

Greg