What do you do when your copperband stops eating?

[EvolvedMonkey]

I got a new copperband about 10 days ago.. It took about two days to get her to start eating. She would eat mysis, masstick, live blackworms, and even a few pellets for about a week..

She now hasn't eaten anything for two days. She spends lots of time in the corner of the tank. When I put masstick on the wall, she will swim all around it, seeming interested, but she just won't take a nibble.

I have separated her in an isolation box for the moment, but not sure if that will make matters worse.

For a couple of days my purple tang and fox face gave her a bit of a hard time, but they seem to be completely okay with her now. So it doesn't seem like a bullying issue.

Any ideas?

 

[Stevorino]

If your LFS sells live brine, that's been a homerun for me in the past with CBBs.

If you have a separate tank/sump big enough, it may be worth moving her into that to give her a break from the aggression. Isolation box is probably what I would do as well if those weren't an option.

Surely Jay or Vette will have good advice as well

 

[Uncle99]

I got a new copperband about 10 days ago.. It took about two days to get her to start eating. She would eat mysis, masstick, live blackworms, and even a few pellets for about a week..

She now hasn't eaten anything for two days. She spends lots of time in the corner of the tank. When I put masstick on the wall, she will swim all around it, seeming interested, but she just won't take a nibble.

I have separated her in an isolation box for the moment, but not sure if that will make matters worse.

For a couple of days my purple tang and fox face gave her a bit of a hard time, but they seem to be completely okay with her now. So it doesn't seem like a bullying issue.

Any ideas?

My did exactly that when he was “bullied” (no direct attacks or bites) about the same time, 10-12 days.

He has merge into the set hierarchy.

Then, it all just stopped and he now back to eating and swimming with others.

I still think he was sneaking a bite or two in the back.

 

[EvolvedMonkey]

If your LFS sells live brine, that's been a homerun for me in the past with CBBs.

If you have a separate tank/sump big enough, it may be worth moving her into that to give her a break from the aggression. Isolation box is probably what I would do as well if those weren't an option.

Surely Jay or Vette will have good advice as well

So I can just stick her in my sump with no issues?

 

[EvolvedMonkey]

My did exactly that when he was “bullied” (no direct attacks or bites) about the same time, 10-12 days.

Then, it all just stopped and he now back to eating and swimming with others.

I still think he was sneaking a bite or two in the back.

Good to know.. Were there any secrets, or you just let her work it out on her own?

 

[Uncle99]

Good to know.. Were there any secrets, or you just let her work it out on her own?

As bad as it might sound, unless there is a direct and sustained attack with damage, he stays with the group until they work it out.

In my case they did. I was worried though.A lot of pushing into a corner by my Sailfin and Yellow tang. One morning, say 11 ish day, I found him swiming with everyone else, up and down the tank. He was also picking a lot tin the rock work.

With direct damage, I would isolate, then reintroduce, small mirror taped to the glass, I moved one rock and added another.

 

[EvolvedMonkey]

As bad as it might sound, unless there is a direct and sustained attack with damage, he stays with the group until they work it out.

In my case they did. I was worried though.A lot of pushing into a corner by my Sailfin and Yellow tang. One morning, say 11 ish day, I found him swiming with everyone else, up and down the tank. He was also picking a lot tin the rock work.

With direct damage, I would isolate, then reintroduce, small mirror taped to the glass, I moved one rock and added another.

I tried the mirror trick. That definitely reduced aggression drastically. Thanks for the input.

Good to know that yours figured it out.

 

[Uncle99]

I tried the mirror trick. That definitely reduced aggression drastically. Thanks for the input.

Good to know that yours figured it out.

We wish you good luck.
Bit of a PITA fish at the start, but well worth it.

 

[exnisstech]

I followed your other thread and was afraid this would happen. IME a CBB has to be isolated and trained to eat food out of the water column with no competition from other fish. I added mine on 6/21 and it had only been in the store 2 days and had not eaten. Since then I have it eating black worm, PE mysis and earth worms. It ate mysys out of a feeder today that I'm training it on so it will know there is food there and other fish can not get the food because it has holes the CBB can get into but they can not. I'll use this when I move it to the DT. This has to be done with no competition from other fish. IMO CBB is not a fish you drop into a stocked tank and hope it eats. These are JMO from having failed a few times before I figured it out. Some folks get lucky but many do not.

The new guy eating

 

[EvolvedMonkey]

I followed your other thread and was afraid this would happen. IME a CBB has to be isolated and trained to eat food out of the water column with no competition from other fish. I added mine on 6/21 and it had only been in the store 2 days and had not eaten. Since then I have it eating black worm, PE mysis and earth worms. It ate mysys out of a feeder today that I'm training it on so it will know there is food there and other fish can not get the food because it has holes the CBB can get into but they can not. I'll use this when I move it to the DT. This has to be done with no competition from other fish. IMO CBB is not a fish you drop into a stocked tank and hope it eats. These are JMO from having failed a few times before I figured it out. Some folks get lucky but many do not.

The new guy eating

From what I understand from Dr. Reef, she was already eating in a competition scenario for 30 days or more. But I certainly get your point.

Can you point me to the feeding device that you are using to train her.

Right now if I drop black worms right in front of her, she will do a 'fake peck' at it.. Like she's going through the motions, but doesn't actually want to eat it.

 

[Stevorino]

So I can just stick her in my sump with no issues?

Depends on your sump and if it's enough space to make them comfortable enough to eat again.

I had a similar situation as yours.... pulled her out and thought she was a goner, but got her eating and fat over the course of a month and eating my normal frozen food for a week or two. When I put her back in the display she was a champ.

 

[EvolvedMonkey]

Depends on your sump and if it's enough space to make them comfortable enough to eat again.

I had a similar situation as yours.... pulled her out and thought she was a goner, but got her eating and fat over the course of a month and eating my normal frozen food for a week or two. When I put her back in the display she was a champ.

The only section of the sump I can put her in has lots of detritus and macroalgae, a pod hotel, and access to the filter cups and socks. Not sure if this would be safe for her, but it's a good idea if I need a long term isolation solution.

 

[exnisstech]

Can you point me to the feeding device that you are using to train her.

I bought the one from @Biff0rz here.

USA - Copperband Butterfly (CBB) feeder

Want to ween your CBB off of live food/clams, or, teach him to feed out of this so he's not out-competed in the tank during feeding time (*cough* tangs *cough*)? Then you need this in your life, and so does your CBB, hah. The 'inside' ends combine to form a protected cylinder which is where you...

www.reef2reef.com

I just want to say my intentions are not to make you feel bad or anything like that. It may be a something that could have happened in my secluded setting as well since the vendor said it was eating. I'm posting my experiences just to help others that may be searching for info on CBB and useful ways if succeeding with them.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I got a new copperband about 10 days ago.. It took about two days to get her to start eating. She would eat mysis, masstick, live blackworms, and even a few pellets for about a week..

She now hasn't eaten anything for two days. She spends lots of time in the corner of the tank. When I put masstick on the wall, she will swim all around it, seeming interested, but she just won't take a nibble.

I have separated her in an isolation box for the moment, but not sure if that will make matters worse.

For a couple of days my purple tang and fox face gave her a bit of a hard time, but they seem to be completely okay with her now. So it doesn't seem like a bullying issue.

Any ideas?

Please post a you tube version video of at least 20 seconds.
Intimidation from other fish can play a role. Is fish's breathing increased or normal?
Is it hiding or out in the open?
Mine began instantly on LRS fish frenzy food which is very enticing but each fish will react differently

 

[Punchanello]

I've been ore successful with copperband's than most but I have had a tragedy or two also.

What you might be looking at is slow decline as a result of not getting enough to eat. My experience is that a copperband can be eating a variety of foods, eating food from the water column and competing pretty well at dinner time even for long periods of time. But they are still not quite getting enough and slowly they become weaker over time and as they feel less well or secondary illness sets-in they quit altogether.

So even though the vendor says it was eating and it seemed to be doing well in your tank it may still not be getting enough. I made a copperband feeder a few years ago similar to the one posted above. I think it's a really good way to go and ensure it's getting it's fill first. If you're lucky it will associate your hand putting the feeder in with food and soon you can hand feed it just to be sure. I feed my one with frozen foods by hand at the moment each day. It also make it a lot easy to get it and move it for quarantine or some treatment if needed.

Copperbands are inquisitive, sensitive and intelligent fish. In the wild they spend a lot of time and energy cruising fairly long distances between reefs and picking over rocks for food. If they feel intimidated they will respond pretty negatively. In the wild they can probably just move somewhere else, but in our tanks they are stuck with the bullies.

 

[exnisstech]

I've been ore successful with copperband's than most but I have had a tragedy or two also.

What you might be looking at is slow decline as a result of not getting enough to eat. My experience is that a copperband can be eating a variety of foods, eating food from the water column and competing pretty well at dinner time even for long periods of time. But they are still not quite getting enough and slowly they become weaker over time and as they feel less well or secondary illness sets-in they quit altogether.

So even though the vendor says it was eating and it seemed to be doing well in your tank it may still not be getting enough. I made a copperband feeder a few years ago similar to the one posted above. I think it's a really good way to go and ensure it's getting it's fill first. If you're lucky it will associate your hand putting the feeder in with food and soon you can hand feed it just to be sure. I feed my one with frozen foods by hand at the moment each day. It also make it a lot easy to get it and move it for quarantine or some treatment if needed.

Copperbands are inquisitive, sensitive and intelligent fish. In the wild they spend a lot of time and energy cruising fairly long distances between reefs and picking over rocks for food. If they feel intimidated they will respond pretty negatively. In the wild they can probably just move somewhere else, but in our tanks they are stuck with the bullies.

Thank you for explaining that so well. Mine is now swimming up and getting excited when it sees me. Me = food. But again no competition.

 

[EvolvedMonkey]

Please post a you tube version video of at least 20 seconds.
Intimidation from other fish can play a role. Is fish's breathing increased or normal?
Is it hiding or out in the open?
Mine began instantly on LRS fish frenzy food which is very enticing but each fish will react differently

She was facing the corner for several hours, now she's swimming around at least a bit.

Still no interest in any food options.

If I buy her clams tonight, can I buy any type of clam, or do they have to be something special.

I ordered her garlic guard (suggested by Dr. Reef), a 3d printed feeder, and some live brine shrimp.. Hopefully if I keep trying different things, she'll decide to start eating again.

 

[Reefering1]

I'm right there with @Uncle99 . Everytime I've seen a cbb "cornered", it's aggression. Doesn't even have to be that bad, this is a very timid fish. Mirrors are useful. And I wouldn't remove the cbb either. It needs to be in the display, learning the tank. I would figure out the aggressor(s) and move them

 

[Reefering1]

She was facing the corner for several hours, now she's swimming around at least a bit.

Still no interest in any food options.

If I buy her clams tonight, can I buy any type of clam, or do they have to be something special.

I ordered her garlic guard (suggested by Dr. Reef), a 3d printed feeder, and some live brine shrimp.. Hopefully if I keep trying different things, she'll decide to start eating again.

This fish appears to be on deaths door, look how skinny/ pinched it looks in the forehead area. I believe it's too late. Sorry for your loss

 

[EvolvedMonkey]

This fish appears to be on deaths door, look how skinny/ pinched it looks in the forehead area. I believe it's too late. Sorry for your loss

Surprised to hear this.. She was eating like a champ just the other day, and I've only had her for 10 days or so..