copperbanded butterfly

[anthropo]

i recently traded a descent sized frag of montipora that is reddish pinkish in color for a copperbanded butterfly. i figured i'd give it a try considering one of my tanks has a ton of aiptasia in it. once i put it into the tank it started getting bullied by the least likely candidate out of the whole tank. in that tank i have a chocolate tang aka mimic, a vlamingi tang, and a pair of maroons. the vlamingi won't let it move around at all and it doesn't help that the vlamingi is like 5-8 times the size of the butterfly. well the butterfly is still alive after 3 days and i figured the aggression would go down from the vlamingi which it has to a certain extent but the butterfly isn't eating or at least i don't see it eating. i feed mysis, formula 2 flake, and ocean nutritions angel formula. what kind of food would tempt the butterfly to eat more readily? and please no brine shrimp answers.

 

[dragonzim]

Have you tried rearranging your rockwork or taking the vlamingi out of the tank for a little while? Either of these can help with the dominance issues you are seeing.

 

[grumpygils]

My foxface and sailfin tortured mine for 4 days and would not let him out of the corner. After that it was fine and he munched a forest of aptasia.
Mc

 

[mcbdz]

Have you tried adding garlic to the food?

 

[saltn00b]

start with brine shrimp and then ween onto mysis. and blood worms could get him started too.

 

[anthropo]

alright well he finally started eating. he's starting to eat the aiptasia and the mysis. he's also trying the other stuff but so far doesn't enjoy the angel formula or the formula 2 flake. also the vlamingi tang has stopped picking on him but he still sits on the one side of the tank.

 

[mie]

I would put a small mirror on the outside of the tank and this would more than distract the fish for a few days so the new arrivals could get comfortable. Worked like a charm.

 

[anthropo]

Originally Posted by mie
I would put a small mirror on the outside of the tank and this would more than distract the fish for a few days so the new arrivals could get comfortable. Worked like a charm.
that's actually a good idea

 

[goingpoor]

i buy farm raised mussels from the deli ..soke it in hot water when it starts opening pull it the rest of the way open and drop it to bottum of tank,not only will your butterfly love it but all of your fish will

 

[ducky]

Are the mussels you purchase fresh or are they already dead. I live in idaho and there is not a regular supply of fresh seafood. What about cleaner clams? Would those work?

 

[goingpoor]

they are freash and im not sure about cleaner clams you would just have to try it...

 

[anthropo]

i'm gonna try that tonight actually...i'm gonna see what the local shopping centers have

 

[anthropo]

happy to say that my copperbanded is eating like a pig now. the vlamingi stopped picking on him too. how if i can only get him to start eating the aiptasia.