What to feed a Saddleback Butterfly

[mookie3127]

I'm fairly new to saltwater after mastering fresh for several years. I've dabbled with salt tanks a couple of times over the years, but never really getting too involved until about 8 months ago. I recently bought a Saddleback Butterfly from local pet store that I use. It's only been a few days, but he hasn't eaten much since being introduced to my tank. He's VERY active and is constantly going from one end to the other, up about 3/4 of the tanks height, and is all over the place. I've tried frozen brine shrimp, flake food, and something called "Formula One" that says it's made up of fresh seafood's and algae. He's tried and then spit out the brine shrimp and flakes while showing little interest in the Formula One other than to check it out and watch it float to the bottom. Any other good suggestions for what to feed him?

 

[nicetry]

How large is the fish? Sometimes adult specimens are reluctant to eat. Ask the lfs what they were feeding.
Try some mysis shrimp. Go to a gorcery store that has a fish department and buy some small scallops or clams. Mince these up well and see if the butterfly will take them. A healthy specimen should take to prepared foods in short order but bear in mind butterflies can be touchy and some simply don't adapt well. How large is your system and is there a lot of live rock for grazing? IME, bf's do best in well established tanks with lots of live rock.

 

[juniors04]

I heard you can try some blood worms to get a butterfly eating.

 

[i love fish]

Butterfly fish r really hard to get to eat, good luck keep us posted and let us know how u went, I haven't had any luck in getting any of my butterflies i had in the past to eat, and they all died about 3 weeks after the day of purchase even though i had plenty of 'vegetation' growing on my rocks and some corals.
Hope it works out for u.

 

[srfisher17]

If standard stuff on the above posts fail; try a opened, fresh clam. Most fish can't resist this and it puts a good food scent in the water. BTW, brine shrimp and flake food, the choice of many lfs, are not very good staple foods. The BS lacks nutrition and the flakes have a lot of waste. IMO; pettets are a better dry food choice, and there are many frozen foods that are great.

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by nicetry
http:///forum/post/2982399
How large is the fish? Sometimes adult specimens are reluctant to eat. Ask the lfs what they were feeding.
Try some mysis shrimp. Go to a gorcery store that has a fish department and buy some small scallops or clams. Mince these up well and see if the butterfly will take them. A healthy specimen should take to prepared foods in short order but bear in mind butterflies can be touchy and some simply don't adapt well. How large is your system and is there a lot of live rock for grazing? IME, bf's do best in well established tanks with lots of live rock.
All very good points. Also, its good practice to see a fish eat at the lfs before purchase.If standard stuff on the above posts fail; try a opened, fresh clam. Most fish can't resist this and it puts a good food scent in the water. BTW, brine shrimp and flake food, the choice of many lfs, are not very good staple foods. The BS (don't tell a farmer or gardener this) lacks nutrition and the flakes have a lot of waste. IMO; pellets are a better dry food choice, and there are many frozen foods that are great.

 

[mookie3127]

Originally Posted by nicetry
http:///forum/post/2982399
How large is the fish? Sometimes adult specimens are reluctant to eat. Ask the lfs what they were feeding.
Try some mysis shrimp. Go to a gorcery store that has a fish department and buy some small scallops or clams. Mince these up well and see if the butterfly will take them. A healthy specimen should take to prepared foods in short order but bear in mind butterflies can be touchy and some simply don't adapt well. How large is your system and is there a lot of live rock for grazing? IME, bf's do best in well established tanks with lots of live rock.
i had success today!

i went back by my local pet store and bought a package of cubed angel and butterfly frozen food. i cut one of the cubes in half and as soon as it started breaking apart, my butterfly was sucking up little pieces left and right. so now, i get to add one more item to my feeding schedule. thanks for the tips though!
Originally Posted by srfisher17
http:///forum/post/2982944
All very good points. Also, its good practice to see a fish eat at the lfs before purchase.If standard stuff on the above posts fail; try a opened, fresh clam. Most fish can't resist this and it puts a good food scent in the water. BTW, brine shrimp and flake food, the choice of many lfs, are not very good staple foods. The BS (don't tell a farmer or gardener this) lacks nutrition and the flakes have a lot of waste. IMO; pellets are a better dry food choice, and there are many frozen foods that are great.
i'm not a fan of flake food at all. i've had the same container since starting my salt as it was all that was available at the time aside from frozen items. i much prefer fresh food or pellets. in my freshwater, my arawana goes through 20 feeder goldfish and about 60 crickets a week.

thankfully i've found something that he seems to like though......and in a short amount of time as well. thanks for all of the tips from everyone! i'll have to post some pics of my set up in the next few days.