Reef Discussion

[Cosby]

I've had a copperband for about 3 weeks, and it's been doing fine(while I haven't seen it eat much more than some nori and rock picking), but I've noticed in the last couple of days that it's looking a bit discoloured, like there's a film on it's scales.

It's now glancing off rocks and while it's still swimming fine, this to me is raising the alarm that I need to get it out of the tank.

Does anyone have a hospital/QT tank? I do have a nano here that is not set up, but I'm guessing it would need to cycle in order for me to use it.

 

[Lesley]

They don't generally eat nori. He is looking very malnourished and the discolouration is probably due to stress & starvation ! You have to get him eating have you tried mysis or brine ? Veggie pellets ? Unfortunately this is very common with copper bands !! A large portion of them die due to starvation !

 

[holly]

I have a QT setup you can pop it in. Looks hungry has it eaten anything frozen? Give me an sms if you need to drop it off

 

[Cosby]

Thanks for the responses guys.


Next question.

I have set up my nano, and intend to use that as a hospital tank. I've read that it doesn't need to be cycled as long as you use some sort of bacteria sponge from your tank that is seeded, and do water changes regularly.

Anyone else gone down this path?

 

[Buddy]

Mine will only eat meaty foods. And mainly only mussel. Try putting some mussel in tied on to a frag plug. Mine went nuts for it the first time it saw it.
Mine will eat nori too.

 

[Buddy]

Mine will only eat meaty foods. And mainly only mussel. Try putting some mussel in tied on to a frag plug. Mine went nuts for it the first time it saw it.
Mine will eat nori too.

Also I reckon moving it now will stress it out too much.
Did you qt it before you added it to your tank?

 

[Cosby]

Also I reckon moving it now will stress it out too much.
Did you qt it before you added it to your tank?

Nah, no QT. took the plunge.
He's been relatively happy. Lives in the same cave as my much smaller yellow tang.

I have tried mussel a couple of times too, but got no response.

 

[Cosby]

So I tried the mussel again, and while he wouldn't take it from the clip, he would from my hand though. So that's a small win.

Hopefully this is the start of his learning to feed.

 

[Lesley]

I have had a very healthy copperband for about 6 months now. I researched and found that even after being in an established tank for a long time they still have problems catching/chasing food with such a long narrow mouth. Mine is fine now but I still put a netted seaweed clip in every so often to make sure he is eating. It has just big enough holes in the net for him & the yellow tangs. He loves it. I hang it down a crack in the rock work and he has to get underneath and peck to eat. Loves it. Might be worth

getting one. as this is their natural feeding position. They can eat and chase but don't usually get there fair share with such a narrow snout !

 

[Lesley]

If you search this forum there was a thread not long ago entitled something like
"bloody copperband red rash and wont eat "
Lots of good advice on that
The discoloration on him looks exactly the same as the problem on your copperband.
Take a look hope it helps.

 

[leodb89]

I have had a very healthy copperband for about 6 months now. I researched and found that even after being in an established tank for a long time they still have problems catching/chasing food with such a long narrow mouth. Mine is fine now but I still put a netted seaweed clip in every so often to make sure he is eating. It has just big enough holes in the net for him & the yellow tangs. He loves it. I hang it down a crack in the rock work and he has to get underneath and peck to eat. Loves it. Might be worth

getting one. as this is their natural feeding position. They can eat and chase but don't usually get there fair share with such a narrow snout !

always wondered what these netted ones were for?

 

[Str8edge]

I had trouble getting my margined butterfly to take anything except frozen brine till I used the netted clip I now give him a scollap or mussel every so often in the clip and he loves it..

 

[leodb89]

amazing to see it eat from your hand...hope it all goes well :(

 

[MagicJ]

I have never seen a fish refuse live brine shrimp - they have little nutritional value but at least they generally get a fish to start eating.

 

[Cosby]

Has been eating a bit of frozen spirulina today.

 

[Lesley]

Has been eating a bit of frozen spirulina today.

Glad to hear that. Is his colour looking any better ?

 

[Cosby]

Glad to hear that. Is his colour looking any better ?

Not really. He doesn't seem to have any visible parasites, but his coloring is still pretty dull.

I have seen my Melanarus wrasse trying to give him a clean though.

I have managed to teach the wife how to feed him as well, so we're hopeful he's on an upward trajectory.

 

[firebird]

@Cosby
How is this fish doing?
i taught my one to eat by using live black worms-all fish seem to love them. Got this from a guy on Reef central(Paul B) who has been feeding his fish these x years. My Copperband refused mussel in any form. He since learnt to eat mysis out of a one of those cone shaped fishfeeders. I also give him bloodworms( frozen) in it and put it in daily. But it was the blackworms that initially did the trick.I used some from the LFS to get going and then carried on culturing them .I know there is all this drama about them having parasites but no problems at all.

 

[Cosby]

It passed away last night. It had fed on and off for the last week, but in the last few days wouldn't go near anything.
Wasn't even interested in food, whether it was mussels, life brine, frozen, etc.

Very frustrating.

 

[holly]

Damn. Hopefully better luck with the next one.