CBB, too stupid to eat?

[HumbleFish]

OK this is more of a rant, but if you're reading then at least I finally got someone's attention about this.

Long story short: I had a LFS special order a CBB. After a week, they tell me it still isn't eating so I go in there with live blackworms, and it eats them right out of the water column. I figure problem solved, take it home, put it in QT. Since then (over a week now) it has eaten maybe twice - both times frozen brine (but now refuses to even eat that). I've tried the blackworms, mysis, cyclopeeze, ova, clams, Rod's. It gets excited when the food hits the water, and even thoroughly inspects it as it lays on the bottom (I turn the pumps off for feeding) but no dice. This fish is driving me crazy!!! :mad2:

So yesterday, after doing more research, I built a DIY feeder. I used this one (props to Dakota Reef) as my template. The CBB was immediately interested in it, but the dummy couldn't figure out where the holes were located. He even started striking at the mysis he saw thru the vinyl tubing, which prompted me to squirt mysis all around the outside of the feeder. But of course, he doesn't want to have anything to do with that. :uhoh3: I get it... his instincts are driving him to want to eat the way nature intended. But will this fish really starve himself to death unless he gets his way?! (I already know the answer :headwalls:.)

So today I'm off to Home Depot to build another DIY feeder. I'm gonna try it with just PVC this time, so he can more clearly see the holes. Basically, it will look like this (props to Hella). I will also pick up some frozen bloodworms; that's a food I have yet to try on him.

Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I'll be sure to update this thread when he finally dies (sorry, I'm just very frustrated at the moment ). However, this will be the 3rd CBB I have tried to get thru QT; basically, a CBB is the final fish I want for my tank. I have owned many butterflyfish in the past (including CBB), and never had this many problems getting one to eat. Even my Moorish Idol was a breeze compared to this. :wildone:

 

[alton]

Try a rock full of Aptaisia?

 

[Newsmyrna80]

I've read that if you put a clam in the tank they will feed. But it should be removed quickly because of ammonia in the QT.

 

[HumbleFish]

Try a rock full of Aptaisia?

LFS tried that - no dice. And I've got him in CP now for ich, so a rock with aiptasia is no longer an option (even if I could find one - LFS is 1.5 hrs away).

I've read that if you put a clam in the tank they will feed. But it should be removed quickly because of ammonia in the QT.

Tried slivers of clam & mussel meat - no dice. Tried a whole clam - no dice.

Last night I put a whole mussel in there and he started picking at it. I can't be sure if he was actually eating it or just "playing" with it. I wanted to leave it in overnight for him, but like you I have ammonia concerns about that.

 

[snorvich]

Blackworms, Nutramar Ova, Capelin fish roe are "my go" to for this. None may work with this fish, however, since CBB are a luck of the draw even if they are the Australian endemic.

 

[rssjsb]

Also, the CP may be suppressing appetite. Does the fish actually have ich, or are you treating prophylactically? If the latter, you might consider running some carbon and do a water change and see if you have better luck getting it to eat.

 

[jnc914]

Blackworms, Nutramar Ova, Capelin fish roe are "my go" to for this. None may work with this fish, however, since CBB are a luck of the draw even if they are the Australian endemic.

x1000 --Also add the NLS Finnicky pellets to the mix. They got my Bandits, Regal angel, and Moorish Idol eventually eating everything I would later offer.

Unfortunately, it is either going to give in and eat the above mentioned food, or it just won't. I have tried these fish on 3 occasions, I was only able to keep an Australian one 2 years in a mixed reef. The other 2 wasted away because they refused to eat. Good luck with your CBB.

Btw, I love the title of your thread

 

[joyce322]

What do you have in that first feeding tube? Just Mysis? Can you share the plans for the feeding apparatus?

 

[thenewguy997]

Herws 2 suggsstions

1. Try dipping in garlic

2. Im not sure how you do it but ive read you can smear food onto rock and cbbs like that

 

[thenewguy997]

Also no meds. At all. Or it wont eat. Thts how mine is anyway

 

[thenewguy997]

Live shrimp are good too..

 

[HumbleFish]

Also, the CP may be suppressing appetite. Does the fish actually have ich, or are you treating prophylactically? If the latter, you might consider running some carbon and do a water change and see if you have better luck getting it to eat.

I'm pretty sure he has ich. He's been twitching a lot, like something is bothering his gills. I also saw at least half dozen white dots on his tail (which are now gone).

Btw, I love the title of your thread

Thanks, I needed something I could visibly see to relieve my frustration.

What do you have in that first feeding tube? Just Mysis? Can you share the plans for the feeding apparatus?

I've been trying both mysis & brine in the feeding tubes. Below are the two posts where I stole their ideas for DIY feeders :

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=18435485&postcount=11

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=14292589&highlight=copperband#post14292589

I've also seen a DIY feeder that Paul B made, but I've yet to find it.

 

[HumbleFish]

Just to update: The CBB is now picking at mussels for a second day in a row. :thumbsup:

I can only hope he's actually eating it and not just playing with it; because if I get too close to the QT he darts back into his "PVC cave". I picked up more clams tonight and will probably try that tomorrow. I'll also try soaking his food in garlic.

Thanks everyone for the advice, and for caring.

 

[HumbleFish]

So, my luck just keeps getting worse.

Yesterday I bought a dozen littleneck clams to feed the CBB. I figured he's eating mussels, so why not clams next? The clams smelled like... well, like clams, when I got home. So, I put them all in freezer bags and into the freezer to kill any pathogens.

Well, just now (more than 12 hrs later) I go to take one out for thawing, and the entire bag smells rotten... like death. I don't remember smelling this way when I froze them before. My freezer seems to be working fine.

Thoughts? Advice? Is this normal, or should I just chuck them all?

 

[Rea17]

My littleneck clams usually smell very mildly like clams after freezing, I've never had a batch come out smelling really bad. Have you tried oyster? It's softer than mussel but is more pungent than clams, my fish love it as a treat.

 

[HumbleFish]

My littleneck clams usually smell very mildly like clams after freezing, I've never had a batch come out smelling really bad. Have you tried oyster? It's softer than mussel but is more pungent than clams, my fish love it as a treat.

I'll look for oyster next time I go to the grocery. :thumbsup:

 

[HumbleFish]

So, I cracked the clam open I was thawing out and it smells perfectly fine inside. Meat looks fine too. I'm guessing one of the clams in the bag is bad and the smell of death spread to all the others. I will have to check them out one by one before feeding.

The CBB seems fascinated by the heater, so I built another DIY "feeder" using PVC pipe and affixed it to the glass with heater clamps. It's vertical (like the heater), and I used a rubber hand to hold the clam right smack dab in the middle of it. Maybe he doesn't like eating off the floor? :idea:

The damn thing is inspecting every facet of my little contraption... he's interested in everything EXCEPT FOR THE CLAM ITSELF! I swear, if he dies I'm not trying another CBB again unless it's eating like gangbusters.

 

[HumbleFish]

So just a little update... Tomorrow marks the 3rd week I've had "Princess" in QT (LFS had her for an entire week before that). I'm calling her Princess because every time I dump food in she inspects it very closely (as it hits the bottom of the tank), and then shakes her head side to side as if to say, "NO!" I've tried everything y'all... the only thing I can't seem to locate is raw oysters on the half shelf in this little POS town I live in. Very frustrating fish, indeed.

So, today I soaked some mysis/brine in garlic and dumped that in. Dumped it right on top of Princess's head to make my point! Same thing, she looked at it all and then just started swimming around the tank. Princess says, "NO!!!"

I go back an hour later (pumps stayed off), and all of the mysis/brine is magically gone! OMG! Now, I do have a tiny Bluefin Damsel in with her (I was hoping he would "teach her" how to eat), but that fish usually just eats one mysis & he's done. There was at least a dozen laying on the bottom of that tank.

Does anyone here think a CBB could last a month with just barely eating? I would think she'd at least be very weak by now. But no pinched stomach, and she still swims all over the place like normal.