CCB feeding

[Sleepingtiger]

I recently acquired a CBB last week. He eats like a pig on clams on a half shell. He goes through 2 a day. @ $6.99/lbs, this is could potentially be expensive in the long run. I have tried to feed him mysis, which he will take but spit out. He is so slow to eat, most of my other fish will have their full before he can take in 2 or three mysis shrimp. Is their an effective way to ween him off of clams and take pellets. He has also destroyed all my aptasia. Also, does anyone else have any success keeping CBB with tridacnid clams? Thanks

 

[Dmorty217]

I wouldn't eat mysis if you gave me clams of the half shell either. Try feeding just mysis for 2-3 days. If he still won't eat it, feed clams again for a day or two and try mysis or brine again. Brine isn't very high quality but it is better than nothing

 

[SDguy]

Also, consider different brands of mysis. My butterflies prefer some over others. Generally speaking, Hikari and PE are favorites.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

Since I only had the CBB for about 6 days now, should I make sure he is nice and fat before trying to transition him over to mysis? Last thing I want is for the CBB to starve while he is still adapting to the tank. I really need a QT. My wife refuses to let me set up a second tank in the house. This wouldn't be an issue if I had a QT.

 

[pktech]

I would just go ahead & start a qt up anyway - it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Besides, one round of ICH or disease will wipe everything out - starting with your tang She'll get over it, lol ...

 

[SDguy]

I keep a tiny 15g QT in the corner of the kitchen counter. Super inconspicuous.

 

[Rea17]

I keep a tiny 15g QT in the corner of the kitchen counter. Super inconspicuous.

:lmao: Nice

I agree, QT is really a must. It's a small temporary setup, she will forgive you for it. I keep a 10g quarantine "kit" ready to go all the time. Once I'm done with it and everything is clean, the filter/heater/PVC etc gets stored in the tank - and I can pull it out and set it up somewhere subtle at a moments notice.

 

[SDguy]

:lmao: Nice

I agree, QT is really a must. It's a small temporary setup, she will forgive you for it. I keep a 10g quarantine "kit" ready to go all the time. Once I'm done with it and everything is clean, the filter/heater/PVC etc gets stored in the tank - and I can pull it out and set it up somewhere subtle at a moments notice.

Unless you are a fishaholic like me, then you best just leave it running 24/7 :wave:

BTW I think the kitchen is a great place for it (at least for me) because I'm certain to look at it at least once or twice a day.

 

[Rea17]

Mine actually gets set up on the kitchen counter too

I have a 90g quarantine that I leave running 24/7 these days. The 10g is something that I set up if I decide to rescue a sick fish or something... It would be good for someone whose spouse doesn't like fish tanks all over the house.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

so if i do decide to setup a quarantine tank, is it basically too late? since all the fish are in the DT. do I quarantine one fish at a time or all at once for over six weeks to make sure the life cycle of ick is gone from the DT.

we are talking about quite a few fish in a 20g long

 

[Dmorty217]

If you are going fallow you need to do that for 9 weeks not 6

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Since I only had the CBB for about 6 days now, should I make sure he is nice and fat before trying to transition him over to mysis? Last thing I want is for the CBB to starve while he is still adapting to the tank. I really need a QT. My wife refuses to let me set up a second tank in the house. This wouldn't be an issue if I had a QT.

Yes, make sure it is well established before withholding food it is eating. I would wait 90-180 days.

Try offering the cbb chopped scallop and shrimp. Most also eat live blackworms.

I feed the tank flakes or other foods the cbb wont eat and then feed the mysis or other foods the cbb will eat. They aren't good competitors for food.

Most cbbs won't eat pellets.

 

[Sleepingtiger]

Update on my CBB. I am very conscious about overfeeding in my fish to the point where i underfeed my fish. I don't have a fuge, I am however running a bio pellet reactor and a decent skimmer. I also have a nice sized colony of zenia to help me export the nutrients.

Because i hate to over feed my fish, the CBB seldom ever sees a piece of mysis. So i think my CBB will have to eat clams from now on. Upon dropping the half shell clam in the aquarium, my CBB goes nuts. But so does the six line wrasse and the 100 hermits, snails and cleaner shrimp. Within an hour, the shell is empty. So i decided to come up with an idea, why do i need to remove the other half shell? why not just leave it on and pry it open a little. I did just that and its great. The CBB was unsure at first, but within a couple of minutes he was using his long nose/mouth to his advantage. The six line has all but given up. The hermits and the snails can't get in there. The cleaner shrimps can, but i don't mind. This way, i can gauge exactly how much the CBB eating.

Before, it was 2-3 clams a day. Now I am hoping 1 clam would last an entire day. for $7/lbs and each lbs is about 15 clams. The CBB eats better than my 1yr old girl.

 

[SDguy]

I am very conscious about overfeeding in my fish to the point where i underfeed my fish.

Because i hate to over feed my fish, the CBB seldom ever sees a piece of mysis.

Number 1, I'd ask why? Do you have insufficient nutrient export/filtration. Number 2, IMO, you should never have gotten a CBB to begin with.

 

[Rea17]

Number 1, I'd ask why? Do you have insufficient nutrient export/filtration. Number 2, IMO, you should never have gotten a CBB to begin with.

+1....

If you have to underfeed your fish, something is very wrong with your skimming, water change, and/or filtration methods :/

 

[Sleepingtiger]

Number 1, I'd ask why? Do you have insufficient nutrient export/filtration. Number 2, IMO, you should never have gotten a CBB to begin with.

i think its a conscious thing... not so much lack of filtration. I am running a reef octopus xs200 which is rated for a 200g tank. it produces good skimmate and i clean it twice a week. My water parameters is good, 0 nitrates, 0 phosphates. I think its just me being overly cautious of overfeeding. I do have a nice sized colony of xenia and have several mangrove plants in my overflow.

why do you feel i should of never gotten a CBB? do you feel i am not taking care of it?

 

[Sleepingtiger]

+1....

If you have to underfeed your fish, something is very wrong with your skimming, water change, and/or filtration methods :/

its not that i have to underfeed my fish... its just a thing with my head. every time i see a piece of mysis get lost in the live rock, i get worried about water problems and algae outbreaks. not that it happens, its just me. and i hate seeing food get wasted. PE mysis isn't cheap. LFS sells that stuff like its gold.

 

[Rea17]

its not that i have to underfeed my fish... its just a thing with my head. every time i see a piece of mysis get lost in the live rock, i get worried about water problems and algae outbreaks. not that it happens, its just me. and i hate seeing food get wasted. PE mysis isn't cheap. LFS sells that stuff like its gold.

Well with tangs and butterflies, that can't be an issue in your head. If your water parameters are so good, don't worry about it. I know PE mysis is really expensive, and tbh I don't use it much because of the price. There are cheaper mysis brands out there. Little bits of mysis in the rocks is good for the cleanup crew anyway. I probably way overfeed my fish. If the vertebral column is protruding even a little bit on a new fish, that fish is getting fed 5-10 times a day until it fills out. I'm especially sensitive to this with my tangs.

 

[HumbleFish]

Most also eat live blackworms.

+1 for live blackworms. Also try Rod's

 

[MrTuskfish]

its not that i have to underfeed my fish... its just a thing with my head. every time i see a piece of mysis get lost in the live rock, i get worried about water problems and algae outbreaks. not that it happens, its just me. and i hate seeing food get wasted. PE mysis isn't cheap. LFS sells that stuff like its gold.

I see a lot more underfed fish on RC than overfeeding problems. If losing a single mysis or some algae (an algae free tank is unhealthy or new) drives you nuts; you either need to do some research or find a new hobby. Fish will never thrive in the sterile-like conditions you seem to strive for. You'd get a case of the vapors if you saw how much as I feed. (As much as they'll eat, several times a day.) Find out about water issues, don't assume the worst. Over feeding is always preached to newcomers and its often taken way too seriously. An established tank with a good bio-filter (primarily LR), skimmer, and WCs can handle plenty. There isn't much less stress on the bio-filter from a piece of mysis that goes through the fish first than an uneaten piece.