Copper Band Died, My problem? or Problem species?

[Capt_Cully]

I always loved these fish but heard they were delicate and picky eaters. I inherited one from a buddy who got out of the hobby. He said he'd never seen him eat but that he always looked good. had him for like 2 years.

I've had him for about a month, never seen him eat, but he seemed to be doing fine. Looked great yesterday, but got the 911 page at work today to inform me that we had a death in the family.

Did I do something wrong? Was moving him to a slightly more crowded tank too much stress? Or are they more delicate than I was lead to believe?

Thanks

 

[Gobie]

If your friend had a tank full of aptasias and tube worms and your tank donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t have these, the fish starved to death. I had one that wouldnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t eat for over a year and a half. After he picked the rock clean he died.

 

[Capt_Cully]

Yeah, my peppermint shrimp completely irradicated any aptaisias. I'd heard he would start to pick at pods. My scooter blenny is fat and getting fatter so I know there's alot in there. Also heard he might like cycloopeeze, but never saw him so much as sniff the stuff.

Not sure. He was BEAUTIFUL but i don't want to replace him if the same thing is likely to happen. Opinions on my stress theory?

 

[dhoch]

These fish are meat eaters, and do need food (in pretty good quantities to survive).

They typically (or very rarely) will eat food from the water column (i.e. what you drop in) and this is often their downfall. Many can live in tanks (especially large ones) picking off living creatures, but it's MUCH better if you can get them to eat prepared/frozen foods.

A good method that I have discovered and have started shareing with others with some success:

Take a mussel or a clam, and split it open (don't seperate the shells) Then attach the mussel/clam to a Nori clip so that there is enough gap for the CBB nose in, but not other fish. Place this in an area where the CBB frequents (if you have no other fish or your CBB is in quaranteen you might try it as a half shell, but I did not have this luxury).

CBB should find this and start picking at it, then after time you can fill the shell with frozen prepared, and then hopefully go to some kind of feeding station (I use a fresh water worm feeder that I made some of the holes bigger so my CBB could get it's snout in).

I now feed mine: mussels, squid, shrimp, mysis, etc.

Dave