Copperband bloodworm diet

[ohioreef71]

I've had a copperband in qt close to a month now. He will only eat bloodworms and blackworms. He is super fat and healthy. Blackworms are difficult to obtain. I've tried tricking him with mysis and countless other foods and no luck. Will a diet mainly consisting of mainly bloodworms and blackworms occasionally be sufficient?

 

[MikeandNicole]

Have you tried the freeze dried black worms? Obviously easier to keep and store and can make it much easier for you. Watch the bloodworms as they are very high in phosphates.

 

[ohioreef71]

I actually just placed an order for some freeze dried black worms. Right now I've been buying live black worms in bulk and freezing into cubes,which is no fun and the hour drive sucks. I didn't know that about the blood worms being high in phosphate thanks.

 

[snorvich]

Clams on the half shell usually entice them as well. If he likes those, soak mysis in clam juice and try that.

 

[Blueline12]

I've had a copperband in qt close to a month now. He will only eat bloodworms and blackworms. He is super fat and healthy. Blackworms are difficult to obtain. I've tried tricking him with mysis and countless other foods and no luck. Will a diet mainly consisting of mainly bloodworms and blackworms occasionally be sufficient?

Bloodworms are not a sufficient diet for a copperband. It's like candy to children.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Try chopped scallop and shrimp from your grocery store also.

 

[ohioreef71]

Been there with clam and scallops raw no luck.

 

[JamesJR]

Have you considered freezing either some mysis or clam with the blackworms? It might give it some of the odor of the blackworms or help the fish associate them as food. .

Maybe you could fortify the worms with some like selcon to up the nutritional value.

If you have some cluster worms or something that are growing like crazy in your sump or live rock you might add some to the qt tank to give the fish something to graze on.

I don't know if these things will help but just thought I'd throw them out there.

 

[MikeandNicole]

If you were to google say a California blackworm company you might be able to get the shipped to your door alive and cut out the drive.

 

[snorvich]

If you were to google say a California blackworm company you might be able to get the shipped to your door alive and cut out the drive.

For sure. I use Eastern Aquatics but I have a 5 gallon blackworm keeper with water flowing over them to keep them clean. (copied from PaulB's design)

 

[rog2961]

keep trying, and stick him with alot of fish to learn, I had a naso that was exactly like this and eventually he learned. My cbb started like this as well but caught on to mysis quick when other fish started to eat it.

 

[ohioreef71]

My thinking is once he hits the DT he will see the other fish eating and jump on board and join the group.

 

[SteelMastiff]

If you haven't tried it yet, go a couple of days without feeding it anything, and then try a different food.

 

[64Ivy]

For sure. I use Eastern Aquatics but I have a 5 gallon blackworm keeper with water flowing over them to keep them clean. (copied from PaulB's design)

Sorry for sidetracking but I'd like to see a rendering of that. Might give me a Springtime project...if Springtime ever gets here.

 

[SDguy]

I would keep trying seafood meats, minced into shreds. IME Chelmon species always go for these. Bloodworms are insect larvae... not a good food source for a marine fish.

 

[scottyburger]

I can vouch for this method. I started my Copperband using only live black worms. Make sure it is eating heartily. Once it is fat and healthy, skip feeding black worms every other day. On the non-black worm days, feed Hikari Mysis instead. Keep doing this for a while and eventually the Copperband will become addicted to shrimp as much as worms. Then skip feeding black worms altogether. Then switch to PE mysid, as it seems to make the fish fatter than Hikari.

"If you haven't tried it yet, go a couple of days without feeding it anything, and then try a different food. "

 

[Indusrty]

What about actual bloodworms? I have a friend who digs worms from the maine Mud flats. Obviously kill and chunk them up, but any reason not to do this?