Do Copperbanded Butterflyfish eat tiny featherdusters?

[JeffReef]

I saw a few tiny featherdusters in my tank and I was wondering if a Copperbanded Butterflyfish would eat them. These particular featherdusters are very tiny - about hairline in thickness and less than half an inch in lenght. Its body is soft and sways with the current.

 

[mrwilson]

I'd be shocked if you could find a copperband that wouldn't eat them, given what I've read here on RC and based on my own anecdotal experience. Although my copperband took about a week and a half to start eating frozen brine and mysis (it now eats almost any frozen food), he zeroed in on the two feather dusters in my tank literally seconds after I'd dropped him in. It was unbelieveably fast, as if they were covered with copperband-nip or something. Of course, if you've researched copperbands, you know that after they've cleared your tank of whatever live items they might eat (feather dusters, aiptasia, etc.), the difficulty is getting them to eat prepared foods. I would certainly recommend only purchasing a copperband that you've actually seen eat at the store.

 

[paulamrein]

I've trained mine to eat anything out of my hand. It even eats flake food like it was anything live. The trick is simple. If you can remember back in your psychology class with Pavlov's dog, only it's with live food and tapping on the tank. Tap on the tank, (lightly) and drop a piece of live food. whether it's brine or glass shrimp or black worm. Than repeat a while till when you tap, they react and go to the spot, than start putting frozen along with the live, than from there it's a matter of time before it eats anything. Eating from your hand takes a little more time and patience. My experience is that it's a million times easier in a QT without any competition Also, it would be best also, if you do this technique to do it for only one or two fish, teaching them all to hand feed is just as competitive as scatter feeding. I know you didn't ask this, just followed up with some advice from mrwilson.