Mine LOVES mushrooms... smooth ones, not frilly ones.
Can you list the foods you've tried besides those pellets/gel foods you mentioned in your OP?
Having hard time with Pakistan Butterfly not eating... afraid he might die?
- Thread starter SCIFI_3D_zoo
- Start date
Mine LOVES mushrooms... smooth ones, not frilly ones.
Can you list the foods you've tried besides those pellets/gel foods you mentioned in your OP?
SCIFI_3D_zoo
New member
I got both shrooms. He can have em. I've been trying to kill those foul weeds actually. I was injecting them with KALK last night b/c I read it might work. It doesn't look like it so far but I'm waiting for results still. Gotta find something easier than scrubbing rocks.
All but fresh food from grocery. Mysis, Rods Food (has everything in it). Got Bloodworms instaed of blackworms by accident.
All but fresh food from grocery. Mysis, Rods Food (has everything in it). Got Bloodworms instaed of blackworms by accident.
SCIFI_3D_zoo
New member
I got both shrooms. He can have em. I've been trying to kill those foul weeds actually. I was injecting them with KALK last night b/c I read it might work. It doesn't look like it so far but I'm waiting for results still. Gotta find something easier than scrubbing rocks.
All but fresh food from grocery. Mysis, Rods Food (has everything in it). Got Bloodworms instaed of blackworms by accident.
All but fresh food from grocery. Mysis, Rods Food (has everything in it). Got Bloodworms instaed of blackworms by accident.
Which mysis? Definitely grab a diver scallop and a raw shrimp from the grocery store...finely mince it with a small knife, and throw some in front of the butterfly.
SCIFI_3D_zoo
New member
Man... I didn't know there were so many diff. types of mysis in the fish store. I don't know what I have. THey said he was eating gel food & pellets so why is it so picky now? Diver scallop... somebody in grocery will know what that is? Any kinda shrimp?
Mine specifically likes Hikari mysis and PE mysis.
Diver scallop is just the large type of scallop you buy for when you make, for example, bacon wrapped scallops. Bay scallops are the little small ones. IME butterflies tend to prefer the large ones, even though they will usually eat both, at least eventually.
Just any raw, unseasoned shrimp. This should all be in the meat/butcher section of the grocery store.
Diver scallop is just the large type of scallop you buy for when you make, for example, bacon wrapped scallops. Bay scallops are the little small ones. IME butterflies tend to prefer the large ones, even though they will usually eat both, at least eventually.
Just any raw, unseasoned shrimp. This should all be in the meat/butcher section of the grocery store.
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Actually that is a terrible track record. 5-6 years is "fair luck". Sorry to be so blunt.
SCIFI_3D_zoo
New member
I don't know why. There has been a couple that made it 1.5 years. Never 5-6. I've seeded my tanks a few times with pods and waiting 6 months too. I've never seen the pods at night with a flashlight. I guess that's a sign that my system is not very healthy then?
SCIFI_3D_zoo
New member
Also.. I was looking at these TetraGel food trays that are supposed to feed fish slowly for 7-14 days... they are Vacation Trays. Interesting. I noticed... there aren't any "black"worms. I saw bloodworms. Somebody said they eat "black" worms? If bloodworms are right then I did try that too. The only thing this fish is even trying is mysis. And yea, they do kinda wiggle, do weird stuff when they eat. But he was still spitting it out. It's uh... mysis shrimp ... San Francisco Bay Brand.
SCIFI_3D_zoo
New member
That means he'll eat my other ornamental clams too? I'll try this thanks guys.
SCIFI_3D_zoo
New member
Yea. my problem is I live in a really small town. I can't get live anything... ghost shrimp, brine, etc. Practically no saltwater stuff at all. Gotta go 1-2 hours out of town. IF they said they had him on pellets and gel food then he should be happy with the stuff I'm giving him.
readmeli
Do you see me SMIZING?
Here is a chart that shows what your fish was absolutely eating. We would never sell a fish if it was not eating heartily. 
http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=271
It would seem to me something else is up - he's not comfortable in his new environment somehow. I surely hope he starts eating soon, we really hate to hear stories like this. Good luck.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=271It would seem to me something else is up - he's not comfortable in his new environment somehow. I surely hope he starts eating soon, we really hate to hear stories like this. Good luck.
SCIFI_3D_zoo
New member
I want to make sure everybody reading this thread knows that I have total 100% faith in the health and QT process of LiveAquaria. It's the only place I buy fish from b/c I don't have my own QT setup. I've always had problems for years with LFS , especially with Tangs who are prone to ich. I've never had any problem like that since buying from LA. I also get 90% of all my corals from there too.
Not to be nitpicky here, but that chart is a general guide. I HIGHLY doubt it means that every butterfly they have in the DD section is eating all the things listed in the dry/gel foods section, heartily.
IME fish, especially butterflyfish prefer Hikari mysis over other mysis. No idea why, but they do. So it's not surprising that LA specifically has Hikari mysis listed. FWIW it was the first and only food my Pakistani BF would eat.... heartily, even
IME fish, especially butterflyfish prefer Hikari mysis over other mysis. No idea why, but they do. So it's not surprising that LA specifically has Hikari mysis listed. FWIW it was the first and only food my Pakistani BF would eat.... heartily, even
SCIFI_3D_zoo
New member
Oh man, don't know if I can find that around here. One thing... the Instant Ocean "grazing blocks". Anybody know about those. How do those work. You jam them in your rock or something... they won't float away? I also saw those vacation gel-based trays for 7-14 days too.
sslak
New member
That's not fair luck...that means you are not sustaining them. You may think they are eating, but clearly they are not getting enough food. To KEEP one, you need to train it to eat prepared foods, and target feed daily. You can't just throw food in the tank and expect it to compete with your other fish for food. They simply can't compete. They need to be target fed with circulation off to allow them to eat, that's if you have them trained to eat what you provide.
"Seeding" pods is useless if you already have one in the tank. They would eat that whole bottle of pods in a couple days. Seeding would work in an empty tank if you waited for the population explosion and were able to sustain it before adding one, otherwise you need to train them and target feed daily.
That would be like having pet dogs that only live 2 years and calling it "fair" luck. Sorry, but that's terrible, you should stop buying them.
sslak
New member
You ordered the fish online, you can order the food online too
Marinedepot and Foster/Smith both have a huge selection of food.
As far as live brine, you can hatch your own very easily. All it takes is a plastic container and a small air pump, and a heater.
jcw
Active member
Live aquaria doesn't quarantine their fish in any special manner do they? At least they don't advertise that they do on their web site.
Divers Den clearly states their quarantine and treatment protocol, which is VERY IMPRESSIVE, but live aquaria doesn't seem to.
In fact I think they sugest a quarantine period for their fish is a good idea.
Though not a requirement of our acclimation procedures, we highly recommend that all aquatic life be quarantined in a separate aquarium for a period of two weeks to reduce the possibility of introducing diseases and parasites into your aquarium and to ensure they are accepting food, eating properly, and are in optimum health before their final transition to your main display.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=157
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=834
Either way, I wish you and your fish the best of luck.
Divers Den clearly states their quarantine and treatment protocol, which is VERY IMPRESSIVE, but live aquaria doesn't seem to.
In fact I think they sugest a quarantine period for their fish is a good idea.
Though not a requirement of our acclimation procedures, we highly recommend that all aquatic life be quarantined in a separate aquarium for a period of two weeks to reduce the possibility of introducing diseases and parasites into your aquarium and to ensure they are accepting food, eating properly, and are in optimum health before their final transition to your main display.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=157
http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=834
Either way, I wish you and your fish the best of luck.
