How often to feed longnose butterfly?

[Das awesome]

I got this longnose butterfly a couple weeks ago and so far it's only eating brine shrimp so I feed it two, sometimes three, times a day. It looks like it's getting pretty skinny though even though I always see it eat. My question is how often are you guys feeding yours to keep them healthy looking and how long before it starts taking other foods. I also feed my tank bloodworms, krill and mysis shrimp but it doesn't touch any of it. It just looks at them then swims away.

 

[JSeymour]

Have you tried mysis shrimp? Regular brine shrimp isn't very nutritious. If it won't eat mysis readily (they typically do), mix it with brine shrimp enriched with Spirulina. They also love bivalves, as do all butterflies. Three decent feedings with mysis, clams, mussels, or oyster flesh a day should be fine, of course numerous (six plus) small feeding are best. High quality flake foods and pellets can be soaked in the juices of these foods to 'trick' them into eating them. Longnoses aren't usually very finicky though. Is this fish quarantined and prophylactically treated for intestinal infestations/infections?

 

[rssjsb]

A lot of people have had success getting finicky butterflies to eat live blackworms.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Your yln is starving on the brine shrimp so you need to give it other foods that are more nutritious.

As Jason says, try mysis (try both Hikari and PE mysis). Your fish may prefer the Hikari at first as they are smaller, but the PE are meatier and seem to have more scent.

As Robin says, also feed live blackworms.

You also should try chopped scallop, shrimp, clam and fish fresh from the grocery store.

The yln needs to eat at least 2-3 times per day, and more right now to regain strength. I feed my tank food the yln doesn't eat first (flakes and pellets) and then feed the mysis, blackworms, etc. so the yln has a better chance to get enough to eat.

 

[lilalove]

Dr. G's has frozen mysis shrimp, too. My CBB will not touch PE or Hikari, but devours the Dr G's brand. Also, try live clam, or frozen clam on the half shell. My butterfly's favorite is still the live blackworms, though. Buy some, your fish will thank you.

 

[Das awesome]

I am currently trying to feed it hikari mysis, krill and blood worms as well. Is there a difference in nutritional value between bloodworms and black worms? I will try the clams on a half shell, but as of right now. The brine shrimp is the only thing it will eat. It just looks at the mysis shrimp and krill but doesn't eat them

 

[JSeymour]

Blackworms are definitely more nutritious, although neither are a "good" marine food. Personally, I'd just stick to marine shellfish. Mix the brine(spiro enhanced only, do not feed regular brine!) with the mysis and decrease the brine day by day. Minced Formula cubes are also typically relished. You might also think about adding garlic extract or minced fresh garlic to the food. It's a well known appetite/flavor enhancer for fish. In the future, you might want to avoid ever feeding brine shrimp, it's an addictive 'candy' to most fish.

Next time, remember to quarantine, it makes it easier to make sure your fish are eating well and eating the right foods.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

I am currently trying to feed it hikari mysis, krill and blood worms as well. Is there a difference in nutritional value between bloodworms and black worms? I will try the clams on a half shell, but as of right now. The brine shrimp is the only thing it will eat. It just looks at the mysis shrimp and krill but doesn't eat them

The Hikari mysis is good. I am not sure the fish will show much interest in frozen krill (and probably no interest in freeze dried krill).

Fish food industry bloodworms don't have any real nutritional value and many aren't even a worm. Real bloodworms from a fish store are good but messy. Live blackworms are much better for the fish, coupled with meaty seafoods and mysis.

Are you feeding live brine or frozen? In either case, put in 2 or 3 brine, and have a mix of half a dozen more brine and a dozen mysis and dump the mix in the tank near the yln as soon as it eats the 2-3 brine. Hopefully, it will gulp the food and decide the mysis is good to eat also.

If the brine is frozen, you can put garlic extract on the mix of brine and mysis (and on the chopped seafood) as that sometimes stimulates feeding.

 

[rssjsb]

Bloodworms are insect larvae, not actually worms. They've got an endoskeleton that makes them very hard to digest. I would avoid them.

The main value of blackworms (which very likely are the live worms you'll see sold live in an LFS, no matter what they're labeled) is that they seem to evoke an instant feeding response in fish like butterflies that eat worms in the wild. Once you've got some meat on his bones, you can try to introduce new foods.

Have you tried to mix the brine in with mysis? Sometimes that helps.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Robin,

I agree with you regarding what is sold as "bloodworms" in the fish food industry as they typically aren't worms.

There is a separate 12" or so worm known as a bloodworm in the fishing industry that are good food. You know how they obtained their name when you cut into them as a blood-liquid comes pouring out. I only point this out because some people feed the real bloodworms to aquarium fish (and they make great bait for fishing :lol: ).

 

[rssjsb]

Interesting (and gross). I learn new stuff on here all the time. I occasionally hear people talking about live bloodworms, and I never knew what they meant.