ShrimpChipGal
New member
I will try to convince hubby to take heni 
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Pairing butterfly fish
- Thread starter SDguy
- Start date
Update: This is getting tedious. Feeding the YLN is annoying, since everyone else eat pellets. I'm finding it difficult to keep the smaller YLN fat, since it obviously only eats SMALL pieces of food. Othwise, they get along still. Of course, during feeding, there is some aggression still, but nothing major.
AuroraDrvr
New member
Interesting that the small YLN is struggling to accept larger foods. How large (or small in this case), is it?
The small YLN is maybe 2.5", not including the nose 
It's not so much tat he is struggling. It's more that he just needs to be fed SO often, since he only picks out the small pieces. Meanwhile, with all the other fish gorging themselves, needless to say, by the time I'm done, the tank is VERY well fed. Goodbye water quality :lol:
It's not so much tat he is struggling. It's more that he just needs to be fed SO often, since he only picks out the small pieces. Meanwhile, with all the other fish gorging themselves, needless to say, by the time I'm done, the tank is VERY well fed. Goodbye water quality :lol:
I think the problem at this point is color. Everything he eats is white (mysis, scallop, shrimp, etc). Brown pellets and red flakes don't even get noticed. I'm going to try introducing blackworms to the diet. They are dark colored. Maybe mix in some pellets with them...
LukFox
Active member
Really interesting that he picks out color! Good luck with the black worms.
Dakota Reef
New member
Peter, I'd highly recommend making yourself a "butterflyfish feeder". I'm convinced it helped me keep this Long Nose Butterfly for over 7 years.
I simply drop in a cube of food and it allows my butterflys to pick for an hour or two, depending on the type of food. This is simply the clear intake tube from an old Powersweep powerhead. (the only thing those powerheads were good for).
<a href="http://s374.photobucket.com/albums/oo181/phil_1975/?action=view¤t=LNB.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo181/phil_1975/LNB.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
I recently added this Copperband but initially he wouldn't swim to the top of the tank to feed from the feeder like the LNB would so I temporarily rigged up another tube feeder lower in the tank and he quickly figured it out.
The Copperband started with clams and shrimp but now eats any frozen food I put in the feeder. The LNB always ate any frozen food I put in there. I feed a combination of Ocean Nutrition cubes, Rod's Food, PE Mysis and slivers of frozen scallop. They are eagerly taken. The only downside to using Rod's Food or PE Mysis is that as it thaws it sometimes floats out of the feeder and other fish snatch it up.
<a href="http://s374.photobucket.com/albums/oo181/phil_1975/?action=view¤t=CooperCyrano.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo181/phil_1975/CooperCyrano.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Both butterflys are fat and healthy even with the world's greediest naso tang cruising the tank. They would never survive long term if they only ate from the water column. In fact they're so conditioned now that when I drop loose food in the tank they'll immediately swim over to the feeder expecting a meal.
I simply drop in a cube of food and it allows my butterflys to pick for an hour or two, depending on the type of food. This is simply the clear intake tube from an old Powersweep powerhead. (the only thing those powerheads were good for).
<a href="http://s374.photobucket.com/albums/oo181/phil_1975/?action=view¤t=LNB.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo181/phil_1975/LNB.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
I recently added this Copperband but initially he wouldn't swim to the top of the tank to feed from the feeder like the LNB would so I temporarily rigged up another tube feeder lower in the tank and he quickly figured it out.
The Copperband started with clams and shrimp but now eats any frozen food I put in the feeder. The LNB always ate any frozen food I put in there. I feed a combination of Ocean Nutrition cubes, Rod's Food, PE Mysis and slivers of frozen scallop. They are eagerly taken. The only downside to using Rod's Food or PE Mysis is that as it thaws it sometimes floats out of the feeder and other fish snatch it up.
<a href="http://s374.photobucket.com/albums/oo181/phil_1975/?action=view¤t=CooperCyrano.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo181/phil_1975/CooperCyrano.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Both butterflys are fat and healthy even with the world's greediest naso tang cruising the tank. They would never survive long term if they only ate from the water column. In fact they're so conditioned now that when I drop loose food in the tank they'll immediately swim over to the feeder expecting a meal.
cecilturtle
Premium Member
Nice looking BFs Dakota. No aggression at all from the two?
SDGuy: FWIW, my LNB never eats pellets, but will eat everything else...escpecially flake Cyclopeze. Bloodworms are the only food I can add to the water and other fish avoid.
SDGuy: FWIW, my LNB never eats pellets, but will eat everything else...escpecially flake Cyclopeze. Bloodworms are the only food I can add to the water and other fish avoid.
Dakota Reef
New member
cecilturtle: The only aggression between the two occurs from the Copperband when he realizes the LNB is getting the last of the food. He seems to have to look at food for a few seconds before he pecks while the LNB dives right in. Occassionally he gets frustrated and flares his dorsal. Usually lasts about 10 seconds and is over.
Much more aggression from my Yellow Tang toward the Copperband.
Much more aggression from my Yellow Tang toward the Copperband.
cecilturtle
Premium Member
Dunno about blackworms...I use Ocean Nutritions Bloodworms. Might be same thing, but I think blackworms are freshwater food...I'm thinking angels and cichlids and discus.
Technically, both are freshwater. Bloodworms are actually insect larvae. Blackworms are true worms. Butterflies usually go nuts for them. Looks like I'm going to have to start some serious weaning...
ShrimpChipGal
New member
Such dedication! Congrats!
Coming from you that's quite a compliment
Welcome home, BTW! We need to get food and drinks, and you can show me all your pictures
