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View Full Version : How to train a Chaetodon Reticulatus to eat

shandy_say
02/09/2011, 07:23 PM
Hi! I recently adopted a 2inch juvi chaetodon reticulatus. Ive been researching the net for info about this fish but unfortunately i haven't found much info on it. Its been a couple of days already and it still hasn't fed on anything. Ive tried frozen food, pellets, flakes, and cyclo already and i have yet to see it feed on something. Anyone know how to get them to feed?
glassbox-design
02/09/2011, 07:37 PM
The reticulated butterflyfish is an obligate corallivore (read: acropora eater) and best left in the ocean--this is likely why you have been unable to find much info on its captive care.

If you can spare some SPS, I would suggest adding some live Acropora asap to get some calories in the fish before it is too far catabolic.

Then look into this: Feeding Angelfish and Butterflyfish (http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=2597)

Try smearing the food paste on dead coral skeleton, shells, etc. Juveniles have been weaned onto small clams, but there is only one documented success story to date.

Best of luck.
Swim
02/09/2011, 07:41 PM
Grow SPS in a dedicated tank and harvest frags to feed the fish.
shandy_say
02/09/2011, 07:49 PM
Yeah I actually saw that article in your blog. I have to get some clams soon to test if i can train it to eat. Would it be possible for you to ask Mr. Takama how he got them to try the clams in the first place?

I even put in a sps frag i had inside its box now but i its not touching it. My friend who gave it to me said that it was mainly feeding on acans and micromussas in his tank thats why he gave it to me.

I really hope that it feeds soon. Here is a pic i took last night.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/shandy_say/IMG_0363.jpg
shandy_say
02/12/2011, 09:00 PM
Finally got the reticulated to eat. Thanks gbd.
LukFox
02/12/2011, 09:46 PM
How did you do it?
shandy_say
02/13/2011, 11:50 PM
Im feeding it live ruditapes philippinarum as of now. Im planning to train it to eat prepared foods starting next week. I have a video of it feeding but im still uploading it now. Will post it later when upload is completed.
shandy_say
02/14/2011, 01:52 AM
here is the video. I had to be a few feet away so the reticulated butterfly won't hide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XHv0CPIYT0
LukFox
02/14/2011, 02:35 AM
Very nice work, please let us know how it continues to do!
shandy_say
02/14/2011, 02:43 AM
so far its been 3 days already and its still eating. I hope to train it to eat something else by next week.
glassbox-design
02/14/2011, 10:51 AM
here is the video. I had to be a few feet away so the reticulated butterfly won't hide.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XHv0CPIYT0

Glad to hear you're making progress :thumbsup: please keep us posted.
shandy_say
02/14/2011, 07:12 PM
Thanks gbd! Will post next time when i try to feed it something else. I really hope it takes in the frozen food.
JCDelbeek
06/16/2012, 10:39 PM
What ever became of this fish? Is it still alive?

This species along with ornatissimus and meyeri are all corallivores but feeding these fish Acropora or similarly shaped SPS corals is futile and they will end up damaging their mouths trying to eat these as they slowly starve to death. The mouth on this group of butterflyfishes is designed for scraping coral slime from smooth surfaced SPS corals such as Porites and Montipora.
Dr Colliebreath
06/17/2012, 11:21 AM
My guess is no. It would be nice if people would report back because, if there is no success, perhaps it would discourage collection and purchase. Maybe the collection of this one was just a mistake or accident.
SDguy
06/17/2012, 11:55 AM
What ever became of this fish? Is it still alive?

This species along with ornatissimus and meyeri are all corallivores but feeding these fish Acropora or similarly shaped SPS corals is futile and they will end up damaging their mouths trying to eat these as they slowly starve to death. The mouth on this group of butterflyfishes is designed for scraping coral slime from smooth surfaced SPS corals such as Porites and Montipora.

I've also seen these types eat LPS like open brains in captivity.
JCDelbeek
06/17/2012, 06:23 PM
I've also seen these types eat LPS like open brains in captivity.

They may eat them but its not what their mouths are evolved to do. I once saw C. melapterus feeding on Fungia in a wholesaler's system ... with tearing evident on its lips from the costae of the coral scraping it as it tore the tissue off. When I was working at the Waikiki Aquarium we received a small ornate butterfly in 2005 which I placed in an outside exhibit with abundant Montipora capitata and it did well and grew until I left there in 2008. Not sure it is still on display or not.