Help with longnose butterfly

[All Seas]

Hey all,

About 3 days ago I picked up a new addition to my 90 gallon mixed reef, a yellow longnose butterfly. I have always wanted one of these and fell in love the second I saw him at my lfs. The issue I am having with him is he will not eat. I have tried flake, mysis and squid. I am going to go back to my lfs and see if they have brine or black worms and try that next. Any other suggestions?

Also, when the lights go out he is either up against the wall of the tank with his bottom body against the glass or in a small cave I have upside down with his body against the roof of the cave, in both spots he has his dorsal fins up the entire time. When the lights are on he usually just follows the outside if the tank and plays the corners.

Right now all I have in their is a small hippo and a clown.

Any ideas?

[sc50964]

Fish act like that coz they are in the defensive mode, and not fully acclimated yet. How did you acclimate him to the tank? Maybe he just needs some more time. Maybe you can try to ground up some clams and mussels, mix them up with garlic guard, and paste them over some dead coral skeletons. Or buy some live brine or ghost shrimps.

[All Seas]

I acclimated him for about an hour then released him into the tank.

I was hoping he would swim around a bit more. When the lights are on, all he does is stay in a corner and swim to the too then down to the bottom and back up, etc

I guess time will tell

[ReeferBill]

Have you tried the live brine shrimp? That should get him eating. What fish do you have besides the BF in their? Is anyone picking on him? My favorite fish !

[sc50964]

I acclimated him for about an hour then released him into the tank.

I was hoping he would swim around a bit more. When the lights are on, all he does is stay in a corner and swim to the too then down to the bottom and back up, etc

I guess time will tell


How about when lights are lower or off?

[Paul B]

I have had many of them for decades and if you can get live blackworms, that is what you should feed him. Throw out the flakes and pellets. If he is healthy he should eat blackworms, Mysis and squid, but clams are much better.

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/Aquarium014.jpg (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/Aquarium014.jpg.html)

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/IMG_1193.jpg (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/IMG_1193.jpg.html)

I have even spent some time with them in Bora Bora where I took this.

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/LongNose.jpg (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/LongNose.jpg.html)

[sc50964]

[QUOTE=Paul B;22553604]I have had many of them for decades and if you can get live blackworms, that is what you should feed him. Throw out the flakes and pellets. If he is healthy he should eat blackworms, Mysis and squid, but clams are much better.



http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/Aquarium014.jpg (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/Aquarium014.jpg.html)



http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh270/urchsearch/IMG_1193.jpg (http://s258.photobucket.com/user/urchsearch/media/IMG_1193.jpg.html)



I have even spent some time with them in Bora Bora where I took this.



Where do you get black worm? Is that the same as blood worm?

[Dr Colliebreath]

Try live brine, live blackworms, chopped scallop and clam. Get the scallop and clam from the seafood portion of your grocery store. People typically open the clam and put it in the tank for the YLN to pick at.

Get live blackworms at your fish store. Start with a small portion (cost around $2). The blackworms should live in a small amount of RODI water in your refrigerator for two weeks if you change the water off daily. Always use RODI water as tap water will kill the blackworms. Keep the worms covered.

When the lights are off, YLNs tend to find a place off to the side and suspend in the water, frequently nose down, upside down or at some other odd angle. They also lost most of their color and become blotchy, as camo for protection so they blend in with their surroundings. That is jut the way they are.

If yours is healthy, it will start eating, swimming around and picking at the rock during the day.

This is one of the primary reasons to use a quarantine tank. In addition to isolating disease, you can get the fish healthy and adapted to aquarium foods without it having to compete with established fish in your main tank.

[sc50964]

Try live brine, live blackworms, chopped scallop and clam. Get the scallop and clam from the seafood portion of your grocery store. People typically open the clam and put it in the tank for the YLN to pick at.

Get live blackworms at your fish store. Start with a small portion (cost around $2). The blackworms should live in a small amount of RODI water in your refrigerator for two weeks if you change the water off daily. Always use RODI water as tap water will kill the blackworms. Keep the worms covered.

When the lights are off, YLNs tend to find a place off to the side and suspend in the water, frequently nose down, upside down or at some other odd angle. They also lost most of their color and become blotchy, as camo for protection so they blend in with their surroundings. That is jut the way they are.

If yours is healthy, it will start eating, swimming around and picking at the rock during the day.

This is one of the primary reasons to use a quarantine tank. In addition to isolating disease, you can get the fish healthy and adapted to aquarium foods without it having to compete with established fish in your main tank.


I guess black worms and blood worms are the same thing.

[All Seas]

Well he started swimming around a little bit today to pick on some rock but still no luck with the mysis, squid or flake.

I will try some clam on the shell tomorrow and it that doesn't work, find some black worms.

[TravelinLight]

Get black worms! Not bloodworms-two totally different things. They cannot pass up the opportunity to eat them. If this is done the butterfly will acclimate much easier and you will have a longer period to try and ween him onto other foods. If your Lfs doesn't sell them make a purchase online, it's about 30 bucks straight to your doorstep and they will last almost a month.

[Paul B]

I guess black worms and blood worms are the same thing.

What he said. You need live blackworms

[Dr Colliebreath]

I guess black worms and blood worms are the same thing.

No, blackworms are very small, thin and about an inch long. Much of what is sold in the aquarium trade as a blood worm isn't a true worm and doesn't entice butterfly fish to feed. They are frozen or freeze dried. You want real, live blackworms that will squirm around in front of your fish. Just put a couple in the tank at a time as they die pretty quickly in saltwater.

If the fish is healthy, it will certainly eat live blackworms or live brine, although it may take a week or two for it to recover from the stress of transport and to settle in to an aquarium before it starts eating.

Sorry, I meant to include this in my prior answer but forgot it.

[All Seas]

Ok so it's been 10 days since he has been added to the tank and I have yet to see him eat a bite. Every now and then I see him pick at a rock but has refused to eat anything during feeding times. At this time I have tried:
Flake
Frozen squid
Clam on the half shell
Chopped fresh clam
Mysis shrimp
Seaweed
Live black worms

I have tried feeding during light hours as well as dark when he's out and still zero luck. I really expected him to eat the black worms but just swims away when the blaster gets near him. I have had to "drop" them a bit above him and let them fall in front of him and still no go. The only plus is my clown and blue hippo are love the diversity of food.

[Paul B]

There is something wrong with that copperband, he should have eaten by now. Did he eat before you bought him?

[All Seas]

I did not see him eat prior to purchasing him

[Paul B]

That's not good especially with a copperband

[All Seas]

It's a yellow longnose butterfly

[Paul B]

Almost the same fish with exactly the same care.

[Dr Colliebreath]

At this point, I would try live brine and chopped scallop and shrimp from your grocery store. Also, are you using small mysis like Hikari? Some fish prefer them to larger mysis like PE.

[snorvich]

Tank size?

[All Seas]

90 gallon

I tried the hikari.

I guess the next move is to buy some fresh scallop and shrimp and chop it up and mix it with some live brine. I never thought I would have to persuade an organism to eat. That's survival 101

[Daniel62]

Hi, so what happen with this fish?

[Triggerfish]

make a self note: always beneficial to see what fish is eating prior to purchase.
good luck.

[igot2gats]

make a self note: always beneficial to see what fish is eating prior to purchase.
good luck.

and to quarantine him as well, so that you can get the fish to eat, without any competition before puttting it in your DT.