Teardrop Butterfly Not Eating

[CathyandWilly]

I purchased a teardrop butterfly four days ago. It is still not eating. I have read that it can take about three days for them to start eating. I am feeding my fish brine shimp. I am getting really concerned now. Any suggestions as to what I can try?

 

[ASD]

I fear your fish may be doomed, i am not familiar with this species, but i know a lot of butterfly fish feed exclusively on sponges, coral and other benthic invertebrates. Whenever buying fish, ask to see them feeding before you take it home.

They will feed on algea if food is short, try a little spiralina flake.

 

[Chac]

Dont immediately recognize the name myself either

Certain butterfly Fish are a nightmare to feed

Try Either/Both San Francisco Bay Angel & Butterfly Frozon Food & Frozon Mysis, I have found that Mysis works a treat on picky fish

Whenever I buy any fish I ask what they are eating & always ask to see it feed.

 

[N1z]

other thing u can try and get is thing called seachem entice, which makes it look more appealing or garlice guard which does the same in some aspects. good luck!

 

[brittlestar]

Cathy how is your butterfly now? I read many stories about them being very difficult to look after due to them not accepting flake foods and only wanting to graze.....I hope yours adapts and feeds soon

 

[CathyandWilly]

Thanks for all the suggestions, but he died last night. I have never thought to ask to see a fish being fed. Good advice. I did ask all the right questions (I thought) when I bought him. They even had to look up his feeding habits in a book!!! The problem is, I don't know what kind of fish I am going to buy, until I get to the store and see what is available. Therefore, I never get to do research on a certain species myself. I think in the future when I see a fish I want, I will put it on hold and come home and research it myself.

 

[brittlestar]

I'm really sorry Cathy You are right to do lots of research prior to getting fish - you really need to do this, decide what you want, and make sure your tank conditions are correct for this fish before purchasing it. Butterflyfish are notoriously hard to look after and are fussy feeders, do you have corals in your tank? What else is in there and what size is it?

 

[CathyandWilly]

I'm really sorry Cathy You are right to do lots of research prior to getting fish - you really need to do this, decide what you want, and make sure your tank conditions are correct for this fish before purchasing it. Butterflyfish are notoriously hard to look after and are fussy feeders, do you have corals in your tank? What else is in there and what size is it?

I have a 72 gallon tank, no corals. I have 1 Coral Beauty Angelfish, 2 False perc clowns, 1 Royal Tang and 1 Bicolour Angel, 2 cleaner shrimp, 2 brittle starfish, 2 hermit crabs and 75 lbs of liverock.

I wouldn't know where to begin to decide what kind of fish I want. Even if I did the chances of my fish store actually having it are slim to none. I think you can place orders for fish but I'm not sure how long you would have to wait to get it. I do agree that I have to start researching FIRST, then buy my fish.

 

[Chac]

May be an idea to increase you Clean Up crew 1st as you seem very low

 

[CathyandWilly]

May be an idea to increase you Clean Up crew 1st as you seem very low

What would you recommend?? and how many more??

 

[Chac]

The Usual Rule of thumb is 1 memeber of CCC per Gallon

additions -


Snails

Ceriths
Astrea
Super Turbo
Turban
Trochus
Nerite
Nassarius

Crabs

Loads of different types of Hermit
Emerald
Arrow Crab

Conch's

Seastars

Banded
Linkia (Difficult to look after)
Sand Sifter
Brittle

Urchins

 

[MoonTang]

I see you got these fish already 1 Coral Beauty Angelfish, 1 Royal Tang and 1 Bicolour Angel. Be careful what you add in with them. Doesn't your coral beauty and bicolor angel fight all the time???

I'm pretty sure your butterfly was getting picked on left and right by your other fish. Which could have stressed him out and caused him not to eat. I had longnose butterfly die because my yellow tang and coral beauty picked on him all day. I used a product made by Kent called Garlic Xtreme to help him eat. He was eating for a week but stopped after he was being constant chased for his life.

Here's some fish i would recommend a trigger. Depending if your keeping corals or not you could get a Niger trigger(not reef safe) or a Bluethroat trigger(reef safe)<--- love this one.

Or a wrasse. A nice one is a Red Coris wrasse(not reef safe) or any Fairy Wrasse(reef safe) and you also get a six-line wrasse(reef safe)<--- very cute.



The only way to keep a butterfly successful if you;

1. make sure they are already eating.
2. butterfly's should be one the first fish to be added.
3. should not be housed my aggressive tank mates.