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#1
05/31/2003, 01:41 AM
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Starving long nosed butterfly fish
At my LFS there was this long nosed butterfly fish and it was literally starving. they could get it to eat nothing and were going to just feed it flakes; which it won't touch... until it dies. However, they gave it to me for free in order to try to revive it back to health. Now, they didn't know anything about what it eats except tube worms... and i'm not sure it is right to sacrifice my feather duster for this guy. Is there any types of food that they eat? while he was acclimating, i added some live brine shrimp and he attempted to eat that (he couldn't swallow them hole)... ne tips... thnx...
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#3
05/31/2003, 01:49 AM
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I applaud your efforts in trying to revive the butterfly. I am not as familiar with butterfly fish, but as you stated they due eat tube worms. That is way I do not house them, plus most eat the corals that we all keep. I am not sure if this will work, but you might try some live blood worms?
If the fish is extremely emaciated it most likely will not make it. It may have more internal problems than starvation. I only wish LFS's would only sell livestock to customers when they can properly and successfully take care of them themselves. I hope you can revive him. Good luck! |
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#4
05/31/2003, 01:57 AM
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thank you very much...
 ...i was almost expecting to get flamed... Yeah, i know he probably won't make it but i try not to thikn about it ya know. i think: he's starving so let's do what i can for him now rather than just be like: ohhh let's not go out of board because he won't make it no matter what. ya know? how 'bout the tang??? i reallly want one 
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#6
05/31/2003, 12:24 PM
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At 55 gallons your tank is too small for any tang.
The minimum requirement for the zebrasoma species like purple and yellow is 75 gallons. The minimum requirements for acanthurus species like the powder blue tang (a very difficult fish to keep even for experts) is a 6 foot tank, 135 gallons. If the lfs have told you different, find another one. |
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#7
05/31/2003, 12:31 PM
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you should try live or frozen foods, specially bloodworms. My two bf´s love them and it is the only thing my copperband eats, that is without taking into account the zillion worms andbugs that she finds in my 300 gal.
__________________
"To understand the bonds that unites us to all the living beings and to better judge the miracle or our own life, let the first wave of the sea break over you" Jacques Ives Cousteau |
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#8
05/31/2003, 02:25 PM
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I bought some live black worms today, they are no live blood rooms anywhere. there quite qrouse looking... but neways... i'll try that and if that doesn't work i will pick up some frozen blood worms or sumething... neother thoughts? thnx again
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#10
05/31/2003, 10:13 PM
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I have him in a net type breeder thingy. He has live brine shrimp, freshly and finely cut prawn, black worms... he aint touching nothing. (well initially he tried live brien shrimp but stoppped... maybe he's afraid he'll become fat...)
I don't even know where to find a muscle... |
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#11
05/31/2003, 11:19 PM
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okay... i took him out of the net mostly because i thought it would cause more stress. his spikey thingies were up and i felt REALLY bad. If I can't fix him i rather he live happily. However, does anyone else know what else he might eat. Something tells me to sacrifice the feather duster but i can't do it...
 please...
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#12
05/31/2003, 11:26 PM
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If he does eat the Duster and only the Duster, he will still stave, you are not going to purchase him a lifetime supply of Dusters.
A little tip might be to not "hover" over the tank. My Tang still will not eat the seaweed sheets from the Clip if I am near the tank. I see him from across the room when i am sitting at the 'puter. try to observe from afar..
__________________
----------------------------------------------- Evergreen "Good planets are hard to find" "Dolphins like to swim with tunas, the only problem is sometimes they get caught in tuna cans" Ray, 6 |
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#13
06/01/2003, 12:14 AM
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I had a butterfly fish (Copperband) that wouldn't eat anything for a month and a half except pods off the rocks. I tried mysis, fresh scallop, squid, blood worms, and he wouldn't touch any of it.
Then, I bought some fresh clams from the market, split one open, took a razor blade and lightly dragged it over the meaty part of the clam to make it easier for him to get bites of it, stuck the shell with the meat attached in the tank and he ate the heck out of it. The next day he ate frozen mysis and scallop with zeal. The clam on the half shell really did the trick. Give it a try. Your other fish will love the clam as well. My purple tang looked like it was ready to burst. Good luck. |
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#14
06/01/2003, 11:09 AM
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Thank you all for your help. However, I'm afriad that he didn't make it overnight.
.Once again, thank you all for helping... all this information will be very useful (I think i will still try it for my otherfish)...
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#15
06/01/2003, 02:05 PM
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Longnose Butterfly -- What to Feed
I recently acquired one and have had good success with Hikari Mysis shrimp which comes packaged in convenient frozen cubes. The shrimp particles are very small which is necessary for their narrow mouth.
HTH Winvictus |
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#16
06/07/2003, 05:51 AM
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Sorry to hear about the loss of your butterfly. When I posted my reply I had good intentions and never meant to tick you off. You seemed to be agitated with my response. More people should be as conscientious as you to try to save more fish and inverts in the industry. Your efforts are applauded. I to strive to do the best for my inhabitants that I have, and yes, if it were me, I would have tried to rehabilitate it as well. NO ONE should ever give up hope or not properly maintain the health of their inhabitants. If so, this hobby should not be for them. Good luck with your tank.
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