Feeding Advice

**ellebelle** · 09-10-2008, 12:53 PM

I'm currently having some trouble feeding my spotfin butterflies. They are all eating mysis, cyclopeez and flake. However they seem to prefer to pick it up off of the bottom of the tank and off of the rocks. This would be fine but my other fish are very aggressive feeders. I've even seen my wrasse steal mysis practically out of the mouth of my largest spotfin butterfly.

Suggestions on how to make sure the butterflies get their food too?

ZANYMASTER · 09-10-2008, 04:22 PM

Anyway to separate the tank in half maybe?Also,increase the feeding so they all eat.Others may chime in.

h20 freak · 09-10-2008, 08:05 PM

Have you tried a food clip?Some kind of sinking food?

House of Laughter · 09-10-2008, 09:03 PM

Lissa,

Spotfins are known to eat from barnacles and rubble fields so their natural eating habits are as "pickers" they also like coral polyps.

I would personally try to separate them from the other fish and feed them accordingly or feed your tank enough so the other fish won't compete - - I try feeding less on multiple occasions so they get a bite at each feeding interval. least this way they get a little food a few times a day rather than less once a day.

JMO

House

**ellebelle** · 09-11-2008, 12:25 AM

That is the problem. I spray the mysis into the sand and they immediately go for it and start picking it. But as they pick it up off of the sand and break it up the other fish grab it. My fish are greedy.

**jhale** · 09-11-2008, 01:38 AM

Feed more is my suggestion. the spotfins in my tank are eating from the top of the water as well. so far there is nothing I've put in the tank that they have not eaten. I'm putting quite a bit of food into the tank to make sure everyone is getting fed. whatever food is left over on the bottom the large butterflies graze at during the day.

House of Laughter · 09-12-2008, 01:42 AM

Lissa,

have you tried someting smaller that they don't have to compete for or lose in a battle like brine or cyclo?

House

Bob 1000 · 09-12-2008, 03:21 AM

If you overfed to get a fish to eat more aggressively please remember to do more water changes... That's all..

**ellebelle** · 09-12-2008, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by House of Laughter


	Lissa, have you tried someting smaller that they don't have to compete for or lose in a battle like brine or cyclo? House

Yes, and they eat the cyclopeez eagerly. I've been putting it into my tank every day - I just don't think that's enough for them to thrive. Of the three, two of them look skinny. One actually looks fine so he must be doing a little better at stealing food from the rest of my greedy fish.

Paul B · 09-12-2008, 09:17 AM

Lissa I feed them live black worms from a baster. I squirt the worms all the way across the tank so the fish disperse all over the place, then I squirt some more near the butterfly. The little butterfly eats about 4 worms, that fills him up. The only problem is that he likes them so much now that he won't eat anything else. I am going to have to talk to him.

09-10-2008, 12:53 PM	#1
ellebelle Lissa Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Upper East Side Posts: 2,135 Reefer Ratings: (16) Friends: (11)	Feeding Advice I'm currently having some trouble feeding my spotfin butterflies. They are all eating mysis, cyclopeez and flake. However they seem to prefer to pick it up off of the bottom of the tank and off of the rocks. This would be fine but my other fish are very aggressive feeders. I've even seen my wrasse steal mysis practically out of the mouth of my largest spotfin butterfly. Suggestions on how to make sure the butterflies get their food too? __________________ My 75g Tank! 40br Upgrade(ran 12/07 - 9/08) 29g Tank Log (ran 11/06 - 12/07)

09-10-2008, 04:22 PM	#2
ZANYMASTER Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Astoria,NY Posts: 2,763 Reefer Ratings: (49) Friends: (9)	Anyway to separate the tank in half maybe?Also,increase the feeding so they all eat.Others may chime in. __________________ Concentrate all firepower on that superstar destroyer!

09-10-2008, 08:05 PM	#3
h20 freak Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: PA =( Posts: 522 Reefer Ratings: (0) Friends: (0)	Have you tried a food clip?Some kind of sinking food? __________________ tank specs 60 gal 4ft long,1 ft wide,2 ft tall 10 gal fuge 2135 gph total w.o return cpr sr3 skimmer Coralife aqualight 48"130 watts 70+pounds Lr(lost count after a while lol) Fish:Tomini surgeon fish, 2 occelaris clowns, 1 blue-side fairy wrasse, black combtooth blenny. Inverts: scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp,One pink pincushion urchin,snails,and One green brittle star corals: toadstool leather, finger leather, frags:shroom,xenia,and palys one step at a time.....

09-10-2008, 09:03 PM	#4
House of Laughter www.saltwatercritters.com Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ossining, NY Posts: 10,290 Reefer Ratings: (124) Friends: (36)	Lissa, Spotfins are known to eat from barnacles and rubble fields so their natural eating habits are as "pickers" they also like coral polyps. I would personally try to separate them from the other fish and feed them accordingly or feed your tank enough so the other fish won't compete - - I try feeding less on multiple occasions so they get a bite at each feeding interval. least this way they get a little food a few times a day rather than less once a day. JMO House __________________ House of Fish (914) 424-0366 www.saltwatercritters.com Serving all your saltwater critter and reef needs

09-11-2008, 12:25 AM	#5
ellebelle Lissa Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Upper East Side Posts: 2,135 Reefer Ratings: (16) Friends: (11)	That is the problem. I spray the mysis into the sand and they immediately go for it and start picking it. But as they pick it up off of the sand and break it up the other fish grab it. My fish are greedy. __________________ My 75g Tank! 40br Upgrade(ran 12/07 - 9/08) 29g Tank Log (ran 11/06 - 12/07)

09-11-2008, 01:38 AM	#6
jhale paper bags are fun! Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: G.V NYC Posts: 15,161 Reefer Ratings: (43) Friends: (32)	Feed more is my suggestion. the spotfins in my tank are eating from the top of the water as well. so far there is nothing I've put in the tank that they have not eaten. I'm putting quite a bit of food into the tank to make sure everyone is getting fed. whatever food is left over on the bottom the large butterflies graze at during the day. __________________ FS: Aquamedic dosing pump, MH250 ballast, wavemaker

09-12-2008, 01:42 AM	#7
House of Laughter www.saltwatercritters.com Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ossining, NY Posts: 10,290 Reefer Ratings: (124) Friends: (36)	Lissa, have you tried someting smaller that they don't have to compete for or lose in a battle like brine or cyclo? House __________________ House of Fish (914) 424-0366 www.saltwatercritters.com Serving all your saltwater critter and reef needs

09-12-2008, 03:21 AM	#8
Bob 1000 Professional Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Staten Island Posts: 3,687 Reefer Ratings: (32) Friends: (36)	If you overfed to get a fish to eat more aggressively please remember to do more water changes... That's all.. __________________ I'm almost ready for fish..

09-12-2008, 09:17 AM	#10
Paul B Three decade club Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Hyde Park Posts: 737 Reefer Ratings: (3) Friends: (2)	Lissa I feed them live black worms from a baster. I squirt the worms all the way across the tank so the fish disperse all over the place, then I squirt some more near the butterfly. The little butterfly eats about 4 worms, that fills him up. The only problem is that he likes them so much now that he won't eat anything else. I am going to have to talk to him.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode