Once a while, question on this beautiful would surface here.
It's known to be difficult to keep as they tend not to feed on food provided but spend the whole day grazing on liverocks. Also, they are not 'reef-friendly' as they would also nip at coral polyps, especially brain coral and zoanthids.
I have acquired a pair of them and am glad could successfully convert their eating habits.
They were 1 inch juveniles when I got them about 3 months ago and I believe this is an important factor as younger fish tend to adapt better.
This was what I did:
On the first 2 weeks, they stripped off the polyps of my brain coral. It was difficult trying to catch them.
Managed to arrest them and lock them up in the refugium on the third week. Here, there are only caulerpa and mud substrate - no corals.
Over the next 3 weeks, they were gradually fed with a composite blend of clam, scallop, oyster, squid, prawn, krill, nori and DHA.
With, nothing else to pick, they are forced to try the given food. On the third day, they started taking the food well.
On the 4th week, I apprehensively returned them to the display tank. Till today, they have completely ignored the corals and join in the normal feeding frenzy. Really eat like a pig and have grown to almost 21/2 inch now!
Look like the detention and their tender age helps. . . . some sort of brainwashing for them
Hope you find this useful.
Happy reefing
It's known to be difficult to keep as they tend not to feed on food provided but spend the whole day grazing on liverocks. Also, they are not 'reef-friendly' as they would also nip at coral polyps, especially brain coral and zoanthids.
I have acquired a pair of them and am glad could successfully convert their eating habits.
They were 1 inch juveniles when I got them about 3 months ago and I believe this is an important factor as younger fish tend to adapt better.
This was what I did:
On the first 2 weeks, they stripped off the polyps of my brain coral. It was difficult trying to catch them.
Managed to arrest them and lock them up in the refugium on the third week. Here, there are only caulerpa and mud substrate - no corals.
Over the next 3 weeks, they were gradually fed with a composite blend of clam, scallop, oyster, squid, prawn, krill, nori and DHA.
With, nothing else to pick, they are forced to try the given food. On the third day, they started taking the food well.
On the 4th week, I apprehensively returned them to the display tank. Till today, they have completely ignored the corals and join in the normal feeding frenzy. Really eat like a pig and have grown to almost 21/2 inch now!
Look like the detention and their tender age helps. . . . some sort of brainwashing for them
Hope you find this useful.
Happy reefing
