Is there a fish that eats feather dusters?

staceyd72 · #1 04-03-2011, 12:31 AM

Hi,

Yes, I was lucky to get him/her from another reefer who managed to get the fish eating. Unfortunately, this past year it seemed to have lost its vision as it could no longer catch the food(mysis), it could sense the food was there but not able to catch it. I'd like to try another but as you said the success is fairly rare, and I don't really want to take the chance when the odds are not in my favour

I would suggest to Amy if you were to get a Copperband, maybe get one from another reefer or from a LFS that can show you it's eating. I have not know one to eat flake or pellets, only mysis, oyster, mussels, etc. and nems/feather dusters of course.

Not sure what kind of wrasse you have in mind? I've kept quite a few over the years and have not know them to eat feather dusters. However, that could be because of my Copperband taking care of them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by naesco

Unfortuneately, your success with a copperband is a fairly rare exception.

Any small wrasse other than those that are algae eating should do the job.

daniella3d · #2 04-03-2011, 12:49 AM

my copperband ate all the feather dusters in about a day or 2. Now he eats fresh mussle and live white worms like there is no tomorrow. He has grow quite a bit.

Most copperband will eat fresh clam, oyster and mussles. Mussles are cheaper.

I still have a huge aiptasia in my aquarium that I keep for making babies...all the tons of aiptasia that I had are gone now, the copperband eat them too.

fishoholic · #3 04-03-2011, 04:54 AM

Matted filefish. Although they also sometimes pick at coral too. Mine eats feather dusters, aptasia and LPS

He left my zoas and sps corals alone.

The Grizz · #4 04-03-2011, 05:59 AM

So far my Matted File is only picking at my aiptasia

amy · #5 04-03-2011, 04:28 PM

Would a copperband go after the 2 little clams in my tank? I'll have to do some research on the care required for these.

Delphinus · #6 04-03-2011, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amy

Would a copperband go after the 2 little clams in my tank? I'll have to do some research on the care required for these.

Not typically, but sometimes it can happen. FWIW I had a CBB for 3 years alongside clams and there was never an issue with the clams. He loved expensive LPS though, Acans and Blastos were soon to be a thing of the past after I added him. With butterflies in general there's always something that they might decide to get a taste for. CBB's just happen to be among the "slightly better behaved" among butterflies, but then they tend to have a poor track record of adapting to captivity.

whatcaneyedo · #7 04-03-2011, 05:43 PM

What about a long nose butterfly? I've never kept one but I've read in Scott Michael's books that they are more reef safe than a copperbanded butterfly and will eat tube worms.

daniella3d · #8 04-03-2011, 07:41 PM

I have a 4" clam in my tank and the copperband does not pay the slightest attention to it.

He does go at the oyster and mussels when I open them up. I think a live clam does not have the same food smell as a cut in half mussel At least both my niger trigger and my copperband gubble up the oyster and mussel in no time but none touch my live clam. I have a croccea. He does not touch my coral either, lps soft or sps. I have mine for around 3 months. I think the poor survival rate is due to people trying to force them to eat pellet or non appropriate food or they have been captured with cyanide. They do need to eat a lot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amy

Would a copperband go after the 2 little clams in my tank? I'll have to do some research on the care required for these.