Copperband Butterfly not eating?

Question

This is my second copperband butterfly already. I have other fish in my 55 gals tank also. the first one didn't eat anything and it died. i bought this one about 4 days ago. till now I don't think it eats anything yet. I feed them Formular 2 flark, and myrits shrimp. other fish are doing very well. my tank is very stable, but the copperband butterfly is just not eating in the tank. Please help! I think this is its last day

Answer 1

That's not really too surprising to hear. Copperbands don't ship well and they're finicky when it comes to eating. I doubt they'd be interested in flake food, frozen or alive would be the best for them. Unfortunately, without a large tank and adequate cover, and a fish that's already eating in the store, these rarely survive.

There's a relative of the copperband that's a little easier to keep, they look similar, but this one lacks the eyespot. You can find more about this in this link and the "Butterflyfishes of the genus Chelmon" link within:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BFsBestWrst.htm

Answer 2

try an oyster, plce it shell open in a crevive in your live rock, if that doesnt work try chopping another one up into very fine pieces, brine shrimp or parsley size bits and scatter them tightly on a few flat/over hang areas.frozen blood wroms or balck worms may hep, but should not be given long term. there is also a commercial blend of angel/butterlfy diet. these fish are specialized feeders, about half die within 3 months, so good luck. also there are copeopod cultures that you can try, any smaller food can be given to try and encourage them to eat. also if you have any tangs, or any kind of angel watch for aggression. any carnivore in the tank may also be competing for food with the copperband but try fresh oysters on the half shell. shrimp,crab, or lobster meat may also be an alternative but they will prefer it raw