agoh Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 I have just purchased a African Butterfly fish (already about 6cm) that refuses to eat anything but live foods...atleast I've tried flakes,pellets, tubifex and frozen brine shrimp for 3 days.....HOWEVER....I found two spiders in my room, threw them into the tank and the fish broke out of its hypnosis and crunch crunch, a spider was destroyed....the other one sought refuge on a leave growing out of the water, but the fish literally did the dolphin dive and all that was left was a spider leg on the leave... ANYWAY - anyway of training the fish to eat prepared simple foods... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brianemone Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 wiggle the food around on the surface a little Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserole Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 aogh , it is my under standing that they are live food only fish, a real surfus feeder. you mite want to try frozen blood worms but if they sink your butterfly fish may/will egnore them, try meal worms, mozzy rigglers and flys. flys and meal worms should be sold at your lfs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agoh Posted February 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 yeah so it seems...but its posted over the web that they can readily accept prepared foods...I even asked the LFS person and they said they will take anything that floats........I am assuming I have a matured butterfly thats been brought up on live foods or a wild caught specimen, which adds to the challenge...I'll see what I can do / otherwise I only hope blood worms work....perhaps have some hanging off some leaves into the water as I have alot of overhanging plants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aqua Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 As far as I've read on them, they'll only eat live food, and only if it drifts right in front of their nose! the young fish float just under the surface, and feeding them is very difficult as they will only take food that floats past their noses. The best foods are springtails, aphids and small flies, as well as Artmia nauplii -Simon & Schuster's guide to Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Fishes 1976 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caserole Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Buttterfly fish are a comercially bred species ,you can sex them by there anal fin female's is normal type of fin and males is a sickel shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 I've also got some butterfly fish (a pair) - it's my opinion that the definitely need live food to thrive but mine will also take flake (though no where near as enthusiastically as live food) - they are strict surface feeders though - once it's started sinking they totally ignore it. I can get my two to eat more flake if I sprinkle it on their head - they'll actually jump a little to get it. I've also got live mealworms to ensure a life food supply for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HummingBird Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Try starving them for a while, that'll make them less picky. At least it does with Axolotls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petplanet Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 I have sold a few Pantadon Butterflies and found them anything but fussy. They would eat anything that floats - flakes, pellets etc. Put it in with reasonable large fish and feed them food that floats. it should get the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agoh Posted March 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 whoooaaaa thanks guys yep its pretty nice and fat now...its doing well since I bought some bloodworms yesterday....cool thing about bloodworms is you can put a few in at a time and they don't sink, they just float around for ages, get a swab and submerge them at once and they sink to the bottom.....food for surface feeders / food for ground beasties. Why doesn't somebody invent and ingenious insect catching tank????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agoh Posted March 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2005 just another note guys....probably reinventing the wheel saying this but if any of you are having trouble feeding your butterflies like I did before....it pays to feed any food with 'very' dim lighting as opposed to partially dim or room lighting...I tried feeding mine in very dark lighting and it seems to be more responsive to the food in the tank (obviously duh coz they're nocturnal - but its cool to learn and share by experience anyway) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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