Chaetodon Ornatissimus - Feeding

[AcroporaUK]

Hi all

Has anybody found what artificial food these fish can be fed ?

Before I'm 'abused' for having one of these, let me explain.


1. I have a very large reef system with loads of SPS.

2. Last year I saw an orage spotted file fish eating brine, something I'd not seen in a shop before, so I bought it, and put it into a 'sump' tank. However, despite feeding, it slowly got thinner and thinner, so in the end I put it into the reef tank where it thrived, without any detrimental effect on the corals. Unfortunately 6 months or so it went over the overflow and didn't recover.

3. About 3 or 4 weeks ago, my LFS had about 9 - 12 Ornate Butterfly fish, which were sent to him as a substitute on his last import, as this was a fish I had admired for some time, I thought I would buy two of them in my reef system.

4. Within three or 4 days both of them were covered with whitespot, one died.

5. The other pulled through, the spots went, he began eating the SPS.

6. The problem was the speed it was eating the Monti and Acros, within about 3 weeks, a singe fish had stripped at least 50% of the 'mucus'. It wasn't the odd Polyp but the flesh inbetween the polyps too leaving white marks about 2 - 3 mm in diameter.

7. 4 days ago I covered all the SPS corals with a green garden mesh, the sort you would use in the garden to protect them.

8. I then created a trap in the tank using the same netting, with one end open, but could be closed off by pulling a piece of string. Within the trap I placed some large SPS corals. The trap was about 1ft wide and 2ft long, 2 days later I (my wife) caught the fish.

9 The fish is now in a 50gallon 'sump' tank.

10. Any ideas what I can use to try and get him to feed. I tried to mush in some pellet onto a piece of montipora, a couple of hours later, the food was still there.

11. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

The system is pretty much the same as it was when it was reviewed as Tank of the Month in December 2002, with the exception of the SPS corals which have been fish food over the last few weeks.

Regards



Martin Lakin

[Peter Eichler]

I've tried just about every type of fresh seafood and algae based food you can imagine on various specialized polyp eating butterflies. Nothing ever worked. They were also aquired in the same way your LFS got them and this was when I was manager of a LFS and did the ordering. After they did it a couple times I kindly let them know that if I ever received another goniopra or "assorted butterfly" as a substitutes that they would never get my business again.

Anyhow, I think your fish is a goner. But, if you want to try something a little different... Take one of your particularly slimey SPS corals and do whatever you can to make it slime up in a small container of water. Then take some flake food and soak it in that water. After it has soaked for a little while make almost a paste out of the flake food and spread it over a rock or shell. I highly doubt it will work but perhaps the smell of his favorite food will make him give it a try.

[AcroporaUK]

Hi Peter

Thank you for your reply, I've got loads of 'green slimer' acro, so i'll give it a go.

Will let you know in a week or so how I get on.

Regards


Martin