Butterflies NOT eating!

[CoronaStX]

This is an image of 1 of 3 butterflies I caught 3 days ago in about 3ft of water. They were cruising around some sea grass and between small corals. I have not been able to get them to eat. I have 7 other fish that eat well...I have tried a lot of different food options such as raw shrimp and beef, spinach, brine shrimp (pellets soaked and broken up) and regular flake type food. They will swim around the food but not eat it. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

 

[Rsquared333]

You can try adding garlicguard or similar product as an appitite stimulant.

 

[OrionGirl]

Have you identified species? Some butterflies are obligate feeders--not appropriate for most aquariums. Many will eat a variety of foods but die anyway from the lack of specific nutrient.

I wouldn't encourage you to harvest more fish that you have not identified first--no better than the impulse, unresearched purchase at a fish store.

 

[CoronaStX]

I am quite sure it is a juv. banded butterfly... I believe that as a juv. it might have a different eating habit than and adult as they were found in very different habitats in the ocean.I will return them to the spot I found them if I can't get them to eat in another day or so. I see them picking at some live coral heads from time to time. They also follow the doctor fish and seem to maybe be getting the scraps, but as they are only about and inch its hard to really see their mouths working. I appreciate the help otherwise. I have found this forum to be very helpful in many ways. Keep up they great work!

 

[mogurnda]

Sure looks like a banded butterfly. I can't dredge up any specifics on the feeding habits of Chaetodon striatus in any of my books, but one web site lists its diet as consisting, at least partly, of corals. They may eat plankton as juveniles.

However, Fenner's "Conscientious Marine Aquarist" has it on the "bad" list, with a less than 20% rate of survival in aquaria.