HELP - Copperband Butterfly in trouble

[jaxteller007]

In my experience the survival rate for these fish is very low for a variety of reasons. Many of them are doomed before arriving at the hobbyists tank. If you search threads you will see similar stories where the fish looked great and was eating at first but soon was struck with disease and died. IMO they should be rated as difficult to keep.

100%, they seem to be doing great and next thing you know, they die in 5 minutes.

This is 100% what happened to ours. It went through a 30 day QT with a trusted supplier, was eating fine, eating multiple times of food, etc. Comes to our tank and everything is fine for probably the first 3 weeks. Then I noticed it starting to be less and less active, eating less, etc. No change in water parameters, no fish picking on it, etc. After about 3 days it gave up the fight. No signs of disease, damage, anything. I think it just gave up eating. Now we do have an aggressive tank when it comes to eating (tangs and a foxface are the main culprits) but none of them chased the CBB off from the food or anything. Doubt we try another one, I'd feel way too bad to lose one again.

 

[proxy001]

Salinity was at 35ppm but I lowered it slightly this morning to make it easier for the fish.
Same as temperature, O2 concentration increases in lower temperature.
As for nitrates, I'll do another 10-20% water change tonight to keep lowering it.

Would Red Sea NOPOX help quickly in regard with the nitrates?

The fish was acclimated with the drip method in it's bag over 4 hours.

Do not use nopox. Will reduce O2 levels. If you are concerned about nitrate. (anything below 50 is fine) just a water change. Oxygen concentration is fine at 77!!!

 

[jtf74]

This is 100% what happened to ours. It went through a 30 day QT with a trusted supplier, was eating fine, eating multiple times of food, etc. Comes to our tank and everything is fine for probably the first 3 weeks. Then I noticed it starting to be less and less active, eating less, etc. No change in water parameters, no fish picking on it, etc. After about 3 days it gave up the fight. No signs of disease, damage, anything. I think it just gave up eating. Now we do have an aggressive tank when it comes to eating (tangs and a foxface are the main culprits) but none of them chased the CBB off from the food or anything. Doubt we try another one, I'd feel way too bad to lose one again.

CBB are such slow and deliberate feeders. Mine will eat from water column but often watches the food fall most of the way down before going after. If there were tangs or angels in the tank I can't imagine it would be left with much.

 

[Lucas815]

Just a couple of observations- you should determine if your nitrate test kit is measuring nitrate ion or nitrate-nitrogen. They are the same thing really, but 4.4 times different in value. Your 100ppm nitrate is fine if your kit measures nitrate-nitrogen, but it f it tests for the latter, that would be sky high.
IMO 4 hours is too long to drip acclimate, difficult to maintain temperature and oxygen.
Jay

I'm using the Salifert Nitrate test kit.
I found this on their website : The range spans from very low to a very high nitrate concentration (approx. 0.05 – 20 mg/L as Nitrate-Nitrogen or 0.2 – 100 mg/L as nitrate ion).

Actually, from reading the instructions again, I think I read the test wrong... Something about reading color from the side multiplying by 10 the actual result.
I thought I should read by the side when it's over 10, but it's instead UNDER 10.

So I just redid the test, and indeed, my nitrates are actually under 10...

The fish seems also to be recovering. It's still not eating, but it's moving around and standing upright.


So... here is my theory so far.

1. The fish has been stressed for a couple days and eating less.
2. I did a nitrate test.
3. I read the nitrate test wrong.
4. I panicked and did a big water change yesterday.
5. Fish was even more stressed by the big water change.
6. I noticed the fish in distress this morning, and tried stuff to fix it, still stressing the fish even more.
7. The fish is ticked off and wants to go back to his mom.

So... yeah... cant wait for that Hanna Nitrate checker.

I'll leave the little guy alone for now, feed it some mysis tonight, and see how it goes tomorrow.

Thank you everyone for the help.

And me who thought this hobby was supposed to be a stress reliever

 

[Lucas815]

CBB are such slow and deliberate feeders. Mine will eat from water column but often watches the food fall most of the way down before going after. If there were tangs or angels in the tank I can't imagine it would be left with much.

Mine is totally doing that. It's swimming in the shrimps, watching them fall to the bottom. Then, after a minute, it'll finally decide to munch at some pieces.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Salinity was at 35ppm but I lowered it slightly this morning to make it easier for the fish.
Same as temperature, O2 concentration increases in lower temperature.
As for nitrates, I'll do another 10-20% water change tonight to keep lowering it.

Would Red Sea NOPOX help quickly in regard with the nitrates?

The fish was acclimated with the drip method in it's bag over 4 hours.

Thats a lot of chasing and will further stress the fish. Temperature constant is more efficient with increase of oxygen via airstone.
What test kit are you using for that nitrate reading and I hope its not API

 

[Lucas815]

Thats a lot of chasing and will further stress the fish. Temperature constant is more efficient with increase of oxygen via airstone.
What test kit are you using for that nitrate reading and I hope its not API

Indeed, I totally overreacted and probably made things worst. See post #24

 

[clffthmps]

Nitrates way to high,Did you ask Your local fish store What they had there salinity at.If their salinity is different from your,you have to acclimate the fish to your tank overtime. Temp 77-78. My personal opinion when acclimating a fish I still add my fish with the lights off on the tank.

 

[Lucas815]

Sad news, the fish died during the night.

It seemed like it was doing a bit better, but later last evening, it started gasping for air at the surface.

This experience gives me pause for any other hard to keep fish that I had planned on getting.

I thougnt my next one would be a Regal angelfish, but after what happened, I guess i'll hone my skills for a good while more before I try again.

Marching on to easier and hardier fish...

 

[mitch91175]

On this forum about 5 months ago a guy advised not to quarantine the butterfly as they don't handle solitary well. I hope he pulls thru for you.

It’s hard for someone to take a chance and putting the fish in their main tank without QT.

With that said if a fish doesn’t show external signs of disease and it seems interested in food, it’s a risk but a chance that I’ll take and watch the fish carefully after introduced into the tank.

I usually watch for a fish swimming directly into flow. Seems in my cases I’ve seen that’s usually a sign of velvet. If you have any rock or frag plugs with Aiptasia on them put it in the tank as well with the CB. Entice it to hunt and see what happens. Good luck.

 

[mitch91175]

Sad news, the fish died during the night.

It seemed like it was doing a bit better, but later last evening, it started gasping for air at the surface.

This experience gives me pause for any other hard to keep fish that I had planned on getting.

I thougnt my next one would be a Regal angelfish, but after what happened, I guess i'll hone for a good while more before I try again.

Marching on to easier and hardier fish...

You can source an Australian Marginalis Butterfly. They look very similar an the Marginalis is easier. Sad to here about the CB but unfortunately it happens in the hobby. You just try to minimize it.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Sad news, the fish died during the night.

It seemed like it was doing a bit better, but later last evening, it started gasping for air at the surface.

This experience gives me pause for any other hard to keep fish that I had planned on getting.

I thougnt my next one would be a Regal angelfish, but after what happened, I guess i'll hone my skills for a good while more before I try again.

Marching on to easier and hardier fish...

Sorry to hear. Definitely take a hard pass on the regal. Red Sea / East African ones are sturdier, but I still avoid them, after 50+ years of keeping fish (grin).
Jay

 

[jtf74]

Mine is totally doing that. It's swimming in the shrimps, watching them fall to the bottom. Then, after a minute, it'll finally decide to munch at some pieces.

On this forum about 5 months ago a guy advised not to quarantine the butterfly as they don't handle solitary well. I hope he pulls thru for you.

I'm skeptical of this claim, and feel like QT is still the better option as it gives the fish time to fatten and not have to compete or be harassed. I've only had my CBB in QT for two weeks so I guess time will tell if it does ok alone. Though my QT is larger than normal, a 55 gallon with liverock and established pods, fanworms, aiptasia (which it won't touch). A small QT with nothing but pvc hideouts seems too sterile and boring of an environment for a fish that had the whole ocean to me. I would bet many more CBB's die from lack of food in a tank full of fish than due to being a solitary fish in QT.