Need Advice With a Copperband Butterflyfish

Glissfish21 · Jun 22, 2017

I have a copperband butterflyfish on hold for me at my LFS, and the first day I saw him I decided to get him because I've always wanted one and I watched him eat mysis (I've heard it's hard to get copperbands to eat frozen/prepared foods). He looked great, he was active and picking at the rocks, the only thing I noticed was that it looked like he might have a bit of fungus on his tail. I figured that would be easy to treat and I didn't see any other bad signs, so I bought him. I've been getting my quarantine tank set up (hence why he's still at the LFS); I went to see how he was doing today and now he isn't looking quite as good. He's got a small tear in his tail, still has a bit of fungus, and it looks like he's lost a few scales. He also seems quite agitated. The other fish in the tank are a bunch of chromis, two pipefish, and some bangii cardinals, so nothing really aggressive; but I am wondering if the chromis might be picking on him. I've seen him flashing a bit, but haven't noticed any signs of ick on him or any other fish.
What I'm wondering is, am I worrying for nothing? Are these things easily treatable? And with a few weeks in the quarantine tank with Stress Guard and Para Guard, will he make a full recovery?
Basically, I'm trying to decide if I should bring the fish home or leave him and ask for my money back. Any suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

Fishfinder · Jun 22, 2017

I'd leave him, wait for a better one. I just lost a copperband. Tough fish

Humblefish · Jun 22, 2017

The "fungus on his tail" is probably just Lymphocystis: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lymphocystis.257461/

However, the flashing is concerning. To clarify, are we talking scratching on rocks/sand or head twitching?

ngoodermuth · Jun 22, 2017

Sounds like lympho and maybe a bacterial infection. The lympho isn't something to worry about, but these fish are prone to quick take-downs with bacterial illnesses.

If you have a supply of antibiotics on-hand, and are prepared to address any parasites that also may be with him (I'd check for flukes for sure), you could try fixing him up.

I'd recommend having the following on hand:
Copper or CP
Rally (acriflavine)
Kanaplex + Metroplex+ furan-2 (antibiotics)
PraziPro

Otherwise, it might be better to wait for a healthy fish.

ngoodermuth · Jun 22, 2017

Humblefish said:
The "fungus on his tail" is probably just Lymphocystis: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lymphocystis.257461/

However, the flashing is concerning. To clarify, are we talking scratching on rocks/sand or head twitching?

I agree^^ the scratching could be ich, velvet, or flukes. Do you know if your LFS uses copper in their holding tanks? (Mine does) This could be suppressing symptoms of ich/velvet.

Gweeds1980 · Jun 22, 2017

Choice is either leave him there and wait for a healthier one to come up or get him home asap and treat... don't leave him for a bit and then bring him home as may be beyond help.

One thing to note, cbb are notorious for stopping feeding when they are moved... try mysis at first, but if refused have a pod population on hand or a decent rock with some sacrificial feather duster worms in it.

If you're treating, appetite will likely be suppressed at just the same time that you need it to be feeding well... this is why cbb don't have great track records when it comes to time in QT after purchse.

If you can get it eating reliably and treated, they're no less hardy than any other fish.

Good luck!

aykwm · Jun 22, 2017

Copper Band is sensitive fish, and since all these conditions started to develop I say just leave it and wait for another healthy one. So far Ive seen many copper bands eating at LFS but when I decided to get one home it just stopped eating when I started adding medication. I think its better to observe a healthy CBB then get it and quarantine through TTM and try as much as possible to avoid medication.

Humblefish · Jun 22, 2017

FWIW; I've had better luck getting CBBs thru CP than copper treatment.

Glissfish21 · Jun 23, 2017

I decided to bring the copperband home. The LFS told me to call when I wanted to pick him up, so I did, when I got there they had already caught and bagged him. When I got home and took him out of the box, it was not the Copperband that I had chosen (the one described above), it was a different one that I had decided I didn't want as it wasn't the one I saw eat mysis and it didn't seem as active.
He's acclimated and in the QT tank now, so far he actually seems better than the one I originally wanted. His tail isn't torn and doesn't have fungus on it, and he's definitely not as agitated as the other one.

He has a few fungus spots on him and he's flashing a bit (scratching the rocks and shaking his head), but other than that he doesn't have any missing scales and he looks a fair bit fatter than the other one did. So far I've dosed the tank with Stress Guard, Para Guard, Stability and Prime; and I was going to get Cupramine and Prazipro tomorrow. Are these all good things to stick with?

I'm going to try feeding him some mysis tomorrow, I was also thinking of getting Kent Marine Garlic Xtreme as well.

Gweeds1980 · Jun 23, 2017

Glissfish21 said:
I decided to bring the copperband home. The LFS told me to call when I wanted to pick him up, so I did, when I got there they had already caught and bagged him. When I got home and took him out of the box, it was not the Copperband that I had chosen (the one described above), it was a different one that I had decided I didn't want as it wasn't the one I saw eat mysis and it didn't seem as active.
He's acclimated and in the QT tank now, so far he actually seems better than the one I originally wanted. His tail isn't torn and doesn't have fungus on it, and he's definitely not as agitated as the other one.

He has a few fungus spots on him and he's flashing a bit (scratching the rocks and shaking his head), but other than that he doesn't have any missing scales and he looks a fair bit fatter than the other one did. So far I've dosed the tank with Stress Guard, Para Guard, Stability and Prime; and I was going to get Cupramine and Prazipro tomorrow. Are these all good things to stick with?

I'm going to try feeding him some mysis tomorrow, I was also thinking of getting Kent Marine Garlic Xtreme as well.

Good luck... if there's no signs of anything more serious I'd give him 2 or 3 days before another treatment is added, let him settle in a bit and get some food in him.

Good luck... btw if that was me I wouldn't be using that LFS again... better or not, they should at least be telling you if they've changed the fish over for another!

Glissfish21 · Jun 23, 2017

Thank you

I'll keep a close eye on him.
Haha I agree! I definitely won't be buying anymore fish from that LFS

Fishfinder · Jun 23, 2017

I would have gotten him eating food before adding anything to the tank and had a least 5-6 food options including black worms. I have a thread about my last failure.

I wish you the best of luck

Humblefish · Jun 23, 2017

Glissfish21 said:
So far I've dosed the tank with Stress Guard, Para Guard, Stability and Prime; and I was going to get Cupramine and Prazipro tomorrow. Are these all good things to stick with?

Dosing Cupramine & Prazipro in conjunction with the ammonia reducers (Stress Guard, Prime) is a NO GO.

Glissfish21 · Jun 23, 2017

Humblefish said:
Dosing Cupramine & Prazipro in conjunction with the ammonia reducers (Stress Guard, Prime) is a NO GO.

Wow, I didn't know that! Thank you!

ngoodermuth · Jun 23, 2017

Yes! Prime makes copper 10x more toxic, instantly overdosing your fish...I missed that part the first time I read through this. I wouldn't worry about dosing any of those things, but rather just do water changes every few days to manage the ammonia.

I would do a pretty big water change and wait a bit (I think it's 48 hours?) before starting copper, to give the prime a chance to dissipate.