btfly losing color

[Blueringbob]

My Heniochus Black & White Butterflyfish is losing his color any ideas?

55 gal filter inclusive system. nitrate 20-60 ppm/ nitrite- 0 / ph- 7.8 -8.2 / alk 200- 250 ppm/ ammonia - 0

I have a reef with live rock some bubble seaweed growing in the corner about a hand full, 5 grn/blu cromis, 1 coral beauty, 1 hippo blu tank, 2 clown, 2 diamond gobys, 10 hermits, 1 red fire shrimp, 1 sally lightfoot, lots of lps.

I did just add him and he is the big boy on the block but i'm worried he may not have enough room to swim. I don't want to loose him he is my new fav but i may need to take him back if I can't figure it out. Thanks peeps

 

[snorvich]

My Heniochus Black & White Butterflyfish is losing his color any ideas?

55 gal filter inclusive system. nitrate 20-60 ppm/ nitrite- 0 / ph- 7.8 -8.2 / alk 200- 250 ppm/ ammonia - 0

I have a reef with live rock some bubble seaweed growing in the corner about a hand full, 5 grn/blu cromis, 1 coral beauty, 1 hippo blu tank, 2 clown, 2 diamond gobys, 10 hermits, 1 red fire shrimp, 1 sally lightfoot, lots of lps.

I did just add him and he is the big boy on the block but i'm worried he may not have enough room to swim. I don't want to loose him he is my new fav but i may need to take him back if I can't figure it out. Thanks peeps

Of course your Hepatus tang will reach one foot rather quickly, so you will then have two fish with insufficient room to swim.

 

[Blueringbob]

yes

yes

I have made the purchase of a 125 gal tank already with that in mind and I have the sump and will be aquiring my chiller and protein skimmer soon. $$ you know how it is. So I'm not trying to hold them in that confined space for long.

 

[Dr Colliebreath]

Are you saying that your tank and filter/sump combined are 55 gallons? If so, you have too many fish and adding the butterfly just compounded the problem.

It sounds like your butterfly is stressed because it doesn't have enough room to swim and the tank is too crowded. What is it eating and how much, and are any of the other fish picking on it?

 

[Blueringbob]

Yes the tank is 55 gal total.

I have been feeding the tank an assortment of food from mysis shrimp, some omega flake, pellets, and a super concitrated seaweed mix. He seems to have regained his color now but i'm sure he was stressed. I have since made more swimming room by removing some coral and rearranging it, followed by an 20% water change. He seems to have calmed down and is getting along better with the other fish now. I am now half way through my 125gal tank build and hope to move them soon. thanks