Copper Banded Butterfly fish dying

[Breathe13stars]

i got him 12 days ago and i just noticed him laying on his side like he is about to die. He looks like he has some missing scales, the only thing else i have in the tank is a peppermint shrimp and a emerald crab. I did notice the shrimp on the fish yesterday but thought nothing of it just that he was cleaning the fish. Ive had a hard time getting him to eat but he has ate. Any help would be great thank you.

 

[Breathe13stars]

Ive also noticed red spots around his fins

 

[Jerry W]

These are a very sensitive fish that in many cases, fail to thrive. Getting them to eat seems to be one of the uphill battles many have. The redness around the fins indicates a bacterial infection. I'd be interested to know what your water parameters are, including pH, and if this fish is in the 29 biocube you list. Do you have a quarantine tank you can use. My sense is the fish will not survive, and you'd probably do best to avoid this particular butterfly down the road.

 

[Breathe13stars]

I tested my water today to check if maybe it was a ammonia burn but my ammonia was 0 ,nitrite was 0, nitrate was 0, ph was 8.3. Yeah its in my biocube and i don't have a quarantine tank i can use. im planning on upgrading to a much bigger system shortly just because ive heard its easier to keep water parameters good. Since i purchased him ive read online that they are very hard to keep but my lfs told me it should be no problem, boy where they wrong. I was just hoping there was a way to save him but i think he's to long gone now.

 

[HASBRO]

0 for 3 with copperbands but nice to watch for that month or two.

 

[BlueCorn]

Capture methods seem to play a big role in the survivability of these little guys. If you try again I'd avoid Indonesian specimens in favor of Australian. Mine goes nuts for Mysis shrimp but would rather starve to death than eat any flake or pellet. I've had him for almost 5 years now and is, by far, my favorite fish.