Copperband butterfly with cloudy dorsal fin

hobbby3

Reef Junkie
Looking for some help identifying the issue what to do next. I have antibiotics and the quarantine ready to go.

1. How old is this aquarium?

10 monts

3. What is SG of this aquarium? How measured?

1.025 hydrometer

4. When was the last fish added to this aquarium?

3 weeks ago the fish in question.

8. Please describe in detail, the appearance of the fish? If there is one or more pimples, are they lumpy? What color?

Pictures are attached below. Cloudy dorsal fin.

9. Please describe the behavior of the fish as best you can. Is it acting reclusive? Is it always up towards the top of the aquarium? Is it avoiding light? How active is the fish?

Actively swimming Occasionally scraps his bad side on the glass or rocks

10. Is the fish eating? What?

Eats feather dusters nothing else. I offer live black worms, frozen mysis, cyclopyse, blood worm, pellet








 
I looked at this fish several times before I noticed the cloudy caudal (tail) fin. The dorsal runs along the top of the fish, unless the fish is a halibut or flounder. Then, I truly don't know which end is up.

What do you mean by its "bad side"? If there is no thickness with the cloudy area (Its just the fin itself)? Any texture to the cloudy area? Fuzzy or cottony? I don't think the cloudy caudal anything that won't go away with good water & diet. I'm not great with pics, but this fish looks very skinny to me. CBBs are much easier to acclimate in a QT.
 
I looked at this fish several times before I noticed the cloudy caudal (tail) fin. The dorsal runs along the top of the fish, unless the fish is a halibut or flounder. Then, I truly don't know which end is up.

What do you mean by its "bad side"? If there is no thickness with the cloudy area (Its just the fin itself)? Any texture to the cloudy area? Fuzzy or cottony? I don't think the cloudy caudal anything that won't go away with good water & diet. I'm not great with pics, but this fish looks very skinny to me. CBBs are much easier to acclimate in a QT.

Agree, fish is very thin. The abnormal patch will go away with proper nutrition and water quality. Feed this fish mysis soaked in selcon 6 times a day. They are grazers and need many small meals.
 
Decided to go with the quaratine route with antibiotic. Should be easier to keep the food in the tank with him without the other fish eating it...

Anyone able to identify the cloudyness on the right side of his body and tail fin? Bacterial infection??
 
Just tossing antibiotics at something like this, which is probably not bacterial, just leads to strains of bacteria that are immune to meds. We have very few antibiotics as it is. The fish belongs in a QT; but not for medicating. Fish can recover from little things like this.
 
Just tossing antibiotics at something like this, which is probably not bacterial, just leads to strains of bacteria that are immune to meds. We have very few antibiotics as it is. The fish belongs in a QT; but not for medicating. Fish can recover from little things like this.

The fish IS in quarantine and getting worse. Atleast in the DT he was cruising the live rock picking at stuff.

I'm willing to trying any type of food suggested to get it eating. There are a few featherdusters in quarantine with him now but he's not even touching those now!

Since nobody could identify the cloudyness I used an antibiotic. The poor guy is getting worse and I feel will be dead before the weekend is up if things dont turn around.

In order for a super strain of bacteria to be released into the general population I'd have to sell or give something to somone with the bacteria on it. I can tell you I'm nowhere close to giving or selling anything to anyone!

If anyone has an suggestions I can try to get him to eat please let me know. So far I have tried...

featherdusters (success in DT not in quarantine)
live black worm garlic soak (no luck)
live brine shrimp (no luck)
frozen mysis garlic soak (no luck)
frozen bloodworms garlic soak (no luck)
cyclopeze (no luck)
scallop cut into worm shape (no luck)

:(
 
I don't know what the cloudiness is; but my best guess is that it has nothing to do with the fish's over-all health. CBBs are one of the most difficult fish to acclimate I know of; especially those from The Philippines or Indonesia. they simply refuse to eat, this is a common topic on this form with no real answer. At least that I'm aware of. You're feeding good foods, so I'd continue to feed varied foods often. Make sure ammonia is under control; its often a big problem in an HT/QT.
 
My fingers are crossed, I have an ammonia badge and cycled ceramic media in the filter bag.

The antibiotic is a 4 day cycle. If he isn't eating SOMETHING by then I think he would be best back in the DT where he can pick at the live rock? The other fish are smaller and leave him be so stress is minimal (firefish, clown fish, chromis, goby, yellow wrasse). :confused:

On a positive note the white has gone away from his fins, but they look split and ragged now.

The right side of his body still isn't looking good but isn't worse. I read another post you can feed them earth worms. Is that adviseable to try?
 
Last edited:
Some update photos. The wite is gone from his fins but his "bad" side eye is clouding up and sticking out. Anyone have any thoughts what I should do with that?

Overall his energy seems good very active swimming around and eating 7-10 feather dusters a day. Still no luck with any other food types.







The good side...

 
More good news. He ate a couple black worms this morning. The eye still looks pretty bad anyone have any suggestions for me?
 
Just finished the 4th day of antibiotic everything is going well except his eye issue.

Anyone have any opinions about the eye? looking for an ID of the issue and treatment if any is advisable.



 
Just an update I never like to keep people hanging.

He died over the weekend. After the eye tumor fell off he never swam right or ate anyting again.
 

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