Need diagnostic (copperband)

Armando

Premium Member
I put this Copperband butterfly in quarentine after I received it. He is now showing some signs of disease. Can you experts let me know what is this disease?

copperbandsick.jpg
 
At first glance, it appears to be an infection of Lymphocystis.
No known cure if it is Lymphocystis, but Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve known the Neon Blue Goby (Elacatinus oceanops) to actually eat it off of some fishes.

What often allows this virus to take hold is stress on the fish. Stress can come in terms of less than optimum water quality, stress from capture, stress from acclimation (or the wrong acclimation procedure), poor or reduced diet (or not eating for a week or more along the transfer lines), or any combo of these.

To help it along, give it all the best care -- best water; best food; reduced stress from any outside source.

It can be contagious, but most likely the contracting fish is stressed too, or that there is just too much of the disease for the contracting fish to resist it. Good to keep the fish in quarantine until you optimize the environment and diet.

This is a photo of another fish with the disease I am writing about:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/viraldislymph.htm

Good luck!
 
blast it with copersafe and plenty of it.. I had a damsel look like that after a serious copper dosing it looked great.. Alot of people are scared to use copper.. I have used it in fresh water for 15 years and it has been a godsent! same goes for saltwater.
 
Remove all sources of stress, improve the diet and add vitamins, Selcon to the food. I would also use some Beta glucan with the food to enhance immune function. Please do NOT use copper on this fish. Copper will not cure lymphosystis and it can make things worse since copper suppresses immune function.

BTW, if I were to use copper for anything it would not be Coppersafe.

Terry B
 
Thanks!

I think the stress is long gone. The fish was shipped to me two weeks ago, it looked fine when I received it but it probably got stressed during shipping. The white cottonballs appeared in the past couple of days. He is active and eating well. I googled Lymphocystis and it appears that there are very good changes that the fish will be OK after a while, if he's kept in good conditions.
 
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