New copper banded butterfly PLEASE HELP

[ashlynnmurlo]

I bought a copperbanded butterfly two days ago from my LFS. Everything seemed fine at first, he was a little timid but I expected that as he was new to the tank. Later yesterday however, I couldn't find him. After moving around some rocks I found him laying on the sand bed, he moved after that and swam around a little but then went back to the bottom and almost laid down as he was on his side on the bed of the tank. This morning he still was hiding and laying on his side like that and didn't even move around when I brought the fish net by him. He moves a little from his spot but only a few inches to a new place to lay on his side like that. Does anyone know why he's acting like this? Please help if you do!!

 

[Newsmyrna80]

How did you acclimate? Do you know what the salinity is/was of the LFS water? How old is your tank? What are your water parameters?

 

[ashlynnmurlo]

We acclimated him by setting the bag on top of the water for twenty minutes, then introduced him to the water by putting some into the bag. I am unsure about the stores parameters, but my tank is seven months old with the salinity at 1.023 ammonia 0 nitrites 0 and we just had a nitrate spike to 20. Unfortunately, he died today.

 

[snorvich]

Most LFS keep their SG on the low side. Raising SG from theirs to yours likely caused osmotic shock.

 

[Perth_reefer]

Did you quarantine? With a fish like the copperband quarantine can really help by giving you an opportunity to easily target feed which is essential for building up the strength of what is a very delicate, and easily stressed fish.

 

[MegIsAwesome06]

New copper banded butterfly PLEASE HELP

I got one today and acclimated it the same way. He's just hanging out in the lower corner. No ones messed with him so far...

 

[snorvich]

I got one today and acclimated it the same way. He's just hanging out in the lower corner. No ones messed with him so far...

As Ken said above, quarantine of this fish is critically important to help it develop a feeding response.

 

[ThRoewer]

Laying down on its side is in most cases a bad sign, especially for fish that are not ground dwellers or sleep in the sand like some wrasses.
A fish that behaves like described was likely not OK to begin with or got shocked during acclimatization.

You never want to buy a copperband that isn't looking for food in the store tank is or very interested in its surrounding. You shouldn't take a fish that just hangs out in a corner or swims mindless loops. Also always look at the back, if they are thin there they likely haven't eaten for quite some time and it is doubtful if you can convince him to take frozen food. In any case I would recommend to buy only fish that eat at the store. I would never hesitate to ask for a demonstration.
Also look that the fish has no visible signs of infection or disease. This is a fish that is difficult enough with going on frozen food, you don't need to add the complication of disease treatment.

Acclimatization should always be done by slowly dripping tank water into the container with the fish. The ratio of tank water you add to the water the fish came in should at a minimum be 4 to 1. Only after that you acclimate to temperature and then add the fish with as little water as possible to the tank.

As for quarantine, this is one of the fish you need to quarantine in something that rather resembles a nano reef tank than the typical bare bottom QT with just some PVC pieces.
Coperbands do best with some live rock that have lots of pods and worms on them. Other good starter foods are black worms or clams in the shell. A healthy fish will soon start investigating the rocks and start picking.

 

[MegIsAwesome06]

New copper banded butterfly PLEASE HELP

Ok. I should have qtd him. But now I have a question. He's with good peaceful tank mates. And I made sure he was eating before I brought him home. They have him eating clams. So of course I got some.
Unfortunately, everyone loves them and I have no idea how to get some just for him. I saw him eating some aiptasia (I assume, maybe it was some sort of worm or something from the rock work) and picking at the sinking algae pellets. But everyone else loves the clams too. Even my lawnmower Blenny. My hermit crab got some today too. How can I make sure he gets some. Any ideas?

 

[laga77]

Do a search for Kent Marine SeaSquirt Feeder. It is a long thin turkey baster. Turn off flow in tank and squirt the clams around the other fish and then the CBB. Then, get some live black worms and do the same. You will have a healthy and happy CBB.

 

[JohnnyB in SD]

Do a search for Kent Marine SeaSquirt Feeder. It is a long thin turkey baster. Turn off flow in tank and squirt the clams around the other fish and then the CBB. Then, get some live black worms and do the same. You will have a healthy and happy CBB.

If this doesn't work, I would get him into a QT as described above so you can get food to him without competition from the other fish. Build up his health and confidence for awhile before trying to return him to the group.
I had a copperband for a couple years, ended up loosing him because he just couldn't get enough food with too many aggressive feeders constantly outcompeting him. Should have sold or given him away.

 

[snorvich]

If this doesn't work, I would get him into a QT as described above so you can get food to him without competition from the other fish. Build up his health and confidence for awhile before trying to return him to the group.
I had a copperband for a couple years, ended up loosing him because he just couldn't get enough food with too many aggressive feeders constantly outcompeting him. Should have sold or given him away.

Excellent advice. After a month in quarantine building up his eating response, he will be much more capable of competing for food with aggressive eaters. However, as Johnny said, they do better with non-aggressive eaters as tank mates.

 

[MegIsAwesome06]

Well, I just buy more clams. That seemed to work. I just have the issue of all the empty clam shells that get dragged off to exactly where I can't get to them. But she's happy, healthy and eating. And I have no aiptasia in the dt. Thank you, Kate Moss.