Pyramid Butterfly

[caribfan]

Just to chime in here again. I too am keeping pyramids and had the same mouth issue happen. I lost one of my three to the mouth issue, but have kept the other two for some time without issue.

If you treat them immediately with NFG or another general antibiotic / anti fungal med you should be fine. In my opinion, they are relatively hardy.

 

[Dmorty217]

Would ciproflaxin work for the mouth issue or is NFG the only recommended treatment

 

[aquaph8]

Weird about the mouth thing but they sure are pretty fish.

 

[hogfanreefer]

I have add a couple of folks ask me how to get pyramid butterfly fish through QT. I'm hardly an expert, unless having 4 out of 7 survive so empowers me, but my own experience and in talking to others, these fish seem to be particularly susceptible to mouth infections. Consequently, the last four that I got all went into a QT with nitrofuracin green powder, and although I saw evidence of mouth problems on one of the four, it quickly healed. I'm eyeing a pair of zosters at my LFS, so perhaps I will put this approach to the test one more time.

Thanks again ca1ore! Your guys are beautiful!

 

[caribfan]

Would ciproflaxin work for the mouth issue or is NFG the only recommended treatment

No experience with cipro, so hard for me to say. I'm not positive that it's bacterial either.

Calore might be able to offer more insight.

 

[Dmorty217]

Cipro is used for anems, but is a broad spectrum antibiotic that treats most all types of gram negative and positive bacteria from what I understand or lack there of... I'm curious to hear more about the mouth issues that Calore and caribfan both experienced.

 

[ca1ore]

That's strange that they developed the mouth issue. Do you have any pics of the mouth sores? I'm thinking about getting some pyramids but am hesitant now

Sorry, photographing fish is a skill that consistently eludes me, so the best shot I have is the one I posted here (twice actually ). I don't know for sure that the mouth issues are bacterial; I suppose it could be fungal also, but I never saw any fluffy growth which is why I assumed the former. I also only have the one example of treating with NGP - so hardly conclusive as the fish could have recovered without any meds. If memory serves, NGP has two antibiotics and is a broad-spectrum med, versus Cipro that I think is just gram negative. Whether that would make it ineffective for pyramids I cannot say. FWIW, I now use a NGP in my QT tanks for all new fish. Seems to calm them down and appears to do no harm.

 

[hogfanreefer]

Cipro has some gram positive coverage but it's not it's strong suit.

 

[ca1ore]

Cipro is used for anems, but is a broad spectrum antibiotic that treats most all types of gram negative and positive bacteria from what I understand or lack there of... I'm curious to hear more about the mouth issues that Calore and caribfan both experienced.

My bottle of Fish Flox (Cipro) says effective against gram negative and some gram positive bacteria. All I can really tell you is that 6 of the 7 pyramids I got in had a whitish edge to the lips, and in 3 of the cases, it appeared that part of the lower mouth 'eroded away'. The two that I tried initially and did not treat with antibiotics refused to eat and died within a few days. The third one, treated with NGP along with the remaining three that just had whitish lips, recovered and is/are hale and hearty in my display. The seventh fish showed no mouth issues, ate fine, but then developed some kind of lump that appeared to be an alimentary blockage. It lasted almost two weeks before expiring. I think NGP is a good med for these fish and once you get them past the first few weeks they appear to be quite hardy.

 

[Dmorty217]

Sorry, photographing fish is a skill that consistently eludes me, so the best shot I have is the one I posted here (twice actually ). I don't know for sure that the mouth issues are bacterial; I suppose it could be fungal also, but I never saw any fluffy growth which is why I assumed the former. I also only have the one example of treating with NGP - so hardly conclusive as the fish could have recovered without any meds. If memory serves, NGP has two antibiotics and is a broad-spectrum med, versus Cipro that I think is just gram negative. Whether that would make it ineffective for pyramids I cannot say. FWIW, I now use a NGP in my QT tanks for all new fish. Seems to calm them down and appears to do no harm.

I do remember you mentioning to me before you use NGP with all new arrivals. Do you know if the pyramids were Hawaiian or Indo?

 

[ca1ore]

All Indonesian; and all in the 3 - 3 1/2 inch range.

 

[Dmorty217]

Interesting, is wonder if collection methods had anything to do with the mouth issue developing weeks after collection?

 

[ca1ore]

Maybe, but these fish also have the typical small, 'pouty' butterfly mouth that may well be susceptible to shipping damage rather like leopard wrasses. But I'm just speculating.

 

[Dmorty217]

Maybe, but these fish also have the typical small, 'pouty' butterfly mouth that may well be susceptible to shipping damage rather like leopard wrasses. But I'm just speculating.

Well your not helping me with this decision any! :sad1:

 

[ca1ore]

OK, how's this ..... Pyramids are absolutely my favorite of all the fish I have (well, maybe second to the AT, but only maybe). Once they settle in, heads go a nice dark brown which contrasts really well with the yellow and white. They eat just about anything I put in the tank, cleared it of a growing Xenia problem, don't touch anything else or bother any other fish (but also don't take any guff either), and do swim together. I like them so much that I'm trying to resist buying a pair of Zosters that are languishing at my LFS .... I must not buy more fish .... must not buy more fish .....

 

[Dmorty217]

OK, how's this ..... Pyramids are absolutely my favorite of all the fish I have (well, maybe second to the AT, but only maybe). Once they settle in, heads go a nice dark brown which contrasts really well with the yellow and white. They eat just about anything I put in the tank, cleared it of a growing Xenia problem, don't touch anything else or bother any other fish (but also don't take any guff either), and do swim together. I like them so much that I'm trying to resist buying a pair of Zosters that are languishing at my LFS .... I must not buy more fish .... must not buy more fish .....

That's more like it! But seriously thank you for the insite and guidance in this. Sounds kind of like you are getting a pair of Zosters...:bounce1:

 

[Rea17]

OK, how's this ..... Pyramids are absolutely my favorite of all the fish I have (well, maybe second to the AT, but only maybe). Once they settle in, heads go a nice dark brown which contrasts really well with the yellow and white. They eat just about anything I put in the tank, cleared it of a growing Xenia problem, don't touch anything else or bother any other fish (but also don't take any guff either), and do swim together. I like them so much that I'm trying to resist buying a pair of Zosters that are languishing at my LFS .... I must not buy more fish .... must not buy more fish .....

I think you just convinced me too! I've been really indecisive about the pyramids for a long time now, but now I think I've made up my mind I was always feeling picky about the head color and wasn't really sure what influenced it - since all the pictures of wild specimens have that nice dark head and in captivity, not always so much! Good to know they just need to get settled.

 

[johnike]

Congrats on the Zosters.

 

[chipchip]

so after checking a few butterflies I decided not to risk it and now ordered 2 pyramides
I first thought on c. burgessi and others but I dont want to risk it.

How about your pyramides? they are kinda cheap here in Europe imo. They go for 80$
I think my 180g 6" is big enough?

 

[ca1ore]

Congrats on the Zosters.

As it turns out, somebody else bought them (happy and sad). After all, must not buy ..... Aw heck, you know :lol: