This is why butterflyfish suck...

[SDguy]

A marginalis that I painstakingly suffered through, dies after a year in my care...

A declivis dies in QT while the robustus is fine...

A falcula has some weird pimple on his face, and after a FW dip, his entire face hemorrhages and he dies...

:debi::debi::debi::debi::debi::debi::debi::debi::debi:

 

[jcw]

This is not an easy hobby.

I just purchased a Mauritius Indian Teardrop Butterflyfish from DD. I hope it acclimates OK.

 

[SDguy]

I know... unfair blaming butterlies... Just frustrated right now.

 

[jcw]

I know... unfair blaming butterlies... Just frustrated right now.

I'm right there with you...

for other reasons. Bubble algae, bryopsis, hair algae, SPS that aren't happy, a tang with ich.

Yet, we keep coming back for more. Why?


I always wonder why seemingly happy healthy fish just die after being in the tank for so long.

 

[Rogger Castells]

Sorry to hear that.

 

[Ostara]

Yikes SD, I'm sorry to hear that. They didn't all happen recently, did they? I've never heard of a fish's face hemorrhaging... what exactly happened, if you don't mind giving details?

This is not an easy hobby.

I just purchased a Mauritius Indian Teardrop Butterflyfish from DD. I hope it acclimates OK.

Oh good, did you buy him? :rollface: I kept admiring him but the definitive "not reef safe" label deterred me. I hope you'll post pictures when you receive him! Is he scheduled for delivery Tuesday? I bought the Achilles tang posted the same day as a replacement. I lost mine a few months ago due to a well-meant but extremely misguided "present" of fish tossed into the tank as a "surprise." I was surprised, all right. :headwallblue:

 

[SDguy]

The falcula was always a little "off"... yet ate, but always acted weird. Then this weird white pimple stuff started to appear in his forehead. I figured a FW dip could only help.... his entire face, along the lines of the white pustules, hemorrhaged.

 

[Curious George]

Sheesh. It is troubling to read that hobbyists with so much experience have these kinds of problems with all of the knowledge you have obtained through the years.

Wishing you better luck in the future with butterflies. Sounds like a little luck might be appropriate considering.

 

[tcmfish]

Peter not you! I was so surprised to see you starting a butterfly hating thread! You can't quit on them you are one of their best supporters... if you give up on them they will go back to being the pretty fish that you can't keep in a reef and too timid to put in the FOWLR group!

How'd the declivis go? That group is pretty tough.

There are always the $30 fish to boost your ego for a while until you realize it was an impulse buy and doesn't fit in with the type of tank you want... LOL.

 

[nonimmigrant]

A marginalis that I painstakingly suffered through, dies after a year in my care...

A declivis dies in QT while the robustus is fine...

A falcula has some weird pimple on his face, and after a FW dip, his entire face hemorrhages and he dies...

:debi::debi::debi::debi::debi::debi::debi::debi::debi:

My marginals did the same two years back - one day fie, the next crab food. I'm surprised though about the declivis. Most I've seen have been bulletproof. It must have been a collection issue that finally showed.

I thought of You the other day in HK. There were a few robusti there. Good luck with that one.

 

[El richie]

Damn that's messed up

 

[Big E]

A marginalis that I painstakingly suffered through, dies after a year in my care...

A declivis dies in QT while the robustus is fine...

A falcula has some weird pimple on his face, and after a FW dip, his entire face hemorrhages and he dies...

:debi::debi::debi::debi::debi::debi::debi::debi::debi:

Trust me my friend, you are not alone..............these fish are delicate & difficult to keep long term.

3 collare,a puncto, mertensi & a vagabund have died on me for various reasons in QT. Those were my latest purchases over a one year period. These fish all came from quality vendors & all were eating. I haven't bought any over the last year mainly because of some planning I'm still deciding on for my BF tank.

When I bought my first 4 semis I went through hell with them for 3 months fighting bacterial & parasitic infections. This was pre internet, so that didn't help.

I think BF's should be purchased by people who are dedicated to giving them special attention..........not treated like one of many fish in a community aquarium.
You're obviously more than capable.........we all just need to learn more & hope for better collection practices, especially with Indo species.

It's frustrating for sure, but not a reason to give up. A break from getting any new ones for a few months can help from losing iinterest & easing the stress.

 

[geaux xman]

i wouldnt mind a nice pair of golden semi bf's, but bf's in general are way too delicate for me.

i've tried a pair of pyramids(ate like horses to only die overnight in QT), a pr of semi's, and a pr of racoon's(was way too small 1-1.5").

 

[fish042099]

I know... unfair blaming butterlies... Just frustrated right now.

Same. My raccoon butterfly won't eat a thing I give him. I don't want him to die.

 

[SDguy]

Thank you all for the comments. They really do help me realize that the big picture is more important than a few failures. I'm glad I can vent here... I know people usually only post about their successes...not their failures, but I think it's important to also publicize problems/failures. It just sucks when the failures are with the expensive ones. I've been keeping butterflies since I started in this hobby, and had many failures when I started. I've had quite a few successes in the past couple years (collare, punctato/pele hybrid, rainfordi, saddleback, yellow longnose pair, blackback etc) even with major issues involving most of them (diseases, parasites, etc). Thanks for letting me broadcast my problems

 

[SDguy]

Yikes SD, I'm sorry to hear that. They didn't all happen recently, did they? I've never heard of a fish's face hemorrhaging... what exactly happened, if you don't mind giving details?

I got the falcula a while ago, through Liveaquaria. He was fine in QT, and fine in the DT, for a while. Then he started to act weird...just less "outgoing". Still ate. After a while, these weird pimples developed on his forehead. They got bigger over time. Way to big to be ich, plus all my other fish are spotless. I finally decided to just do a FW dip. The pimple "popped" and I could see little red spots in the area. Dropped him back in the tank. Dead next morning, with his entire head running with lines of red. It has to be one of the strangest things I've seen. Maybe a parasite that was infested in his head?

Here are some pics of the "pustules"...

 

[fire_06786]

So sorry for your loss!

 

[ntropics]

Hi, not a frequent poster, but I wanted to add my 2 cents. I have a tank with a semilarvatus, miliaris, falcula, and auriga butterfly. I have only been doing this for three years, but I've noticed that the butterflies seem to have more trouble going through quarantine than other fish. Maybe it's the lack of live rock to graze on? A while back I made the dangerous decision of not QT'ing my butterfly fish. I have not lost one since. There are a few products that can be used to treat Ich and some other infections in the DT while your inverts are in there as well. They may not be as effective as copper etc, but I am willing to take that risk. Many would consider that folly, I know. I only purchase from DD and I believe that decreases my chance of getting an infection in my DT.

I also periodically feed corals to my fish! Yes, it's true. I keep green star corals in the refugium and every week or so cut off a piece and drop it into the tank. The butterflies love it! You can also go to the LFS and buy $5 frags once or twice per month and drop them in. It is certainly no more expensive than some of the other things we do in this hobby, and I believe it might help the butterflies to thrive, since it is more like the natural food of a lot of them.

BTW NONE of my butterflies have ever ignored a single coral I have put into the tank (ricoridia, mushrooms, acropora, fungia, various brain corals) except for one leather coral that has been in there for about one year.

Bruce

 

[SDguy]

Peter not you! I was so surprised to see you starting a butterfly hating thread! You can't quit on them you are one of their best supporters..

I know, and the ones I have are incredible, and wouldn't change them for the world.

 

[ROBONE20]

I wonder what that pimple is? Do you suspect Lymphocysts? I've seen those pop up every so often on my Blue Tang but they go away after larger water changes.

Sorry for your loss. Ironically enough, the video of your FOWLR tank that you posted on one of the threads here got me wanting some butterflies again. I'm gonna try my luck with a Semilavartus Butterfly one last time. The last four during previous years did not fare well, but I'm willing to try again. Don't give up...as you've inspired others like me to want to successfully keep one.