Butterflyfish is so weak and limp

bensoo00

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 26, 2023
Messages
201
Reaction score
43
Location
Blue Bell
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My butterflyfish was like floating around and just basically limp through the tank at night. He became really timid and slow after I introduced a long nose hawk fish but I’ve never seen them fight. I do assume he has been injured but I don’t know what to do. He is breathing and sometimes swims but he is just letting the flow carry him around.
IMG_0965.jpeg
 

Mikeltee

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 15, 2020
Messages
1,532
Reaction score
1,212
Location
Fishers, IN
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
I suggest quartining all fish before you add them. When it is not qt it can be used as a hospital tank. This guy would go in it for observation.
 

TangerineSpeedo

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 8, 2022
Messages
2,192
Reaction score
3,024
Location
SoCal
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
To avoid any more stress I would say put him in a large acclimation box inside your tank, or do a 5g tank with water from your tank. Be sure to put in a hide (PVC pipe) Let him try to get oriented again.
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
91,961
Reaction score
203,095
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
My butterflyfish was like floating around and just basically limp through the tank at night. He became really timid and slow after I introduced a long nose hawk fish but I’ve never seen them fight. I do assume he has been injured but I don’t know what to do. He is breathing and sometimes swims but he is just letting the flow carry him around.
IMG_0965.jpeg
Unfortunately this fish is moribund and likely not able to eat or swim from this point forward
Quarantining will make things worse
I can’t suggest any method or medication to change stathis of health
Some causes are:
Injury
Starvation
Internal issues
Aggression
Water quality
 

Looking for the spotlight: Do your fish notice the lighting in your reef tank?

  • My fish seem to regularly respond to the lighting in my reef tank.

    Votes: 34 79.1%
  • My fish seem to occasionally respond to the lighting in my tank.

    Votes: 4 9.3%
  • My fish seem to rarely respond to the lighting in my tank.

    Votes: 3 7.0%
  • My fish seem to never respond to the lighting in my tank.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I don’t pay enough attention to my fish to notice if they respond to the lighting.

    Votes: 1 2.3%
  • I don’t have any fish in my tank.

    Votes: 1 2.3%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top