Copper band dark patch on body

[BluesClues]

The copper band butterfly has been glass surfing for a couple months and twitching towards the side the dark patch is on the body after the stripes. I’ve done a 5min fresh water dip 30 days ago didn’t improve the symptoms there is ick in the tank constantly for about a year it’s never gone away. The tank is 120 gallon I have a 57W UV at 110GPH 24/7 I live in Canada so medication is limited any help would be greatly appreciated I feel so heart broken seeing them so stressed.

 

[christinna77]

In Canada too. You can get all the needed medications here, I've ordered from all the places listed below without issues before:

Amazon.ca - Copper Power, Ruby Rally Pro
Amazon.com - General Cure, Prazipro
americanaquariumproducts.com - General Cure, Kanaplex, Metroplex, Neoplex, Kanamycin, Chloroquine etc.

 

[winxp_man]

I’m not seeing signs of ich from the video posted. That black spot looks to be a wound either a tank mate, or bumping into rocks.

 

[exnisstech]

Is this the 20g tank i see mentioned in one of your previous threads? If so tank size alone could be causing stress. A 20g is too small for a either a CBB or a yellow tang IMO.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The copper band butterfly has been glass surfing for a couple months and twitching towards the side the dark patch is on the body after the stripes. I’ve done a 5min fresh water dip 30 days ago didn’t improve the symptoms there is ick in the tank constantly for about a year it’s never gone away. The tank is 120 gallon I have a 57W UV at 110GPH 24/7 I live in Canada so medication is limited any help would be greatly appreciated I feel so heart broken seeing them so stressed.

Glass surfing is a little understood behavioral issue. Some species tend to do it more than others, and in many cases, only individual fish of the species do it. Big cats and polar bears do stereotypic pacing behaviors in zoos, and this is the fish equivalent of that. This is a very difficult behavior to break. If it surfs mostly on one area, you can try changing the outside lighting....increasing it, decreasing it, covering the outside end of the tank with a mirror or black paper. You might also try rearranging the rockwork, or putting something on the inside glass to keep the fish off of it (eggcrate, or dark plastic sheet). However, just like with zoo animals, any change may just cause the fish to surf in a new location.

The fish looks very well fed.

The spot on its side looks like a bruise to me. Did it come on suddenly? How long has it been there?

 

[vetteguy53081]

The copper band butterfly has been glass surfing for a couple months and twitching towards the side the dark patch is on the body after the stripes. I’ve done a 5min fresh water dip 30 days ago didn’t improve the symptoms there is ick in the tank constantly for about a year it’s never gone away. The tank is 120 gallon I have a 57W UV at 110GPH 24/7 I live in Canada so medication is limited any help would be greatly appreciated I feel so heart broken seeing them so stressed.

This is a small bruise similar to what mine gets when the tangs get excited over food, Keep an eye on it for healing and not becoming sore.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Is this the 20g tank i see mentioned in one of your previous threads? If so tank size alone could be causing stress. A 20g is too small for a either a CBB or a yellow tang IMO.

OP states tank is a 120g

 

[exnisstech]

OP states tank is a 120g

Thanks. I should have coffee before replying

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks. I should have coffee before replying

LOL, i missed several times myself

 

[BluesClues]

Is this the 20g tank i see mentioned in one of your previous threads? If so tank size alone could be causing stress. A 20g is too small for a either a CBB or a yellow tang IMO.

No it’s a 120 gallon upgraded from the 20 gallon.

 

[BluesClues]

The copper band butterfly has been glass surfing for a couple months and twitching towards the side the dark patch is on the body after the stripes. I’ve done a 5min fresh water dip 30 days ago didn’t improve the symptoms there is ick in the tank constantly for about a year it’s never gone away. The tank is 120 gallon I have a 57W UV at 110GPH 24/7 I live in Canada so medication is limited any help would be greatly appreciated I feel so heart broken seeing them so stressed.

Glass surfing is a little understood behavioral issue. Some species tend to do it more than others, and in many cases, only individual fish of the species do it. Big cats and polar bears do stereotypic pacing behaviors in zoos, and this is the fish equivalent of that. This is a very difficult behavior to break. If it surfs mostly on one area, you can try changing the outside lighting....increasing it, decreasing it, covering the outside end of the tank with a mirror or black paper. You might also try rearranging the rockwork, or putting something on the inside glass to keep the fish off of it (eggcrate, or dark plastic sheet). However, just like with zoo animals, any change may just cause the fish to surf in a new location.

The fish looks very well fed.

The spot on its side looks like a bruise to me. Did it come on suddenly? How long has it been there?

The dark patch is the only thing I can see that could be an issue or maybe flukes but it’s only the one side that makes him twitch then start glass surfing. It’s been three months, feeding very well purple tang will tell it off when near its cave in the evening, but no one is picking on it.

 

[slingfox]

No it’s a 120 gallon upgraded from the 20 gallon.

Impressive wall of GSP! The nicest I have seen!

 

[BluesClues]

The copper band likes to zoom in a straight line as fast as it can could Flukes be causing Ich to have a permanent hold spots keep returning over a year now.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The copper band likes to zoom in a straight line as fast as it can could Flukes be causing Ich to have a permanent hold spots keep returning over a year now.

Flashing, scratching and darting can all be a sign of flukes, but darting is a short distance, not zooming fast for any real distance. Ich causes little if any of these behaviors.

 

[BluesClues]

The copper band likes to zoom in a straight line as fast as it can could Flukes be causing Ich to have a permanent hold spots keep returning over a year now.

Flashing, scratching and darting can all be a sign of flukes, but darting is a short distance, not zooming fast for any real distance. Ich causes little if any of these behaviors.

Yeah I’ve been thinking ich has been the underlying issue but that may now just be the secondary symptoms due to stress from another source.

I have a cleaner wrasses 4 fire shrimp and 3 skunks to try and alleviate the scratching in theory but hasn’t help much. Also 57W UV 110GPH on a 120 gallon tank.

Honestly unsure on next steps would prefer not to dose the whole system that’s why I’ve been trying to pinpoint the cause to better treat.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yeah I’ve been thinking ich has been the underlying issue but that may now just be the secondary symptoms due to stress from another source.

I have a cleaner wrasses 4 fire shrimp and 3 skunks to try and alleviate the scratching in theory but hasn’t help much. Also 57W UV 110GPH on a 120 gallon tank.

Honestly unsure on next steps would prefer not to dose the whole system that’s why I’ve been trying to pinpoint the cause to better treat.

You could dose the tank safely for flukes using praziquantel, that would at least rule out that issue.