Help with Yellow Longnosed Butterflyfish!!!

[ReefTalk]

I got the Yellow Longnosed Butterflyfish from Live Aquaria, and when he got to my tank, he started acting funny, swimming in only one section of the tank, next day he would swim to the other side and swim upside down by the side glass panel for about 10 min , then he would swim to other side and do the same thing. Then he would not eat anything I offer him, and now he has an eye bigger than his other eye.

 

[helen ann]

Hi, did you QT? What are you water parameters? Have a pic?

Will call for some help.;)

@melypr1985 and/or @Humblefish

 

[melypr1985]

It sounds like he's certainly got an infection in the eye. I would definitely want a good clear picture of him. Any redness.... patches/streaks? White patches, spots or dusting? Breathing heavy?

 

[ReefTalk]

Hi, did you QT? What are you water parameters? Have a pic?

Will call for some help.;)

@melypr1985 and/or @Humblefish

I did not QT, I am not a believer in QT because even if you QT, the process of getting the fish to your display tank, can cause stress on the fish , which can cause ich. Also I do not see why QT unless fish is infected , because the fish gets QT up to 3 times before it reaches your hands, and that's enough stress already. And I have no amounia no nitrites 10 ppm of nitrates, 8 k.h, ph 8.3 , ca 425, mag 1200 . I'll send a pic soon

 

[ReefTalk]

 

[melypr1985]

the process of getting the fish to your display tank, can cause stress on the fish , which can cause ich. Also I do not see why QT unless fish is infected , because the fish gets QT up to 3 times before it reaches your hands, and that's enough stress already.

This is simply not true. It's entirely up to you to QT or not, but this shouldn't be why. Stress won't cause ick if ick isn't present. Proper QT will treat for ick and kill it. If it's not there, the fish can't get it not matter how stressed they are. If you don't introduce ick to your display then it won't be there to infect your fish either. This is done by careful QT practices. Also fish are not QT'd at all in the process to get them to you. Even if you purchase online and they claim to QT, likely they are simply doing a chemical bath on the fish and making sure they are eating before selling. They might even run low levels of copper in their stock tanks, but that won't kill ick, it will simply mask the symptoms. None of that is considered a proper (or even somewhat proper) QT.

 

[ReefTalk]

 

[ReefTalk]

 

[melypr1985]

I'm sorry but I can't see anything from these pictures. Can you possibly get closer? Check out the questions I asked and see if you can answer any of them for me. it will help to know all those things in diagnosing the problem.

 

[ReefTalk]

I'm sorry but I can't see anything from these pictures. Can you possibly get closer? Check out the questions I asked and see if you can answer any of them for me. it will help to know all those things in diagnosing the problem.

 

[Humblefish]

Notice any aggression coming from that Yellow Tang?

If he's bullying the Longnose, that would explain the odd swimming and staying on just one side of the tank.

 

[fin mike]

Melypr1985 is absolutely correct. Take her statements seriously. Qt is a must. I just got an order in from LA and two of the three starki damsels died and the third had a raging bacterial infection. Thankfully all that drama played out in my quarantine tank. Qt can be hard on some species, but it's totally worth it if you set up the proper quarantine system. Fish can't get ick unless the parasite is present.

 

[ReefTalk]

It sounds like he's certainly got an infection in the eye. I would definitely want a good clear picture of him. Any redness.... patches/streaks? White patches, spots or dusting? Breathing heavy?

There is no redness patches , or streaks, or spots or dust, just one big eye the other one is normal, I'm also wondering how to get him to eat, he must be eating my pods on my live rock, but I don't see why he won't eat fourmula one or brine or mysis shrimp

 

[fin mike]

Try some fresh oyster or clam on the half shell

 

[ReefTalk]

Notice any aggression coming from that Yellow Tang?

If he's bullying the Longnose, that would explain the odd swimming and staying on just one side of the tank.

Actually the yellow tang have not been in any fight with him at all, because I've seen how tangs can be aggressive, they try to use their surgeon tool on in their so called enemy

 

[ReefTalk]

Also I don't QT because I live with my parents and they will not let me have a 3rd tank in the house, besides I don't have proper room anywhere in the house to place one, and it will still cost me quite a bit of $$$$ to run one, regardless of what you think it's cheap, it's not cheap if you have a car that just broke down , college tuition bills and other bills to pay, besides my cost of setting one up will be around $500

 

[melypr1985]

They eye will likely need to be treated with antibiotics. It's best to do that in a QT while dosing the tank itself with Kanaplex or Furan2. You can feed it to him, but if he isn't eating prepared foods, then that won't work anyway. Butterflies can be delicate and tricky to get eating. You can try live baby brine, frozen mysis, live black worms... there are many options.

 

[ReefTalk]

They eye will likely need to be treated with antibiotics. It's best to do that in a QT while dosing the tank itself with Kanaplex or Furan2. You can feed it to him, but if he isn't eating prepared foods, then that won't work anyway. Butterflies can be delicate and tricky to get eating. You can try live baby brine, frozen mysis, live black worms... there are many options.

So it can't go away on its own

 

[melypr1985]

Also I don't QT because I live with my parents and they will not let me have a 3rd tank in the house, besides I don't have proper room anywhere in the house to place one, and it will still cost me quite a bit of $$$$ to run one, regardless of what you think it's cheap, it's not cheap if you have a car that just broke down , college tuition bills and other bills to pay, besides my cost of setting one up will be around $500

I wasn't insisting that you QT your fish. I was just hoping to clear up any misconceptions. You should never trust anybody's QT but your own and know the risks involved. It's ok if you can't run a QT permantently, but we can help you set up a cheap (pretty darn cheap) QT for a few weeks to treat the butterfly.

 

[melypr1985]

So it can't go away on its own

It's not likely at this stage. It's pretty advanced and if left alone could spread to the other eye, cause blindness and even death.