Copperband Butterfly white spots treatment

Tigweldpro · Feb 5, 2018

Hello, I got a beautiful copperband butterfly 2 days ago, She is eating PE mysis twice a day like a champ and always picking at the rocks. I noticed a few white pimple looking spots on one side but all fins are clear and gills look fine.

The fish went into my 38g established cube with only 1 other goby for observation before I add her to my 90g tank with other fish. I have removed the copperband and did a 10min freshwater dip then into 10g hospital tank with metroplex. After the 10 min dip I gently rubbed the 3 spots and they appeared to come off almost like slime stuck to her.

Question is how long should I leave her in the hospital tank and should I keep adding metro every 2 days or feed metro/focus soaked mysis daily..? Then once the fish looks clear should it go back into the 28g cube for observation or straight into the 90g display?

Not my pic but spots look identical to this

Maritimer · Feb 5, 2018

Not sure what to make of that one, but perhaps @melypr1985 or @Humblefish will recognize it.

~Bruce

Humblefish · Feb 5, 2018

I'm not sure what to make of this either...

Did you see any flukes come off during the FW dip?

Any Lympho on the CBB?

Tigweldpro · Feb 6, 2018

No I didn't see anything in the dip water. All fins look perfect also no lympho. Its almost like the slime coat is just thick in a few spots, looks like white pimple that's jelly like. I think ill give her 2 days in metroplex and eating metro/focus mysis then back into the cube for a week before she goes into the 90g. My cleaner wrasse and skunk shrimp will have a hay day when they see the butterfly. The wrasse is a huge pest to all my fish lol

4FordFamily · Feb 6, 2018

Tigweldpro said:
No I didn't see anything in the dip water. All fins look perfect also no lympho. Its almost like the slime coat is just thick in a few spots, looks like white pimple that's jelly like. I think ill give her 2 days in metroplex and eating metro/focus mysis then back into the cube for a week before she goes into the 90g. My cleaner wrasse and skunk shrimp will have a hay day when they see the butterfly. The wrasse is a huge pest to all my fish lol

Jelly-like insinuates possible lympho, as to the touch it can feel that way. It doesn’t just grow on fins, that’s just a common spot to see it materialize on butterflies and angels.

Tigweldpro · Feb 7, 2018

The spots have almost gone away but I do now notice very tiny white specks on the dorsal fins. if this is lympho it sounds like there is no cure and it should go away as long as the fish is not stressed out. Is there any risk of this Lympho affecting my other fish? tangs, wrasses, clowns, no other butterflys?

Humblefish · Feb 7, 2018

Tigweldpro said:
Is there any risk of this Lympho affecting my other fish? tangs, wrasses, clowns, no other butterflys?

Yes, Lympho is spread via direct contact. But so many fish have the virus, oftentimes asymptomatic for long periods, that I honestly wouldn’t worry about it. Lympho is not life threatening like ich, velvet, flukes, etc.