New to Copperband Butterfly

[jy808]

Does it look cottony, fibrous, or cauliflower like in texture? If so it's probably lymphocystis. Very common on CBBs. It's a usually harmless virus. It can present under the skin or on the outside of the skin. Best treatment is pristine water quality, high quality foods + vitamins. Beta Glucan in particular, when mixed with food, can tremendously boost the fish's immune system.

Yes it does sound like that. Thanks!

Does it look cottony, fibrous, or cauliflower like in texture? If so it's probably lymphocystis. Very common on CBBs. It's a usually harmless virus. It can present under the skin or on the outside of the skin. Best treatment is pristine water quality, high quality foods + vitamins. Beta Glucan in particular, when mixed with food, can tremendously boost the fish's immune system.

It does look cottony. And it's seemed to have gone. Second day on copper treatment and i don't think the Cbb likes it at all. It's back to its corner and not eating.

 

[piranhaman00]

My cbb has lympho on his tail.

what concentration of Cu you at? How fast did you bring it up?

 

[jy808]

I don't know what's happening guys. CBB is now on its side. I had noticed heavy breathing upon waking up about an hour ago. But thought I'd let it rest.

This all started after dosing copper. I did not over dose as it took me 2 days to reach 0.25ppm.

Was eating fine and normal before copper treatment.

What can i do guys?
Water tests show
Ph 8
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Salinity 1.027

 

[SDK]

Get it out of the copper right away for starters!

 

[jy808]

It's out of the copper!
I had no choice but to put up the fry net in my DT.

 

[SDK]

Good luck! Not sure what else you can do right now...

 

[jy808]

Good luck! Not sure what else you can do right now...

Thanks. We LFS did say these little fellas don't cope well in copper.

 

[Apotack]

Look how thin he is, he’s starving and weak. Sorry

 

[jy808]

Look how thin he is, he’s starving and weak. Sorry

He has actually been eating very very well prior to copper. Probably hadn't eaten since copper started 2 days ago.

 

[piranhaman00]

They do fine in copper you just had it at an overdose level. Hopefully it didn’t have ich now

 

[jy808]

Bit of an update guys. It's in my DT within a fry net. Upon closer look, looks like it's bleeding or it's that red pore everyone speaks of.

It's lying against the net. And breathing heavily.

Any advice or medication required? I am hesitant to keep moving it, or to move it back to QT (if need be I'll drain water from my DT to fill QT as I'm required to do a water change for DT soon anyway. So I'll recycle the old DT water.)

It's also good to note that the water parameters are far better than my QT.

 

[piranhaman00]

It should be moved back to a QT, then antibiotic. Furan 2, kanaplex and metro combo, or there’s another more potent on, NFG is the acronym I believe.

 

[jy808]

It should be moved back to a QT, then antibiotic. Furan 2, kanaplex and metro combo, or there’s another more potent on, NFG is the acronym I believe.

Yes it's been moved back into the QT about 2 hours ago.
Am pushing for time I suppose but I have to wait till first thing tomorrow morning for the stores to open and hope it is still alive. Sore is getting bigger and suppose it's going to get worst.
This is a great big lesson.

 

[Paul B]

CBBs are notorious for developing those "red sores" on their sides and the prognosis is rapid and usually not good. Keeping NFG powder on hand "before" you have the fish is a real good move.

Probably get hammered for this but I’ve lost more fish in QT then in my DT and once my local reef club suggested by consensus the same I quit QT entirely.

You won't get hammered from me. Copperbands are a fish that should never be quarantined, especially in a small tank and those sores are actually caused by copper. Antibiotics will probably make it worse and I would be very surprised if that poor fish is still alive.
IMO, if you are of the mindset that you have to quarantine, don't get a copperband.
I can see a fresh water dip for 3 minutes as they do carry a lot of flukes, but thats about it.

Copperbands are long lived fairly robust fish as long as they are treated in a way that does not stress them to much. They need a lot of hiding places in a proper tank, not a bare or semi bare small tank. I am sure the vast majority of them kept in such conditions die because of that and not disease.

Just my opinion of course but I have almost always had one in my tank since the 70s.

 

[DeniseAndy]

How is your baby? I got a copperband through QT as well as a friend of mines. Mine was with me for al ong time, but began eating lps so got moved to a new home. My friend's is still around and doing great.
However, they do need special requirements.
I do not work with copper and so I have no help there. I hope your guy pulled through. They are great fish.

 

[piranhaman00]

You won't get hammered from me. Copperbands are a fish that should never be quarantined, especially in a small tank and those sores are actually caused by copper. Antibiotics will probably make it worse and I would be very surprised if that poor fish is still alive.
IMO, if you are of the mindset that you have to quarantine, don't get a copperband.
I can see a fresh water dip for 3 minutes as they do carry a lot of flukes, but thats about it.

Copperbands are long lived fairly robust fish as long as they are treated in a way that does not stress them to much. They need a lot of hiding places in a proper tank, not a bare or semi bare small tank. I am sure the vast majority of them kept in such conditions die because of that and not disease.

Just my opinion of course but I have almost always had one in my tank since the 70s.

Where are you pulling copper causes the red bacterial sores?

 

[Paul B]

Not just on copperbands, all fish have a propensity to get those sores from copper. Especially puffers.
I got it from 60+ years of fish keeping and many cases of using copper in homes, LFSs and wholesalers.

 

[Picasso the Triggerfish]

How it is doing the CBB rigth now? I heared that they are one of the hardest fish in the hobby

 

[jy808]

Unfortunately it did not make it. Such a shame, as I sought so much joy from the success of getting it to eat. I honestly think it did not react well to the copper.

I definitely will not give up on the copperband, I think it's a beautiful fish. I want to share my experience to those who are looking to begin with a copperband and hope this post will be of use in the future.

My experience:
If you plan to get a copperband, I would suggest purchasing these beforehand:
1) praziquantel (for flukes), and;
2) the big 3 of kanaplex, metroplex and furan 2 ( for the red sores)

I did not have the big 3 the day it started getting the red sore, so I really wish I had them ready. I also think the red sore was caused by the copper. While I added the copper I did notice lympho starting to show, so I don;t know if lympho + copper = red sore? So I would be very wary of adding copper if it had lympho.

Overfeed the fish until it eats! Which would mean a dirty tank, so I did 25% water changes every 2 days.

I will be giving it another crack in about 3 weeks, and will really have to play my cards right.

 

[jy808]

They do fine in copper you just had it at an overdose level. Hopefully it didn’t have ich now

How is your copperband going?