Tangs Rule
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- Location
- Staten Island
The clam I attempted was a little neck. I have two more but he didn't seem too interested.
A really picky eater.......
- Thread starter Tangs Rule
- Start date
The symptoms sound more like internal parasites. It's unusal for fish and these butterflies to refuse live clams. Did you test for flukes? If you didn't I would definitely perform a 4 minutes fresh water dip to see if there's any flukes coming off.
You mentioned red spot, is it more pink and near the stomach area? If it's more pinkish than that doesn't look good because it could be decompression issue and is now infected.
You mentioned red spot, is it more pink and near the stomach area? If it's more pinkish than that doesn't look good because it could be decompression issue and is now infected.
Last edited:
- Location
- Montclair, NJ
- Location
- The Big City
I highly doubt it's flukes. The fish isn't showing any sign of flukes and if you look at the pictures, except for the tail, the fish looks fine. Also he has had the fish for over 3 weeks and if it has flukes it would be in very bad condition, or dead, by now.
- Location
- Montclair, NJ
The signs can go away and comeback. I have flukes in my tank. Some fish show signs and some do not. Some show signs for a little while and then it goes away and sometimes comes back. They seem to affect certain types of fish more and butterflies are definitely one of them.
The local butterflies we caught had flukes and they lived with them for a long time. It depends what kind and how bad the infestation is.
- Location
- The Big City
The fish isn't showing any signs, it was though to have ich because of the white marks on the tail, which looking from the pictures isn't ich. Outside of not eating, which is common with Butterfly fish, especially a large one being kept in a small QT tank.
Actually the fish that usually show up infected are Angels, especially the large ones, and usually fish will continue to eat even when infected. Also the fish has been kept in an empty bottom tank, so you would have seen the eggs and larvae. Not to mention that in a small closed system, QT tank, the flukes would have attack the fish and it would have been in very bad condition, if not dead, by now.
Actually the fish that usually show up infected are Angels, especially the large ones, and usually fish will continue to eat even when infected. Also the fish has been kept in an empty bottom tank, so you would have seen the eggs and larvae. Not to mention that in a small closed system, QT tank, the flukes would have attack the fish and it would have been in very bad condition, if not dead, by now.
Tangs Rule
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Staten Island
Thanks to everyone for their advice. I will read up on flukes for sure. A quick update, the butterfly has started eating some nori (red so far) and I will continue to try the other types to get the fish eating. I still have him in the small QT tank.
- Location
- Montclair, NJ
Some flukes are too small to see with the human eye. Not for nothing but those pics are not the greatest (no offense Tangs Rule. Your pics are better than mine 
).
What is the harm in treating for them anyway? I'd rather treat for them on a fish that is not doing well then throw a suspiciously ill fish back into the DT. I wish I would have done that when I bought three Golden Butterflies. I would still have my stonefish and Rhinopias :irked:
). What is the harm in treating for them anyway? I'd rather treat for them on a fish that is not doing well then throw a suspiciously ill fish back into the DT. I wish I would have done that when I bought three Golden Butterflies. I would still have my stonefish and Rhinopias :irked:
I only meant to use FW dip to check for flukes and to treat it if there is flukes I would recommend Prazipro with 2 7 days treatment.
If it's ich then that's simple to treat since it's already in a QT. I would go would Seachem Cupramine and monitor the copper level with Seachem Copper Test Kit. Maintain the copper level at 0.5 for 30 days to be on the safe side even though the instruction say 14 days. I've used Cupramine even 23 days ich came back.
- Location
- The Big City
Some flukes are too small to see with the human eye. Not for nothing but those pics are not the greatest (no offense Tangs Rule. Your pics are better than mine
What is the harm in treating for them anyway? I'd rather treat for them on a fish that is not doing well then throw a suspiciously ill fish back into the DT. I wish I would have done that when I bought three Golden Butterflies. I would still have my stonefish and Rhinopias :irked:
The pictures mayn't be the best but you can see the fish pretty clearly and from the pictures it looks like the fish has an Lymphocystis infection. As for treating it, why would you treat a fish for something that it's not showing any signs? You're only going to stress out the fish even more than it currently is. In the end it has started to eat, and since it was acting fine in the QT tank, it's probably going to be ok. The only problem maybe returning it to the main tank with the other Semi-BF, as it was harmrassing it before.
I'm not arguing one way or the other but rather offering suggestions for the OP to look up. A simple 4 minutes FW dip simply eliminate the possibility and I find this hobby whe it comes to what works what doesn't is to try, and many times it's a process of elimination. If it only takes 4 minutes to eliminate the possibility why not to get a piece of mind and much less stress on the fish than using chemicals for 2-4 weeks and hypo for 6 weeks.
When I came first into this hobby I had no idea what ich and flukes was let alone what it looks looks like when its in front of me. I'd vendors argue it wasn't even after posting pictures and and reefers all over agreed it was so what gives.
I'd 2 4" in Nov 2007 in a 180g and they started out swimming, eating (hunting corals together which I knew and prepared to go FOWLR) and sleeping near each other but within 6 months one stressed out the other and died soon after. Someone in another forum said he once had 9 in a very large system and would never do it again because of their aggressive nature when mating started and would kill the others. And when mature it would be the size of a dinner plate.
I've one left now which seems to be happy and gets along with 3 other butterflies. My suggestion is to only keep one and get other butterflies.
- Location
- Montclair, NJ
I had three and made the mistake of noticing what I wrote off as a cut (see below. I had the sense to take a pic of it while acclimating but not enough to keep it out of my DT). All three were eating and getting along and I thought the cut would heal. Then all of the sudden my 3 year old stonefish and then my expensive rhinopias died before I noticed that I inherited a bacterial infection and flukes :irked: I took care of the bacterial infection but I still battle flukes on and off.
There're a few of us in another forum that we treat every new fish with Prazipro whether the fish has flukes or not because the product will also treat for internal parasites before it goes into the DT. Learned the hard way after losing too many fish.
- Location
- Vernon, NJ
Flukes are usually visible in the eyes, eyes appear to be cloudy, tough to tell in the pics.
I treated the 450 with prazzi pro, my regal showed signs of flukes cloudy eyes scratching on rocks, I wanted to try the prazzi pro to see if it eliminated the AEFW I had, so I now had a reason to try
none of the fish or inverts were effected by the 2 week treatment I did
my soft corals seemed reluctant to open though but none of the fish swere stressed and the regal recovered fully
I dont see any evidence of the AEFW all I have left acro wise is a couple of frags and a small millipora colony that seems to be fine.
The only draw back to the prazziPro treatment was it took forever to dial my skimmer back in. it took about a week to get things back to normal
this all shouldnt be a problem in a Q/T tank
I treated the 450 with prazzi pro, my regal showed signs of flukes cloudy eyes scratching on rocks, I wanted to try the prazzi pro to see if it eliminated the AEFW I had, so I now had a reason to try
none of the fish or inverts were effected by the 2 week treatment I did
my soft corals seemed reluctant to open though but none of the fish swere stressed and the regal recovered fully
I dont see any evidence of the AEFW all I have left acro wise is a couple of frags and a small millipora colony that seems to be fine.
The only draw back to the prazziPro treatment was it took forever to dial my skimmer back in. it took about a week to get things back to normal
this all shouldnt be a problem in a Q/T tank
- Location
- Montclair, NJ
I was just having a discussion about freezing praziquantel on pellets and feeding them to the fish in a controlled scenario so I can make sure no pellets are left behind. What do you all think? Worth a shot? I don't have much SPS.
- Location
- Montclair, NJ
Did you lose SPS because of the treatment or the AEFW? Is the treatment supposed to be reefsafe? Sorry for all of the questions but I'm not familiar with your system
Tangs Rule
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Staten Island
Well I know the butterfly is in a small tank currently, but I'm going to keep him in there and treat that tank for flukes.
Does flukes medication kill off live rock? It sounds like a good treatment for a FOWLR tank, as long as it won't kill off my live rock.
Does flukes medication kill off live rock? It sounds like a good treatment for a FOWLR tank, as long as it won't kill off my live rock.
That may treat the fish but what about flukes in the water column? The eggs hatch then find a host again and starts all over again. Personaly I would treat the system and have a piece of mind afterward.
It should be fine and I've had inverts and polyp rocks survived but no one can guarantee it as every system is different. If LR is a concern then put in a couple pieces of base rocks you can spare.
How's the red spot you mentioned and where is it located?
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