Why would Copper Banded Butterfly Just up and Die?

[TheChad]

Hey all,

I had a Copper Banded Butterfly that we had in our QT 29g tank for atleast 2 months. When be bought him he had an ich spot on his tail, later he got more, so we treated the 29g QT tank with copper, slowly they went away.

After all spots were gone, we left him in the QT tank for about 2 weeks to make sure nothing would come back.

Today, I came home from work, and he looked great, So i dedided to go ahead and transfer him to our main 55g tank.

I put him in a bucket and began a drip acclimation for 1 & 1/2 hour. I then transfered him to the 55g Main tank.

He swam around a little, being shy as normal in a new invironment. The skunk cleaner shrimp started cleaning him right away, and continued from time to time as he would allow.

Everything seamed normal. I went to the store came back an hour later, and I couldn't find him. I finally found him flat on the sand under a rock..

I thought he was dead, so I pulled him out by hand, and as soon as i got him out, he started swimming... But I could tell right there he was going to die.

He would swim a little, then go back down to the sand, it looked like he was breathing a little fast, but it was kind of hard to tell.

I just don't understand why he would just turn like that... That is almost 3 months of work all for nothing.

-TheChad

[Toirtis]

...and you saw him eating recently?

[TheChad]

Yeah, he was eating every day. I fed him Blood Worms, and Mysis shrimp.

I didn't feed him right before i transfered him though...

-TheChad

[melosu58]

Can you give us your main tank params

[TheChad]

Originally Posted by melosu58

Can you give us your main tank params

SG: 1.022, NH3: 0, Nitrate: 20ppm (I'm lowering this doing RO/DI water changes), Nitrite: 0, PH: 7.8

I know the nitrate is a little high, but that was from the tap water, I am removing that by doing RO/DI water changes.

The PH, no matter how much PH Buffer I keep adding, likes to sit at 7.8. I just got a new Buffer, called Reef Buffer, its a powder, hopefully this will work better than the liquid drops..


I did drip acclimate him for about 1-1/2 hours.

-TheChad

[melosu58]

20 ppm nitrates did not kill him. Maybe he had something wrong with him from the LFS. Is there any other signs you can give.

[TheChad]

Nope, As I said above, When I bought him, he had an Ich spot on his tail. We treated him with CopperSafe untill there was no signs of any parasites left. Then left him in the QT tank for an additional 2 weeks.

When he was transferred to the Main tank, He looked to be in perfect health...

That's what really makes me mad!

-TheChad

[melosu58]

The only thing I can think of is that I have seen others have problems with copper as it stresses certain fish out.

[TheChad]

... So wouldn't being put into the Main tank that has No copper make him happy?

That is, Unless he became an addict..

-TheChad

[Toirtis]

Parasites are also a possibility...there are a number of internal types that have little to no outward symptoms.

[TheChad]

If he had an internal parasite, wouldn't there have been some sign before he just dies?

He was perfectly healthy looking in the 29g QT tank, I bet money if I had left him there, he would still be alive today...

-TheChad

[roka64]

Did you acclimate him to your main tank?

[TheChad]

Originally Posted by roka64

Did you acclimate him to your main tank?

Yes, As I said Above (twice)..

"I put him in a bucket and began a drip acclimation for 1 & 1/2 hour. I then transfered him to the 55g Main tank."

-TheChad

[roka64]

Sorry, didn't catch that.