LONG NOSE BUTTERFLY HELP!!!!!!!

[jojo22]

This morning but not since. His ugre to eat if you will is not what it was when I got him??? I don't know if he is full and knows mor will come soon or if he is not eating at all?? He apears to go after the mysis and he caught them rather well at first but now for some reason I can't tell if he is catching them or not but either way he is not going after them as agressively as he did at first. He also seems to watch his reflection in the bottom of the tank when it is feeding time.

One more question has anyone else ever seen these fish hang out in a verticle position. He is constantly putting his bottom side against the back or side glasses.

[graphixx]

yeah I have seen them do that. do you have anything in the tank or is it bare?????? I would get something in there. even if its a fake plastic plant. that way it will give a little effect of shelter and ease the stress

[jojo22]

I'll grab a plastic plant tomorrow. I haven't had any of those in about a year since I gave up freshwater.

[graphixx]

right on, the way I look at a QT for a stressed fish is, the more natural you can make the tank look the more stress it takes off the fish. and you can do it on the cheap too. I have seen people use clay pots and even PVC tubes

[jojo22]

I just put in a 1 gallon water jug with the top cut off so he can use it as a "cave". so maby once he sees it in there it will help.

[andrewr]

whenever i have gotten a fish with ich or people ask me what i do i tell them this: over the course of a couple of days I drop the salinity down to 1.017 and raise the temperature of the water to 82 or 83 degrees (speeds the life cycle of c. irritans) I keep vacuuming the bottom of the tank every 2-3 days with a partial water change. I also use a little bit of formalin and soak the food in garlic (i know there is no science to support this but if I eat a lot of garlic I dont get bitten by mosquitos, might work for ich) I dont like to use copper as it is very hard on the fish. I would only use it if the fish is not eating. However, since your fish is eating I would take the copper out slowly in water changes only. Getting the fish to eat is the most important thing. Yours is doing that. Give the fish some time and keep up with the husbandry and when he shows no signs for about 6 weeks then I would say that he is fully healed. This is just the procedure that I have always used and it works wonders for me

[jojo22]

That is very simmilar to the process I am useing only I do many more water changes. I keep a very bare bones QT (just a prefrance) and I feel that when a fish is sick water quality needs to be at it's finest. also since I am feeding mysis 3 times a day I don't want an acumulation of un eaten food in there to throw the water params. out of wack. I know copper is very agressive and I generally only use it to get very EXTREAM cases under control. If things continue the way they are right now I will be switching to a less invasive med this weekend. He is down to about 25% covered with ich.

[andrewr]

glad that he is pulling through....good luck they are the hardiest of all the reef safe b/flys in my opinion

[jojo22]

Yeah well things went preaty far south. Before anyone says anything I know the possible consequences of my actions so please do not remind me as I am already worried enough about them. I had the heater that was in the tank and a backup. well they both decided to take a crap on me. I came into the room that my QT is in and the second heater had to go bad so it stuck in the on position. I know it was stuck because I turned the adjuster knob all the way down and it would not turn off. The fish was floating around as if he where dead the water current moveing him. I looked at the temp and it was over 90. needless to say all this had to happen when I had to leave for school in about 10 min. so I took him out and put him in the 35 gal hex display. Normally I would not do this and do not suggest anyone else do so. I understand that I run the risk off spreading the ICH and infecting all the inhabitents. I have already taken preventative measures to help stop this by lowering the SG and doseing with ich-attack. As of lights out the fish has regained a lot of strength and is eating well again. After all I have put this guy through I couldn't bring myself to put him down (thought about it breefly when I passed the freezer on my way to the 35 but couldn't do it). I know this is risky and dangerous but something is telling me all will work out. At least for the other inhabitants in my tank. All I can say is I hope it was the big guy upstairs talking to me and all works out.

[RHAPALA]

wow bud all i can say is GOOD LUCK and i hope ya still have him when i come to visit