helppppp! yellow longnose butterfly fish in 75 gallon tank

linz13 · 07/15/2008, 05:56 PM

i recently got a longnose butterfly fish for one of my fish tanks. the tank has been up and running for about a year now. i have 2 percula clownfish, one coral beauty angel, one strawberry aka purple pseudochromis and the yellow longnose butterfly fish along with 3 peppermint shrimp and one cleaner shrimp, live rocks... and sand... etc. after work today, i went and looked at my fish tank and noticed the yellow longnose butterfly fish sideways on the ground. it has small red marks on it, and i went to move it to see if it was still alive and it sort of moved a little bit away from the net. the pseudochromis has been aggressive to my cleaner shrimp... would it be aggressive towards my butterfly fish or do you think its a disease? what should i do? its still alive as of right now...

Aquarist007 · 07/15/2008, 05:59 PM

Was the butterfly fish visibility eating---it might be starving and too weak to fend off the cleanup crew
suggest you remove it to a quaratine tank asap and out of danger from predators.

linz13 · 07/15/2008, 06:00 PM

it was visibly eating... i have a seaweed clip with some seaweed attached to it, and it was eating that along with frozen brine shrimp and fish flakes...

linz13 · 07/15/2008, 06:04 PM

i also feed it about 3 times a day.. so i dont think it was starving..... =/ i hope he's okkkkk

linz13 · 07/15/2008, 06:05 PM

are there any diseases that have small red spots on the fish?

D to the P · 07/15/2008, 06:05 PM

It's possible that the pseudochromis picked on the butterfly, or it could have scarred it into a corner and the fish could have gotten stuck in some rocks. Whatever the cause, the fish should be removed from the tank and put into quarantine. Otherwise I would imagine the shrimp and/or hermit crabs will start to pick at it. Make sure the water quality in the QT is similar to what it is in the DT, keep the stress low in the tank, and look for any visible signs of disease.

linz13 · 07/15/2008, 06:07 PM

the fish wasnt in any corner or stuck in any rocks... but ill quarrantine it and monitor it.... he's gonna be the only thing in the quarantine tank right now... along with the sand and rocks... and ill keep an eye on him... thank you guys so much for your help! i appreciate it.. and ill let you know if he lives or not... =/

Aquarist007 · 07/15/2008, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by linz13
the fish wasnt in any corner or stuck in any rocks... but ill quarrantine it and monitor it.... he's gonna be the only thing in the quarantine tank right now... along with the sand and rocks... and ill keep an eye on him... thank you guys so much for your help! i appreciate it.. and ill let you know if he lives or not... =/

I would try to get him on mysis shrimp--they are much healthier and more in line with a healthy diet for the fish. Brine is not too nutrious. I would also soak the food in or add vitachem for a little bit to build up its immune system.

Please do keep us posted

linz13 · 07/15/2008, 06:27 PM

awesome. thank you so much for your help... i definately will keep you updated. hopefully he'll pull through thanks to everyones great advice!

weluvfish54 · 07/15/2008, 06:32 PM

yeah those strawberrys are known for agression..
good luck..
then again the red spots could be from other fish picking at him after he started dying from whatever source..

Aquarist007 · 07/15/2008, 06:39 PM

our reef inhabitants are excellent at smelling blood or distress in the tank--unlike buzzards or vultures they don't hover waiting for dinner to die

linz13 · 07/15/2008, 09:57 PM

so.. bad news... shortly after quarantining the fish he died... maybe like an hour after. i think the new conditions were too stressful... he must have gotten attacked pretty bad because he couldnt really swim or anyhting... he was just kinda laying on his side until he stopped breathing and flipped upside down =[ thanks for every bodys help... do you think i should try another yellow longnose butterfly? because i really love those fish. but i dont know if i want to take the chance of losing another one... if i got another one i would probably wait a few weeks to make sure everythings ok... do you think i should try a new one or not....

camlov2 · 07/15/2008, 10:06 PM

I took my bicolor dottyback back to the LFS because he was so aggresive. One possiblility to think about (catching him might be a problem).

dottyBACK

linz13 · 07/15/2008, 10:14 PM

i was thinking about doing that actually. i'm just not sure if that butterfly was sick to begin with.. it seemed fine though. it was eating and there was nothing abnormal about.. the pseudochromis doesnt attack anything else in the tank... i have a coral beauty angelfish that was around the same size as the butterfly fish (the butterfly was fairly small compared to the size they normally get.. maybe he was around 3-4 inches.)

i'm not too sure what happened but i might try to take him back because i love butterfly fish. either that or in a few weeks... get a new butterfly and really watch him to make sure nothing like that happens again and if the pseudochromis starts getting fiesty again then ill bring him back..

do a lot of stores take the fish back?

kau_cinta_ku · 07/16/2008, 12:35 AM

usually red streaks are a sign of a bacterial infection.

sorry for you loss.

Aquarist007 · 07/16/2008, 06:14 AM

sorry to hear the news about the butterfly. I have had a copper banded butterfly in qt for 5 weeks now. Just over the last week it has been agressively eating mysis--before just picking at it

IMO you need to qt these fish untill they are agressively eating for a couple of weeks or they shy back from the others in the tank and don't get enough to eat.

linz13 · 07/16/2008, 08:30 AM

yeah. i had him in the quarantine tank for probably around 5 days and he seemed to be eating really well. everything i threw in there... the formula two flakes, the seaweed clip, and the shrimp.. he went right after and he seemed to be doing really well so thats when i moved him over. maybe it was too soon though.. now i know for next time though... well if i get another one.. i dont think i could put another one through what that poor little guy went through though.

linz13 · 07/16/2008, 08:56 AM

your fish is beautiful too. i love butterfly fish. they are so pretty!

Aquarist007 · 07/16/2008, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by linz13
yeah. i had him in the quarantine tank for probably around 5 days and he seemed to be eating really well. everything i threw in there... the formula two flakes, the seaweed clip, and the shrimp.. he went right after and he seemed to be doing really well so thats when i moved him over. maybe it was too soon though.. now i know for next time though... well if i get another one.. i dont think i could put another one through what that poor little guy went through though.

If you keep it feeding in the qt like mine--its been in their for 5 weeks now I think it will really help and you won't have to worry

I'll soon find out --its going into the display next week

Aquarist007 · 07/16/2008, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by linz13
your fish is beautiful too. i love butterfly fish. they are so pretty!

yes I love the butterflys too--so much that this is my third attempt but first time qt'ing it that long

Odds are if you love a fish you will try again too

otrlynn · 07/16/2008, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by camlov2
I took my bicolor dottyback back to the LFS because he was so aggresive. One possiblility to think about (catching him might be a problem).

dottyBACK

My bicolor dottyBACK went back to the LFS too. Took three stressful days to catch the bugger. Finally went into the homemade bottle trap. He was a good size, nice and plump from stealing all the food in the tank. I begged the LFS to take him off my hands...Maybe this is a good time to get yours out of the tank. Perhaps he was not the cause of the butterfly's death, but they do tend to pester less aggressive fish.

linz13 · 07/16/2008, 10:44 AM

i do love butterflies so i probably will try again! hahaha! thanks for your help!... is the dottyback a pseudochromis too? or is that just a different aggressive fish? mine seems to be less aggressive now.. he is is swimming alongside with the clownfish and swimming over the shrimp without attacking them. =] so maybe ill give him a second chance. if i notice any aggression i think im gona bring him back to the LFS though.

otrlynn · 07/16/2008, 11:38 AM

My understanding is that dottyback is another name for pseudochromis. I think that people use the names interchangeably.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/a...es.cfm?c=15+38

linz13 · 07/16/2008, 02:19 PM

oh ok

thanks!

07/15/2008, 05:56 PM	#1
linz13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 124	helppppp! yellow longnose butterfly fish in 75 gallon tank i recently got a longnose butterfly fish for one of my fish tanks. the tank has been up and running for about a year now. i have 2 percula clownfish, one coral beauty angel, one strawberry aka purple pseudochromis and the yellow longnose butterfly fish along with 3 peppermint shrimp and one cleaner shrimp, live rocks... and sand... etc. after work today, i went and looked at my fish tank and noticed the yellow longnose butterfly fish sideways on the ground. it has small red marks on it, and i went to move it to see if it was still alive and it sort of moved a little bit away from the net. the pseudochromis has been aggressive to my cleaner shrimp... would it be aggressive towards my butterfly fish or do you think its a disease? what should i do? its still alive as of right now...

07/15/2008, 05:59 PM	#2
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	Was the butterfly fish visibility eating---it might be starving and too weak to fend off the cleanup crew suggest you remove it to a quaratine tank asap and out of danger from predators. __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

07/15/2008, 06:05 PM	#6
D to the P Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Amishville, USA Posts: 2,047	It's possible that the pseudochromis picked on the butterfly, or it could have scarred it into a corner and the fish could have gotten stuck in some rocks. Whatever the cause, the fish should be removed from the tank and put into quarantine. Otherwise I would imagine the shrimp and/or hermit crabs will start to pick at it. Make sure the water quality in the QT is similar to what it is in the DT, keep the stress low in the tank, and look for any visible signs of disease. __________________ Nature V.S. Nurture: Nature Always Wins. Current Tank Info: 12 gallon Aquapod reef with LED's, multiple nano's at work.

07/15/2008, 06:39 PM	#11
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	our reef inhabitants are excellent at smelling blood or distress in the tank--unlike buzzards or vultures they don't hover waiting for dinner to die __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

07/15/2008, 10:06 PM	#13
camlov2 Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northern California Posts: 551	I took my bicolor dottyback back to the LFS because he was so aggresive. One possiblility to think about (catching him might be a problem). dottyBACK __________________ "can I pet him?" Brian Current Tank Info: none

07/15/2008, 06:00 PM	#3
linz13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 124	it was visibly eating... i have a seaweed clip with some seaweed attached to it, and it was eating that along with frozen brine shrimp and fish flakes...

07/15/2008, 06:04 PM	#4
linz13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 124	i also feed it about 3 times a day.. so i dont think it was starving..... =/ i hope he's okkkkk

07/15/2008, 06:07 PM	#7
linz13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 124	the fish wasnt in any corner or stuck in any rocks... but ill quarrantine it and monitor it.... he's gonna be the only thing in the quarantine tank right now... along with the sand and rocks... and ill keep an eye on him... thank you guys so much for your help! i appreciate it.. and ill let you know if he lives or not... =/

07/15/2008, 06:27 PM	#9
linz13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 124	awesome. thank you so much for your help... i definately will keep you updated. hopefully he'll pull through thanks to everyones great advice!

07/15/2008, 06:32 PM	#10
weluvfish54 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: inland empire Posts: 771	yeah those strawberrys are known for agression.. good luck.. then again the red spots could be from other fish picking at him after he started dying from whatever source..

07/15/2008, 09:57 PM	#12
linz13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 124	so.. bad news... shortly after quarantining the fish he died... maybe like an hour after. i think the new conditions were too stressful... he must have gotten attacked pretty bad because he couldnt really swim or anyhting... he was just kinda laying on his side until he stopped breathing and flipped upside down =[ thanks for every bodys help... do you think i should try another yellow longnose butterfly? because i really love those fish. but i dont know if i want to take the chance of losing another one... if i got another one i would probably wait a few weeks to make sure everythings ok... do you think i should try a new one or not....

07/15/2008, 10:14 PM	#14
linz13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 124	i was thinking about doing that actually. i'm just not sure if that butterfly was sick to begin with.. it seemed fine though. it was eating and there was nothing abnormal about.. the pseudochromis doesnt attack anything else in the tank... i have a coral beauty angelfish that was around the same size as the butterfly fish (the butterfly was fairly small compared to the size they normally get.. maybe he was around 3-4 inches.) i'm not too sure what happened but i might try to take him back because i love butterfly fish. either that or in a few weeks... get a new butterfly and really watch him to make sure nothing like that happens again and if the pseudochromis starts getting fiesty again then ill bring him back.. do a lot of stores take the fish back?

07/16/2008, 12:35 AM	#15
kau_cinta_ku Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 8,669	usually red streaks are a sign of a bacterial infection. sorry for you loss.

07/16/2008, 06:14 AM	#16
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	sorry to hear the news about the butterfly. I have had a copper banded butterfly in qt for 5 weeks now. Just over the last week it has been agressively eating mysis--before just picking at it IMO you need to qt these fish untill they are agressively eating for a couple of weeks or they shy back from the others in the tank and don't get enough to eat. __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

07/16/2008, 08:30 AM	#17
linz13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 124	yeah. i had him in the quarantine tank for probably around 5 days and he seemed to be eating really well. everything i threw in there... the formula two flakes, the seaweed clip, and the shrimp.. he went right after and he seemed to be doing really well so thats when i moved him over. maybe it was too soon though.. now i know for next time though... well if i get another one.. i dont think i could put another one through what that poor little guy went through though.

07/16/2008, 08:56 AM	#18
linz13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 124	your fish is beautiful too. i love butterfly fish. they are so pretty!

07/16/2008, 10:44 AM	#22
linz13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 124	i do love butterflies so i probably will try again! hahaha! thanks for your help!... is the dottyback a pseudochromis too? or is that just a different aggressive fish? mine seems to be less aggressive now.. he is is swimming alongside with the clownfish and swimming over the shrimp without attacking them. =] so maybe ill give him a second chance. if i notice any aggression i think im gona bring him back to the LFS though.

07/16/2008, 11:38 AM	#23
otrlynn Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Chester County PA Posts: 1,508	My understanding is that dottyback is another name for pseudochromis. I think that people use the names interchangeably. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/a...es.cfm?c=15+38 __________________ Lynn 1 horse, 1 dog, 2 cats, small pond with a few koi. The fish tank is gone.

07/16/2008, 02:19 PM	#24
linz13 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 124	oh ok thanks!