Butterfly in QT

[Newtoreef]

I have a copperbanded butterfly in a 10 gal qt ( he has ick) what do I feed him? He usually takes his food off the LR. I tried lettuce tied to a rock but he don't seem to interested in that.

 

[Ben1]

I would be using frozen mysis soaked with garlic and selcon if he has ich. A 10 gal qt might be a bit stressful for him, how long have you had him?

 

[Newtoreef]

I just got him from lfs a little over a week ago. I usually buy hardware from the place this was the second time I bought livestock from there. Don't think I'm going to be doing that again. I also got a bubble tip anemone from there that has white blotches on it. Looks to be going away any idea what that might be.
The Butterfly will not no take suspended foods I will try but he only grazed for food off the live rock. Took out all my Aiptasia anemones in less than a week and left the rest of my corals alone.

 

[Anonymous]

FWIW - With some fish (with mild cases of ick), just leave them in the display.

A healthy happy fish can fend off the parasite. Once he/she settles down, I bet the ick goes away on its own. Sometimes the transfer back from QT to display is enough to trigger a new outbreak, especially if the fish will not eat in QT.

If you have one, you can also run UV on the tank.

 

[SnowManSnow]

I agree. Ive had my clowns come down with things a few times and I just left them alone. You have to weigh the stress of catching and living in a q tank vs. just living every day life for the fish.

B

 

[Ben1]

I too would agree to leave him in the main display, but if he wont eat suspened food you might need to get some live brine enriched with selcon. It isnt the algea its picking out of the rocks but pods.

 

[Anonymous]

In the future a QT time of 4-6 weeks before you add it to your display tank should be followed to ensure you aren't contaminating your other fish. Depending on the size of the fish I agree that a 10 gallon QT tank is probably too small.

Healthy established fish in clean systems can and do die from Cryptocaryon (among other parasites) introduced by infected fish. There's not really any debate about this. Anecdotes that indicate otherwise are the lucky breaks of the bunch.

 

[eric.m.s]

They are not quick to take to prepared foods, especially from the water column. Find a clean source for live blackworms, IME the movement and shape is irresistible to healthy CBB.

He/she will then connect you with food, and that food does not always come from LR You may have to place the worms on the LR at first.

Once it takes to the worms, mix in mysis and brine. (oak the all foods in garlic and selco.)

It takes some patience, but it has worked on three different CBB's I've cared for.

HTH