Butterfly Fish With Ich?

[Eversurf]

My butterfly fish has 2 white dots on his tail, one on his dorsal fin and one on his right fin. It's not getting worst and it's not getting better. Is that ich....should I start freaking out now?

 

[SkiFletch]

My butterfly fish has 2 white dots on his tail, one on his dorsal fin and one on his right fin. It's not getting worst and it's not getting better. Is that ich....should I start freaking out now?

I wouldnt freak out about 2 dots just yet. Keep him well-fed with a good variety of garlic laced foods and just keep an eye on him.

 

[Eversurf]

Well I guess the butterfly fish is really hard to keep from what I have heard. He didn't eat for a while, but now is eating very well and also looking on the live rock for more food. He loves the brine shrimps but will not eat any other pellets food and stuff.


When you say laced in garlic, what does that mean? Take some fresh garlic, squizze the juice out and roll the brine shrimp in it? Does pre-prepare garlic work as well?

Thanx

 

[SkiFletch]

Couple drops of pre-prepared liquid garlic extract from your supermarket. Drop that on the food, leave it to thaw, then dump it in. Once he gets used to eating brine shrimp that tastes like garlic you can try and get him to eat other food that you soak in garlic to trick him . Try some other stuff like fish roe, or other ground "human" seafood, he might take to that. And just think, after you start using garlic your fish will be able to keep those vampires out of the tank

 

[Eversurf]

Thanx for the info. I'll have to use what I have at home for tonight..cause i'm not going back out

 

[Eversurf]

Ok the butterflyfish has a little more white dots on his tail, but no where else. I think I might have to do something about it.

What should be my next step?

 

[SkiFletch]

How many dots are we talking here? Like 5 or less, or a lot?

 

[Eversurf]

Probably like 7 or less and only on the tail as far as I can see. There are less dot's than yesterday. Is time to freak out?

 

[SkiFletch]

If there are less than yesterday, no need to freak out. Keep him as fat and happy as you can.

 

[Eversurf]

Well I guess he will have to eat brine shrimp until it clears out. I was trying to get him to eat some of the pellets, but that didn't go over so well. He definitly as less white dots than many fish I have seen online and in the stores.

 

[Eversurf]

Alrighty he has more spots than before. They are starting to appear on his body as well.....need input...over!!

I have an issue. My yellow tang is starting to get it too....!!!!

 

[SkiFletch]

Ummm, not good. Here's the dilemma, you can try treating with copper based medications, but sometimes the stress of moving is too much for the fish to cope with . Do you have a cleanershrimp and/or neon goby that might be able to help with the irritation naturally?

 

[Eversurf]

I do have a cleaner shrimp....but he might be too big or they don't know how to use it. I guess I could pickup a neon goby tonight after work. It seems to be worst at night then in the morning....any explaination for that?

 

[SkiFletch]

Prolly some kind of stress related thing. Maybe it gets chased around or nervous in the light?

 

[Eversurf]

Maybe my lights are on too long. They are pretty much on the same schedule as me. I will buy a timer tonight and cut down the amount of "day time" they get.

Also I was thinking about just moving the invert to another tank...they are much easier to catch than the fish. What do you guys think of this?

Thanx