Copper band Butterfly QT possibly

[Lostoften]

Getting ready to start a qt batch in a 20L. LFS is holding a flame angel (replacement for one lost), a file fish, and a copper band butterfly. I would absolutely love a copper band butterfly fish, but I am nervous about successfully having one make it through qt. I plan to use the qt protocol outlined on the forums. I did see that it was eating well currently at the LFS.

Appreciate thoughts/experiences.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Getting ready to start a qt batch in a 20L. LFS is holding a flame angel (replacement for one lost), a file fish, and a copper band butterfly. I would absolutely love a copper band butterfly fish, but I am nervous about successfully having one make it through qt. I plan to use the qt protocol outlined on the forums. I did see that it was eating well currently at the LFS.

Appreciate thoughts/experiences.

First find out how long they’ve had the butterfly and ask to see it eat- still eating, not looking at food
The two others ok with qt- 3 may be pushing it

 

[KrisReef]

I brought mine home "sick" and dumped it in the reef where it made a speedy recovery. I would hesitate to put those three fishes in a 20L and hope they get along while suffering through medicine exposure. Hope it works out, they are great fishes.

 

[Lostoften]

First find out how long they’ve had the butterfly and ask to see it eat- still eating, not looking at food
The two others ok with qt- 3 may be pushing it

The file fish has been at the shop for awhile, the angel and the butterfly fish will be there over a week when picking up.

 

[Lostoften]

I brought mine home "sick" and dumped it in the reef where it made a speedy recovery. I would hesitate to put those three fishes in a 20L and hope they get along while suffering through medicine exposure. Hope it works out, they are great fishes.

Unfortunately after experiencing a massive loss, I am qt’ing everything going forward.

 

[Uncle99]

I QT mine alone with one PVC hide spot.
Becuase I picked him up myself from a store I know, he when to observational QT only for two weeks.

Since he ate at the store, and in my QT (be it a slow start) by day 4 he was agreesively eating, in my case PE mysis. With zero concerns, at 15 days he went to the DT in an acclimatized box for 4 hours in light during afternoon.

I just don’t do any pretreatment provided I know the source and I transport which takes under 30 minutes.

At dusk he was released.

He spent the night rummaging around picking rocks.

I was prepared for trouble, I read the stories, in my case, he’s been the easiest transfer ever.

In 3-4 weeks I had ZERO Aptasia. What an expert.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Unfortunately after experiencing a massive loss, I am qt’ing everything going forward.

Treat fish and assume they have something before having to fallow your display tank for 2 months
Bad advice given

 

[Lostoften]

Treat fish and assume they have something before having to fallow your display tank for 2 months
Bad advice given

Yeah, unfortunately was persuaded that UV and hydropex would greatly reduce the risk of disease in the tank. This did not work for me.

Following the current protocol going forward.

 

[Uncle99]

Treat fish and assume they have something before having to fallow your display tank for 2 months
Bad advice given

Bet ya tons of fish die in QT as well.

If you know the fishes history, risk is low.
Treated fish also come with some risk.

Is full QT a better option, sure, if you know what your doing and have access to the correct meds, and have no idea where the fish has been, sure.

“Bad advice” seems harsh to me.

Reefers can make the choices that best fit them, based on what they now of their new friend and understand the level of risk they are comfortable with, each one of us different.

The only fish I’ve lost is the first one I tried to treat not knowing why it just died at 17 days.

 

[threebuoys]

CBB can readily handle our QT protocol. I put one through it back in August/September. A bigger issue is getting the CBB to eat well. Since mine showed no parasitic symptoms when I received it (mail order), I observed and tested foods for a week before adding Copper Power. Some recommend live white worms for CBB. I didn't access to them, so I used frozen blood worms and minced fresh clams.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Getting ready to start a qt batch in a 20L. LFS is holding a flame angel (replacement for one lost), a file fish, and a copper band butterfly. I would absolutely love a copper band butterfly fish, but I am nervous about successfully having one make it through qt. I plan to use the qt protocol outlined on the forums. I did see that it was eating well currently at the LFS.

Appreciate thoughts/experiences.

A twenty long, not 20 liter, right? Even a 20 long is pretty small for those three fish.

Personally, I think there are a LOT of small cheap copperbands coming in and these just don’t do well under any quarantine conditions. For sure see it eat before you buy it!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Bet ya tons of fish die in QT as well.

If you know the fishes history, risk is low.
Treated fish also come with some risk.

Is full QT a better option, sure, if you know what your doing and have access to the correct meds, and have no idea where the fish has been, sure.

“Bad advice” seems harsh to me.

Reefers can make the choices that best fit them, based on what they now of their new friend and understand the level of risk they are comfortable with, each one of us different.

The only fish I’ve lost is the first one I tried to treat not knowing why it just died at 17 days.

You are in essense telling others Not to take precautions and see how it plays out. Your exparience with one fish does not signify that a specimen is free od disease and oplacing others at risk.
You may have known the history of fish at LFS, but what about at supplier, shipper, and other channels prior to LFS?
Years ago, I watched an Achilles Tang for 5 weeks, and took the leap as everything seemed great with fish and in three days, after popping it in my 360, I had a Velvet outbreak and lost my big dussomieri, chevron tang and vlamingi tank- a loss of $1100 in fish. Is the advise we give others?
I was fortunate to beat the velvet in 5 days and risked losing at the time $4000 in tangs alone

 

[Lostoften]

A twenty long, not 20 liter, right? Even a 20 long is pretty small for those three fish.

Personally, I think there are a LOT of small cheap copperbands coming in and these just don’t do well under any quarantine conditions. For sure see it eat before you buy it!

I am nervous on the copperband, but if could make it through the protocol would love in the display. He was eating, on Friday and will confirm before picking up.

I currently ended up with several QT tanks, and have relented to sacrificing the time in the schedule to allow for monitoring/daily water changes.

QT Station 1: 29 gallon and 20g long. 2 clowns come out to display tank 12/3
29g: Gem tang (currently in 40B coral tank that has been doing well) and magnificent foxface
20l: Flame angel, file fish and possibly copperband

QT Station 2: 29long (fish move to display 12/16-3 wrasses and goby)
Plan for kole tang and powder blue

QT Station 3: 20L 7 lyertail (6 female and 1 male) anthias currently in observation. Should have grabbed another 29g instead of 20L. I assume this will require daily water changes or at least every other.

 

[Lostoften]

You are in essense telling others Not to take precautions and see how it plays out. Your exparience with one fish does not signify that a specimen is free od disease and oplacing others at risk.
You may have known the history of fish at LFS, but what about at supplier, shipper, and other channels prior to LFS?
Years ago, I watched an Achilles Tang for 5 weeks, and took the leap as everything seemed great with fish and in three days, after popping it in my 360, I had a Velvet outbreak and lost my big dussomieri, chevron tang and vlamingi tank- a loss of $1100 in fish. Is the advise we give others?
I was fortunate to beat the velvet in 5 days and risked losing at the time $4000 in tangs alone

Dang sorry for the loss. Sounds like a beautiful tank though!

 

[exnisstech]

I've been through velvet so I know the risks. I do not medicate new fish unless I see symptoms. I've had too many unexplained deaths treating fish that were not sick. I isolate the fish and observe for 30+ days. Personally I place my CBBs in my observation tank alone and get them eating. Then they come up in an acclimation box and I feed the box. The box has holes so all the other fish try to get the food but the CBB always gets food. I think this last part gives the fish the confidence to compete for food when I release it. I keep larger fish so the CBBs have to be willing to go after food. This is my pair at chow time.

.

This is what my observation QT looks like. I put the same rocks in my acclimation box which is a modified reptile carrier. Bright white pcv just doesn't cut it for sensitive fish IMO.

This is just how I do and not a recommendation of how someone else should do it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Dang sorry for the loss. Sounds like a beautiful tank though!

Fortunately was about 9 years ago and at a time it was easy to replace these fish. This is an example today:

 

[exnisstech]

You are in essense telling others Not to take precautions and see how it plays out. Your exparience with one fish does not signify that a specimen is free od disease and oplacing others at risk.
You may have known the history of fish at LFS, but what about at supplier, shipper, and other channels prior to LFS?
Years ago, I watched an Achilles Tang for 5 weeks, and took the leap as everything seemed great with fish and in three days, after popping it in my 360, I had a Velvet outbreak and lost my big dussomieri, chevron tang and vlamingi tank- a loss of $1100 in fish. Is the advise we give others?
I was fortunate to beat the velvet in 5 days and risked losing at the time $4000 in tangs alone

I did not read that @Uncle99 was telling any one not to take precautions and do things the way he does them. He stated how he does it which is not a recommendation just a statement. I do things similar to him and I tell people how I do it. I thought discussing different methods is part of what a discussion board is for? Maybe I'm wrong but IMO people should know the risks involved not medicating and they should know that medicating in a sterile environment comes with its own risks which vary from fish to fish. Then they can make the informed choice for themselves.

 

[Lostoften]

I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and experiences. Unfortunately I don’t trust myself to identify diseases early on/have time to observe fish to the level of detail that many of you may. Given that, along with a recent significant loss, my plan is to follow the current protocol.

Still up in air on if want to pull the trigger on copperband butterfly. Guess it will come down to if it’s eating well when I go to pick up the other fish.

 

[exnisstech]

Keep us updated please.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I did not read that @Uncle99 was telling any one not to take precautions and do things the way he does them. He stated how he does it which is not a recommendation just a statement. I do things similar to him and I tell people how I do it. I thought discussing different methods is part of what a discussion board is for? Maybe I'm wrong but IMO people should know the risks involved not medicating and they should know that medicating in a sterile environment comes with its own risks which vary from fish to fish. Then they can make the informed choice for themselves.

I may have taken it wrong, but we have a lot of newbies and new to certain fish owners and at Minimum I recommend a 60 minute bath. As one of medics, i/we cant count the number of people who have lost fish and even tanks due to no Quarantine, improper introduction and inexperience and I will never despite my own methods suggest to take a chance on a fish that appears healthy and have been at store long term and go ahead and pop in in the tank.
We have seen in the last quarter alone a number of reefers who bought a quarantined fish and cant believe it has ich after dropping it into tank and now have to resort anyway to Quarantine and now inconvenience themselves for 6-8 weeks of having No fish in their display due to a simple missed step