Butterflytown - 240 FOWLR

[humaguy]

outstanding! looks great!

[caribfan]

Thanks Ted. I've got a revised list of fish I'd like to add since I lost a few over the past year.

I'd really like to add another altivelis butterfly and I'd like to get one of the golden phase oftofasciatus as well, don't see those too often.

Hopefully I'll be better about updates, we need more tanks in this section of the forum, it's just about dried up.

Peter, you need another tank to start stocking.

[Naraku]

I think it would be nice if you add a bannerfish or Moorish idol.
You have all types of fish except a triangular shaped fish.

[caribfan]

I'm trying to round out the collection with some different species, ever since losing the puffer, the tank just hasnt been the same.

I'd like to get a couple fish that hang out near the bottom and stir up the substrate, maybe some tiger wardi gobies.

I may also pick up some tilefish that I've been looking for next week.

[Naraku]

look forward to pictures.

Maybe a spiny burrfish to replace the puffer?

Originally Posted by caribfan

I'm trying to round out the collection with some different species, ever since losing the puffer, the tank just hasnt been the same.

I'd like to get a couple fish that hang out near the bottom and stir up the substrate, maybe some tiger wardi gobies.

I may also pick up some tilefish that I've been looking for next week.

[MrsBugmaster]

I like Imgur, much better than photo bucket IMO

[caribfan]

Originally Posted by Naraku

look forward to pictures.

Maybe a spiny burrfish to replace the puffer?

It will definitely be an arothoron species, most likely another black dog face or Dalmatian. I like the melegris, either the black and white variety or the golden, but I'm concerned the attitude might be a little much.

Not heard on the tilefish, may not be happening. I'll post pics for sure though if I get something.

I've got a long vacation this spring / early summer and I'm going to spend most of my tank resources on getting things automated to the point that I can go out of town for two weeks and not have everything be dead when I get back. Will probably start stocking after I get back. Unless of course something I can't resist becomes available.

[caribfan]

Originally Posted by MrsBugmaster

I like Imgur, much better than photo bucket IMO

Thanks for that, maybe I'll give it a shot later today. I was going to use my wife's mac and see if I had any better luck first.

[caribfan]

Not much new to report here, have an MP40 coming this week to replace the Tunze I'm currently using. I'll eventually add another. Also have a Tunze auto top off coming as well in preparation for my long trip this summer.

Had to remove the modestus because the barberfish almost killed it. Just seemed to turn one day.

While the modestus was in my quarantine tank, I added a yellow belly hepatus and a moorish idol. One of or both of those fish introduced flukes and marine ich, which the modestus promptly came down with.

Treated for both, and lost the idol and tang. The modestus has made a full recovery though. Keeping him in quarantine for a while before I add him back. Will probably try to sell the barberfish.

Still no luck on the puffer, have a few people looking. Got a couple other items I'm hunting for as well.

[moe103]

Just wanted to know why you are switching from the Tunze to the Ecotech? I am hoping to upgrade to either one in the near future. I'm trying to decide which way to go. I would love to hear your thoughts.

[caribfan]

A couple reasons on the Tunze swap. Firstly, the one that I have isn't mine, I've been borrowing it from a friend.

Having said that, I've used / owned both and prefer the software and programming platform of the ecotechs over the tunzes. I also have intentions of swapping out my current and very tired blueline 55 for a new Vectra. I also have radions for my lighting and I'm just going to keep with the ecotech theme.

I know a lot of people really love the tunzes, but to me, they are outdated technology.

In other news, I believe I have a Moorish idol, Tiger Wardi gobies and some clean up crew stuff coming tomorrow. Hoping this idol shows up in better shape than the last one...

[caribfan]

Glad to see this guy back in good health.

[caribfan]

It would appear that I have some work to do on understanding photo sizing in imgur, my apologies...

[caribfan]

Well back from vacation and there's good news and bad news.

Good news - the moorish idol in my quarantine tank is in decent health, all be it a little skinny. I was worried it wouldn't be fed enough while I was gone, but it appears to be doing ok.

Bad news - 1. can't find my blueline angel, 2. My lone pyramid appears to have some kind of swim bladder / bloat issue 3. My modestus butterfly that was in quarantine is in terrible shape.

So, I played musical fish last week. The idol was picking on the modestus, so I added him to the Display Tank, I caught the pyramid with the swim bladder issue and moved it to the Quarantine tank, and once I added the idol to the display tank, I had to catch and remove the barber fish because it was being an absolute terrorist to the moorish idol, so he now resides in the sump.

I'm definitely in a rebuilding period, my stock list as it stands now is quite reduced.

Butterflies:
Chaetodon Rainfordi
Chaetodon Flavirostris
Hemitaurichthys polylepis - struggling in quarantine
Roa Modestus - struggling in quarantine

Angels:
Centropyge Eibli
Centropyge Venustus x 2
Centropyge Multifasciatus
Pygoplites diacanthus x 1
Centropyge Flavissima
Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis - Missing

Damsels
Chrysiptera talboti x 3
Chrysiptera annulata

Others
Acanthurus Achilles
Zebrasoma flavescens x 2
Zanclus cornutus

Sump
Johnrandallia nigrirostris

I'm doing my best to nurse the modestus and pyramid back to heatlh, but i'm not holding my breath on either of the two at this point.

The pyramid is not eating and can't seem to control it's bouyancy. I'm at a loss as to what would have caused this. It looks completely healthy otherwise, no marks or visible injuries.

The Modestus definitely had some sign of injury and I saw the idol picking on it - so I know what happened there. At this point, it is starting to heal up, but I think it has lost it's eye sight, or it is at least greatly reduced. The eyes look completely normal, but the fish cannot see food when I add it to the tank.

The only shred of good news is that the modestus will eat occasionally, it is just horribly inefficient at doing so. When I add food to the tank, it can smell it and will start to try and "sniff" it out by putting it's nose to the tank bottom. Occasionally he'll find a morsel of food and eat it.

I don't know much about blindness in fish or people, but I feel like it's not something that is usually reversible...

[caribfan]

And body have experience with swim bladder issues or blindness in fish? Any recommendations there?

The modestus is eating more each day, but it's still only finding food by touch. I'm hopeful the input of nutrients from food will help heal it over time...

[suta4242]

Sorry to hear about the fish.

About the bloating: I have had this before with a goldflake. What worked was grinding a small amount of systemic human antibiotic + flagyl mixed in squid lining (its favourite food), and offering twice daily. Like yours, the fish wasn't eating initially and only gradually started eating more. I did this for three days and it worked. Btw you can offer other foods between the 12 hour intervals.

For the blindness, not sure. Vitamin A deficiency can cause this in angels...if the fish is trying to feed, just offer the most nutritious foods it will tolerate and hope for the best????

Hope that helps.

[dh350twin]

Originally Posted by suta4242

Sorry to hear about the fish.



About the bloating: I have had this before with a goldflake. What worked was grinding a small amount of systemic human antibiotic + flagyl mixed in squid lining (its favourite food), and offering twice daily. Like yours, the fish wasn't eating initially and only gradually started eating more. I did this for three days and it worked. Btw you can offer other foods between the 12 hour intervals.



For the blindness, not sure. Vitamin A deficiency can cause this in angels...if the fish is trying to feed, just offer the most nutritious foods it will tolerate and hope for the best????



Hope that helps.

May I ask where you get squid lining? That is a knew one for me. But an interesting idea

[suta4242]

When you get a whole raw squid that hasn't been processed, you'll find a thin membrane lining. A lot of fish that have trouble eating octopus / squid will find the soft texture appetising. Some anthias and small Pygmy angels (eg Colin's, multibar etc) will also eat it IME.

Hth

[dh350twin]

Originally Posted by suta4242

When you get a whole raw squid that hasn't been processed, you'll find a thin membrane lining. A lot of fish that have trouble eating octopus / squid will find the soft texture appetising. Some anthias and small Pygmy angels (eg Colin's, multibar etc) will also eat it IME.

Hth

I will need to find a seafood place that sells it. Not many where I'm from but thank you and sorry to the OP for interrupting

[caribfan]

Originally Posted by suta4242

Sorry to hear about the fish.

About the bloating: I have had this before with a goldflake. What worked was grinding a small amount of systemic human antibiotic + flagyl mixed in squid lining (its favourite food), and offering twice daily. Like yours, the fish wasn't eating initially and only gradually started eating more. I did this for three days and it worked. Btw you can offer other foods between the 12 hour intervals.

For the blindness, not sure. Vitamin A deficiency can cause this in angels...if the fish is trying to feed, just offer the most nutritious foods it will tolerate and hope for the best????

Hope that helps.

Interesting treatment recommendations, how did you come by them and which systemic human antibiotic did you use? How did you get a prescription for it?

I'm a bit worried the pyramid is too far gone at this point, but it's worth a shot.

As for the modestus, it's still eating, I feed almost exclusively Larry's reef services and occasionally little neck clams and PE mysis. I don't think it's a nutrition issue, but I could be wrong.

Any recommendations on how to supplement for vitamin A?

I appreciate your recommendations.

[caribfan]

Originally Posted by dh350twin

I will need to find a seafood place that sells it. Not many where I'm from but thank you and sorry to the OP for interrupting

No worries, it's good dialogue.

[suta4242]

Hi Matt,

Originally Posted by caribfan

Interesting treatment recommendations, how did you come by them and which systemic human antibiotic did you use? How did you get a prescription for it?

Both were leftovers from a five week stint in hospital, and I was taking them for another week or so when I came home. TBH don't remember the name of the systemic one, but if you could find a water soluble equivalent and lower specific gravity to 1.017 it may help.

I didn't know whether my angel had bloat from infection, a swimbladder issue or what. I didn't feel comfortable trying to relieve gas in the swimbladder so felt she had had nothing to lose by trying this, in case it was a bacterial infection.

As an aside, I remember reading a study where cryptocaryon was treated by infusing antibiotics in food. It eventually affected the viability of new parasites during the cycle. Significantly, once the antibiotics were infused in the food, they could be frozen with a potency loss of around 20% over six to eight weeks. So I made a batch and froze it. I like the thin membranous squid lining as its very sticky and very palatable (handy as flagyl is foul tasting IME!).

As for the modestus, it's still eating, I feed almost exclusively Larry's reef services and occasionally little neck clams and PE mysis. I don't think it's a nutrition issue, but I could be wrong.

Yeah, doesn't sound like a nutrition issue tbh...any chance it will eat some raw fish liver? I suspect that would be a reasonable source of vitamin A??? I guess at this stage you don't have much to lose?

Good luck with whatever you decide on.

[caribfan]

Pyramid didn't make it, not surprised, but still disappointed.

The modestus isn't looking great at the moment either, starting to do the side to side swimming motion. I haven't seen it eat much over the past few days either.

This is definitely going to be a rebuilding year for me, I think I'm down to two butterflies, assuming the modestus doesn't make it, or much of a butterflytown....

I'm kicking myself for not buying that coradion off divers den a few weeks back.

[dh350twin]

Originally Posted by caribfan

Pyramid didn't make it, not surprised, but still disappointed.



The modestus isn't looking great at the moment either, starting to do the side to side swimming motion. I haven't seen it eat much over the past few days either.



This is definitely going to be a rebuilding year for me, I think I'm down to two butterflies, assuming the modestus doesn't make it, or much of a butterflytown....



I'm kicking myself for not buying that coradion off divers den a few weeks back.

Butterfly's are just so hard to keep long term. As you know I have been trying myself. I plan on keeping, tinkeri, declivis, mitratus, and a few others but that will most likely be it. Mixed with angels, tangs, and maybe a small pair of triggers

[Big E]

Hi Matt,

Sorry to hear about your troubles.

I don't remember if you use one, but have you thought about a UV sterilizer? A lot of people with delicate fish use them. Copps is the top hobbyist that comes to mind.