help with dads butterfly fish

[HeyFreqs]

We noticed he is starting to rub up against the live rock, this just started, my father said he knows this is a sign of skin problems in fresh fish. Any suggestions?

 

[yote]

What are his water parameters?
What size tank?
Whats his stock list?
FOWLR or reef?

 

[HeyFreqs]

Ph is 8.2
Alkalinity is 10 drops
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Nitrite 0
Temp is 82
Salinity is 1.023

He has a few clowns, one anemone, green coral, some snails, a yellow tailed damsel and the butterflyfish

Tank is 40 gallon

 

[HeyFreqs]

The other fish are doing fine, but now the butterfly fish is turning on his side to scratch it on the gravel as well. its not chronic, he seems to be fine but then just goes into a scratching fit. he is also hiding behind live rock when he normally was very "social" is it possible he was stung by the anemone? I looked for white spots and didnt see any, just concerned.

 

[Zissou]

Be on the lookout for ich. It'll look like salt was sprinkled on your fish. Starting looking for 'grains' of 'salt' on the fish, you might see one or two. Usually, the fish will scratch themselves before you see it, and they'll become reclusive. Two angels I've had acted this way shortly before they were covered in ich.

But, it might be something else. Is the butterfly new?

 

[HeyFreqs]

Yes he was purchased from pet supplies plus on Friday

 

[HeyFreqs]

I've also noticed it seems to have scratched some color off himself.

 

[wontonflip]

+1 Zissou...could be ich from the stress of being in a new tank. What size is the tank? Is anyone picking on him? If it is ich, you can try to treat in a qt tank w/ copper or hypo salinity, but as soon as you put him back, he'll get ich again, since you already introduced it with this fish. If you don't want to qt the fish, you can just hope he fights it himself.

 

[HeyFreqs]

+1 Zissou...could be ich from the stress of being in a new tank. What size is the tank? Is anyone picking on him? If it is ich, you can try to treat in a qt tank w/ copper or hypo salinity, but as soon as you put him back, he'll get ich again, since you already introduced it with this fish. If you don't want to qt the fish, you can just hope he fights it himself.

Doesn't this put the other fish in danger of getting ich?

 

[Bifferwine]

Yes it does. If he is already in the tank with the other fish, they have already been exposed to the ich. The trick is to quarantine new additions before introducing them to your other fish.

 

[HeyFreqs]

i just read ich will die in temps. of 86 degrees F. is this something that should be tried in a tank with clown fish, yellow tailed damsel, anemone and green coral?

 

[Bifferwine]

This is not true... It will speed up its life cycle, but not necessarily die. Temps that high aren't good for your tank.

 

[HeyFreqs]

thanks. Just worried, I dont want all the fish to die as we dont have a quarentine tank.

 

[dcantucson]

Consider adding a UV light on your system.

 

[jamesb]

It sounds like Ick to me too. I lost 6 of my fish fighitng Ick. It is a long drawn out process to get rid of it too. I am just getting to where I can start adding fish to my tank again. Good Luck!

 

[HeyFreqs]

Ya sadly the butterfly fish died, I doubt it was ich being that none of the other fish got any type of disease. I literally think the poor guy beat himself to death, he was all scratched up on the side, literally looked as if he had internal bleeding. Either that or his skin was raw, so sad, but the other fish are doing great.

 

[dcantucson]

It sounds awful. Sorry about your Dad's fish. :(