Sickly Copperbanded Butterfly

[13thmonkey]

i piked up a copperbanded last week at my lfs. he seemed alright after i got him home. my yellow tang gave him a bit of run-around the first few days. he would eat some mysis shrimp for the first few days, so i wasnt too worried, also the lfs worker said that they had the fish in for almost a week so she didnt think eating was an issue. the last two days he has been just hanging out and getting skinny. i tried mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, flake food with garlic, and there is aptasia of all sizes as well both with the lights on and with the lights off, but he just wont eat. he isnt being bothered by the yellow tang anymore, i fear it may be too late to do anything for him, as he was lying on his back and breathing hard when i came home from work tonight. i turned on the lights and he kinda perked up but only to swim under a rock, there he is upright but still breathing hard. his sides are just about collapsed. anyone have any suggestions to try as a last ditch effort to save him? i dont have a refugium or hospital tank.

 

[N1z]

As you have just found out copperbands are incredibly hard to feed. You coudl try amiphipods? Also try the garlic with frozen and try live brine shrimp you can buy from ur LFS.

 

[wflash3]

maybe its not just the feeding, he could have had some problem at the LFS, you probly got him at a bad time, and the stress put on him from the yellow tang probly pushed him over the edge, but my best of luck to you.

flash

 

[Eversurf]

I had the same combination of fish Yellow Tang and Copperband. My copperband was eating ok, but the Yellow Tang got the best of him and one week later he was covered in white spots and died.

I personally don't think Copperband and Yellow Tang are compatible due to shape issue. They are shaped the same. Also the copperband are really hard fish to keep.

I sold my yellow tang and I hope in the near future to get another Copperband as they are incredible fish. Try to feed smaller piece of food to the Copperband, they have a really small mouth. Mine was eating mysis shrimp like a champ. I would keep going with that. Sometimes he didn't eat for a couple of days.

My 2 cents