Copperband with neurological or vision problem

[Paul B]

Copperband is still with me even though she has not eaten in almost two months. Healthy, non drugged fish can live a very long time.

The lack of food is showing in her fins and scales as she doesn't have that velvety smooth skin and perfect fins that a healthy fish should have. Her eyes are not as clear and her "expression" shows me how she is feeling.
(stop laughing, some day you will be able to know what a fish is thinking)

She is dying of either old age or a neurological condition, maybe a brain tumor as her vision is askew.
She still swims all over the tank and gets excited when I feed, but she knows she can't eat.

I am not sure how long Copperbands live but being a butterfly and not an angel, Maybe 10 years is close to their natural lifespan. But I doubt it. I don't remember ever keeping one for 10 years.
I am also not sure of her exact age as I don't keep records but this one is on my book cover and that picture is at least 5 years old and she is an adult there. I got her as a baby as I like to buy all my fish If I can.

This is her yesterday. She looks better than this as the picture is out of focus

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I'd imagine this is the stage where a fish would resort to hiding all the time if another fish was bullying due to the weakened condition. So having a peaceful tank allows her to at least move about freely, even as she goes downhill.

 

[Paul B]

How to Tell if a Marine Fish Is Dying of Old Age

We aquarists try very hard to keep our animals alive as long as possible for a few reasons. The first is that we are caring people and don’t want to see them hurt. The second is that our spec…

www.saltwatersmarts.com

 

[Paul B]

My Copperband finally passed away peacefully. And she had the courtesy to die stuck to a powerhead near the front of the tank so it was simple to remove her and she didn't become bristleworm food.

No Ich, velvet, dropsy, bacteria , no nothing. Just old age, or maybe Alzheimers

If she was near the bottom, It wouldn't have been pretty .
She is the copperband that appears on the cover of my book.

I will get another one when I find a small, good one.

 

[charged45]

Sorry to hear Paul.

 

[Chris A.]

Always sad to see a pet go but as long as you know you it was well cared for, that’s all any pet can wish for. Good luck finding a new one.

 

[Paul B]

She lived a good, long life.

 

[gobyvin]

That is awesome you had her so long!!! I am sure she appreciated all the good care you gave.
I believe they do. May you meet again! I saw some small ones in RI at OSA over the weekend. They came in Sunday evening. I hope you get one when you are ready! I was actually surprised at the small size (I'd say maybe 2.5 inches long with snout maybe). Some of the smallest I have ever seen.

 

[Paul B]

I like to get them as big as a quarter. I sometimes find them like that but they live a long time so I don't buy to many of them.

 

[charged45]

Paul are they difficult to keep? Thinking of getting 1.

 

[TJ Reefer]

My Copperband finally passed away peacefully. And she had the courtesy to die stuck to a powerhead near the front of the tank so it was simple to remove her and she didn't become bristleworm food.

No Ich, velvet, dropsy, bacteria , no nothing. Just old age, or maybe Alzheimers

If she was near the bottom, It wouldn't have been pretty .
She is the copperband that appears on the cover of my book.

I will get another one when I find a small, good one.

what book did you write?

 

[Paul B]

I think Copperbands are a little more delicate than most fish but I also think some of that has to do with quarantine. Some fish, like copperband butterflies, moorish Idols, mandarins, and some others do not take well to quarantine unless you can do it in a large well decorated tank filled with some sort of natural looking caves. They need to feel secure and have constant places they can stick their nose looking for worms.

They are just a nervous fish and they let their nerves get the best of them.
I have been keeping them since the 70s and have had many. I don't think I ever had one live past ten years, maybe that is close to their lifespan but I doubt it.
Here is one I had probably in the 80s or 90s.



I took this in Tahiti. Long nose butterflies are almost the exact same fish, they just don't know it. Copperbands come from southern Africa,



I see I had one here (In my Log Book) in 1974. This was before there were salt water medications and reefs. The tank at that time was 40 gallons and decorated with dead coral skeletons which I removed every two weeks to bleach.
Look at the medications I used. I am surprised the thing lived at all. I killed it with medication.

I didn't write everything in my Log Book. Just when something got sick or died. Thank God after losing so many fish, I saw the light.



I also had these fish in 1976. Including a moorish Idol



All those fish, including a French Angel, copperband, hippo tang, Moorish Idol etc. were in this tiny 40 gallon tank. If the tang police were born then, they would have put a bag of burning fish poop on my doorstep, rang the bell and ran away.

 

[Paul B]

what book did you write?

I wrote "War and Peace" and this one. "The Avant Garde Marine Aquarist"
100% of the profits from this book go to research for Multiple Sclerosis in my wife's name. I don't get a nickel, nada, nothing, zip.
It's on Amazon, but you don't have to read it. Just look at the pictures like I do.

Reader Review: The Avant-Garde Marine Aquarist

Special thanks to Patrick Sugent for taking the time to write and submit the following review of Paul “Paul B” Baldassano’s The Avant-Garde Marine Aquarist: A 60-Year History of Fishkeeping. We cou…

www.saltwatersmarts.com

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Your notes from so long ago pioneering SW tanks are really neat.
And good legible handwriting to boot.

 

[Paul B]

Thanks, I kept a Log for many years. It is weird to see the silly medications I used as there were none for salt water.
I got stuff from Doctors and pharmacists.

The "disease" I am talking about at that time was HLLE probably caused by such a small tank for those fish.
Notice the puffer I had for something like 9 years and it lived a long time after I excised a tumor from inside it's belly.

 

[TJ Reefer]

I wrote "War and Peace" and this one. "The Avant Garde Marine Aquarist"
100% of the profits from this book go to research for Multiple Sclerosis in my wife's name. I don't get a nickel, nada, nothing, zip.
It's on Amazon, but you don't have to read it. Just look at the pictures like I do.

Reader Review: The Avant-Garde Marine Aquarist

Special thanks to Patrick Sugent for taking the time to write and submit the following review of Paul “Paul B” Baldassano’s The Avant-Garde Marine Aquarist: A 60-Year History of Fishkeeping. We cou…

www.saltwatersmarts.com

I'm sure its worth the read. I am someone always trying to learn. I have killed 2 copper bands somehow maybe something will click.

 

[Paul B]

TJ Reefer. You don't have to read my book to find out about copperbands. I wrote this short article about them.

You Can Succeed with the Copperband Butterflyfish

Copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) are among my favorite fish and have almost always been a staple in my tank since the saltwater hobby started in the 70s. It’s not just the beauty of the…

www.saltwatersmarts.com

 

[TJ Reefer]

TJ Reefer. You don't have to read my book to find out about copperbands. I wrote this short article about them.

You Can Succeed with the Copperband Butterflyfish

Copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) are among my favorite fish and have almost always been a staple in my tank since the saltwater hobby started in the 70s. It’s not just the beauty of the…

www.saltwatersmarts.com

Yeah but I like reading books and having a written reference.

 

[jcherepo]

Yeah but I like reading books and having a written reference.

Paul’s book is a great read. Cool invention ideas as well!

 

[Paul B]

OK, then read my book. Thanks. 100% of the profits go to MS research in my wife's name.