I guess that with the good, you must accept the bad

[smcnally]

Well, I got my TBS Par 2 shipment tonight. Took the trek to the airposrt and finally got the shipment at 10:30. Good part#1 TBS was nice enough to pre-pay for my shipping (So it cost me nothing to pick up)! Good part#2 They even gave me extras! A free condy ( I think...pink foot white tenticles with blue tips), I also got a huge serpant star, a small brittle, 2 tigertail cukes, lots of snails and hermits, and of course my rock. So I start acclimating and I look in my tank to see this.

I don't know what happened to him. I was so bummed out, but his coloration is all gone, and he's 1/2 dead. All my other fish are fine. He was swimming around one of my BTAs today. Would they hurt him? I just don't get it. I tested the water and the ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites are all in check. Salinity is at 1.025 and temp at 80.5. I'm wondering if he starved. He has eaten some mysis, but not a whole lot.

 

[NateHanson]

That's a real bummer. Sorry to hear it. If you can get a picture at a better angle it might be possible to see if he looks hungry. As far as the BTA, it could get stung if it darted into one. You'd probably see scarring on his side. Have you flipped him over?

Just to be certain . . . when you say ammonia, nitrates and nitrites are all in check, do you mean they're all zero (or at least all but the nitrates). I believe butterflys in general are very sensitive to water quality.

 

[NateHanson]

Is it possible he got crushed when you were putting the new rock in?

 

[smcnally]

Yes, I meant they were all at zero. I tested twice and got zero (or right near it) on all tests. Both sides basically looked the same, but the side I took the picture of I noticed more color loss.

 

[smcnally]

Is it possible he got crushed when you were putting the new rock in?

No, the new rock is in a QT tank.

 

[NateHanson]

Oh, so none of the new rock went in the tank with the CBB? Sorry, I thought the rock got plopped in this guys tank tonight, and that would seem more logical that he was ailing tonight.

I guess hunger is all I can think of now. Maybe someone else with more experience and ideas is still awake?

 

[smcnally]

Yeah, I had a 20 gal set up for the new rock to go in before it's final trip to the main tank. I'm wondering if I should just put it all in the tank tonight though. There isn't a whole lot of stuff on it, so I would suspect the die off to be minimal. There are a total of about 5 radians star corals an a piece of tube coral about 3/4" in diameter. Of course a couple sponges, but nothing really big. It's only 15lbs, and all pretty small rocks (about 7-8 of them). Anyone think I should just plop them in?

 

[~Flighty~]

So the CBB is in the main tank, how long? What are the fish tankmates?
Losing the color is normal. They do that at night and when they are stressed or threatened. Lookong half dead is not normal.

I wouldn't change anything until you figure out what is going on with him. Did you put the new anemone in the main tank or any of the water from the bag? Some anemones (when they are healthy) are known to release something when really stressed that can kill fish in the same tank.

I hope he gets better for you. These are my favorite fish , but they have such a hard time making the transition from the ocean to the tank.

 

[NateHanson]

It's only 15lbs, and all pretty small rocks (about 7-8 of them). Anyone think I should just plop them in?

I wouldn't do it. Not with an ailing fish in the tank. I'd take things extra slow until you figure out what's wrong with the CBB. Give the new rock a week in the q-tank.

 

[smcnally]

The CBB died last night. I didn't mix anything into the tank at the time. When I first noticed the CBB wasn't normal was before I even looked at my new stuff. It was still all boxed up. I've been watching all my fish today from work on my webcam, and they all look normal. I really think it may have starved. It looked a little on the skinny side, and when I fed the tank, I rarely saw him participate. I just assumed he was eating because the guy at Skiptons told me that he was eating frozen mysis and such. I will test all the params again when I get home, but I don't think it was the water. It definitely was a coincidence that I just got home with new rock/critters, because kie I said...It wasn't even out of the shipping box when I saw him on his side. I will wait on putting the rock in Nate.

 

[starrfish]

Steve, how long did you have the CBB? I'm so sorry for your loss. My CBB is my favorite fish. If you weren't really noticing that he was eating, he probably wasn't. Mine is a huge pig - chases all the mysis before anyone else can get it. Again, I'm really sorry.

Daire

 

[jmkeary]

Steve
I have found CBB can be tricky. They seem to be all right in shipping and for about a week after then it all seems to catch up to them and they don't make it even when they eat well. If you get one that survives for about 2-3 weeks in your tank and settles they are great fish and survive a long time. I hate to say it but i had two that looked great in the store watched them like a hawk and they did well in my tank for about a week and then went down hill fast even though they were eating. Have no idea why no signs of disease just got thin and died, even though i watched them eat brine and mysis. I would guess it was an internal parasite or viral. Wish i had a good microscope to autopsy them.
Finally got one that looked great settled well. watched it like a hawk for the two weeks ate well and now it is doing great in my tank although for some weird reason it and my yellow tang are always together swimming and eating. Kind of funny to watch the tang follows the CBB constantly the CBB eventually gets pissed and chases the tang away. Then the tang slowly works his way back the to CBB and starts following him again LOL. Think the tang has a crush on the CBB

 

[smcnally]

LOL jmkeary. Daire, I've only had it about 3 weeks. I'd have to check to be sure though. He was one of my favorites, but I think I'll wait a while before I attempt another one.

 

[NateHanson]

That's funny James.

 

[smcnally]

Oh, BTW...I found out from TBS today that they didn't prepay for my shipping. They said I should have been charged. Looks like I instantly saved about $50. That made my day!