Copper banded butterfly Need Advice

RAVEN · 02-12-2005, 05:00 PM

Ok! I need some opinions. *I've found the perfect Copperband I've been looking for at my LFS. *Its big beautiful fat and eating aggressively. *Some other customer brought it in as a trade in because it was decimating his reef tank. *I put a deposit on him and will pick him up tomorrow. *I usually give all my new fish a freshwater dip for 3-5min and then quarentine for 2-3 weeks. *What I'm wondering is if I should forgo the freshwater dip with this fish because it is so sensitive. *Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

RAVEN · 02-13-2005, 07:29 PM

Doesn't anybody have an opinion around here?
Well it doesn't matter any more. I picked up the fish today and gave it a 4 min freshwater bath and he tolerated it great. It was swimming around the bowl like it was pissed off. This fish is a beast of a Copperband!

OoNickoC · 02-13-2005, 11:26 PM

I give new arrivals a 2-3 FW dip with a concentrate of paracidal then QT em for about a week. 5 mins is very harsh on any fish. SW fish have a hard enough time with osmoregulation (maintaing the balance of solutes in thier bodies...like salts) and FW dip throws it outta whack big time. I usually dip the for a few mins max.

RAVEN · 02-14-2005, 03:23 PM

You have to do a 3 minute Fw dip minimun to kill ick and preferably 5 min according to the experts like Bob Fenner. *I adjust the pH with Nabicarb and then use 1-2 quarts of FW and add 6-8oz of salt water. *Its just as effective as 100% FW. *In fact one of the books I have recommends using a mixture of 90% FW and 10% SW for dips because its just as effective and less osmotic stress on the fish.