copper banded butterfly fish maybe ich please help

[ktm]

hi yesterday oct 21 i bought a copper banded butt. fish from the lfs. I watched him eat some mysis shrimp at the lfs, and i put him in my 20 gal qt. today oct 22nd i noticed him doing some spaz activity (head shaking, and sometimes brushing against my bubbler.head shaking only once. he brushes against the bubbler every 15-20 min would be my guess. I put in some herbtana to try to help the situaation. i have some cupermine should i add that in there instead. he wouldnt touch the mysis yesterday today he ate one small mysis then got bored of it. please help my amonia is .25 in my qt. nitrite is 0 i added some microb-lift amonia remover to correct the amonia

[Reefing Madness]

Because he's rubbing doesn't mean he has Ich. Watch him, you have to see signs in order to get a definate ID.
Curing Fish of Marine Ich
Marine Ich - Myths and Facts

[leebca]

Reefing Madness is absolutely right. I'd rather you actually see some spots on the fish before diagnosing the fish as having Marine Ich. In the link RM provided is a short guide on trying to do a good diagnosis for Marine Ich. You can Goggle Marine Ich and find photos of fishes with it (although most of those pictures are of fishes REALLY infected and you're looking more for a few spots).

The fish is being irritated, no doubt. I love these fishes. It is one of my favs. However, they are quite different, individually. Some are 'easy' some 'moderate' and others 'difficult' when it comes to keeping them. But they do have one thing in common and that is the need for very good water quality. Are you sure your water is good? No ammonia, no nitrites, and no other possibility of poisons? If you have properly tested the water and found it okay, go ahead and do a large (80%) water change, but do it according to these recommendations: How to Make a Successful Water Change

IF you are sure of your water quality. . .Since you got the fish from a LFS can you go back and see if there are other fish in that tank that are also brushing. You'll have to stand there still and be patient. However, if your LFS is small and this might be the only fish or this is the only one of these fishes he had, this might not work out.

The reason for the above last recommendation is that this fish may have gill flukes. But before we go there, please do the water change; make sure of your water quality; and let us know if the behavior of the fish has changed at all about 18-24 hours after the water change. Make sure you are using the exact same food that the LFS was using when you try to get it to eat next time.

[ktm]

if he had gill flukes would he be rubbing close to his gills. he is rubbing in the middle of his body. i dont see any spots but his body naturally has white color which might make it difficult to see. would i see them? ill do a big water change like u mentioned.

[leebca]

The rubbing would be over the gill plate area in general, with gill flukes. So if the rubbing is mid-section, then probably not that. The wagging of the head is though.

You'd see raised spots on the body, even on the white areas, with close inspection. Not the easiest to see against white, but still visible if you look closely. The size of the spot would be about the size of grain of salt.

[ktm]

no spots. i did a 80% change and he is grazing the bottom looking for food and is actually acting more normal. before he would go back and forth side to side. no more rubbing or head shakes and its been about 1-1/2 horurs. ill check my amonia level in a few thanks for the help leebca
probably just stressed out

[Reefing Madness]

no spots. i did a 80% change and he is grazing the bottom looking for food and is actually acting more normal. before he would go back and forth side to side. no more rubbing or head shakes and its been about 1-1/2 horurs. ill check my amonia level in a few thanks for the help leebca
probably just stressed out

THats why its so important to have no ammonia in your tank, its very bad for fish.

[ktm]

he is now in my dt and doing well. he still wont eat mysis but picks around the live rock. aptaisia is almost gone. he has a very expensive diet muscles and clams hopefully he will eventually aquire the taste for flake and pellet foods

[Reefing Madness]

Don't know about flake and pellets, but mine did eat Mysis. You have other fish that eat it? He may see that and figure it out.

[leebca]

Please don't feed this fish with flake and pellets.
For information regarding pellet, flake, and disc foods, check under the heading of Flake, Pellet, Stick, and Disk Foods in the post: Fish Health through Proper Nutrition